One of the most important objectives for fairtrade organizations in this stage, must be making people more aware about their cause. Institutions like schools and companies are the perfect channel to start teaching people about fairtrade.
On the one hand, we have the education system that can play a crucial role in all of this.
We can’t forget that a person’s way of thinking is highly influenced by their school environment as a child. First of all it’s obviously a good place to hang posters and give out flyers so teenagers know the fairtrade products are there. More important is getting them familiar with the brand by integrating some of the products in the school lunch for example. The third aspect is the integration in the curriculum: presentations or plays about fairtrade, games, school fieldtrips, videos,… These things actively involve the child and are proven to be very effective.
We can’t forget that a person’s way of thinking is highly influenced by their school environment as a child. First of all it’s obviously a good place to hang posters and give out flyers so teenagers know the fairtrade products are there. More important is getting them familiar with the brand by integrating some of the products in the school lunch for example. The third aspect is the integration in the curriculum: presentations or plays about fairtrade, games, school fieldtrips, videos,… These things actively involve the child and are proven to be very effective.
On the other hand, you have the companies, where the implementation can take place on two levels. The first one is focussing on your own employees (the practical implementation here is similar to the one in schools). The second aspect is new: actually offering the fairtrade products. To make this happen, the company has to be convinced that it’s a market full of potential. One of the ways to prove this, could be offering a sort of “starting kit” that they can launch so they can see its potential with their own eyes.
Based on three PowerPoints that you can find on the website of fairtradegemeenten under “informatieve powerpoints en filmpjes”:
- “PowerPoint voor het overtuigen van bedrijven”
- “PowerPoint aanbod fairtrade lager onderwijs”
- “PowerPoint aanbod fairtrade secundair onderwijs”
Jules Branswyck – Group 5
I agree entirely. It’s extremely important to promote fair trade everywhere and in any possible way. The school environment is an appropriate place to confront young people with fair trade and as a result, they will discuss the fair trade organisations. Possibly, these potential consumers will already know about the supportive capacities of fair trade products towards developing countries. This will certainly have an impact on these future consumers when they go shopping on their own.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIn my opinion, most campaigns focus on adults, while these people actually always buy the same brand out of habit. Therefore I think it’s less likely adults will immediately change their purchasing habits and buy fair trade products instead. That’s why it’s a great idea to introduce fair trade to children, so they could become familiar with the wide range of fair trade products.
Justine Bleuze - Group 5
I couldn’t agree more with Justine on that. If we give children, while they are young, another opinion about fair trade products they will spend more money to fair trade products. But don’t you think that it is not only the school who has a big influence on the opinion of children and teenagers but also the parents? If a mom or dad tells her or his little child how they see it, most of them will have the same opinion. So we mustn’t only change the thinking of the school environment but also the thinking and opinion of parents. In my opinion, a combination of both will change the view of children.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenLobke Callens
Group 5