Little, easy but effective gestures

It is posible to show solidarity with the needy within the frame of a secondary school. Every action we start is work it: the Race against Hunger, the sale of a calendar or any other little gesture.

Fair trade coffee

Two years ago, when we were in "5eme ", we were learning about fair trade, with the example of coffee trade. There was a self-service coffee machine in the staff room. We asked the teachers if they would agree to play a little more to get fair trade coffee n the machine. As their answer was positive, we went (with one teacher) to see the coffee machine sales manager in order to request fair trade coffee to be sold in it. It was the first time that sucks a request had been made to him. But he was instanly interesed in it, as it allowed him to add a new product to his catalogue.
We also calculated how many plastic cups were used every year in this machine. We were amazed when we realized that this one machine used 12 000 plastics cups a year! So we asked for the possibility to remove the disposable cups from the machine and to replace them by individual cups that the teachers provide. The machine tehnician told us that it was possible to do, thanks to a simple modification of the distributor. It was indeed possible to install an option with or without plastics cup, wich also allowed to slightly reduce the price of the coffee. The Headmaster, Mr Eloy, congratulated us for our initiative.
Finally, fair trade coffee started being sold in our school staff room with a price increase of 5 centimes per cup of coffee. Such little gestures, repeted 100, 1000, 1000 000 times can contribute to improve the daily life of thousands of farmers in the countries of the South.

Ana barbier, Ane Fernandez

By buying here, they eat there.

The international commercial performance

Little producers cultivate their soil, create work and working force at a good price, harvest products and sometimes even start the first transformation, although importer countries monopolize, by the means of multinational firms and with immense profits, the fruit of this labour. This unequal trade compels Third-world countries to turn towards international help and loan to be able to provide for the basic needs of their populations.
This vicious cycle creates a dependence of the producer countries on the consumer countries, a ratio of force which does not allow, with short or long-term, the sustainable development of the communities in the south.

The equitable commercial performance

Equitable trade aims at balancing trade between the small producers of the South and the consumers of North. Why? Because these exchanges are made to the disadvantage of raw material producers.

For a product to be considered as "fair commerce", it must be produced within fair social conditions and a worthy work, be paid at a price which allows permanence of a concrete production’s project and rule out the intermediaries from the distribution process. In the manufacturing process there mustn’t be any exploitation, children’s labour, nor racial, sex or other discrimination.

The producers sell with cooperatives. There is a guaranteed minimum. Even if the market of the stock exchange collapses, the producer always earns the same.

The cooperative redistributes the money to build schools and medical centres.

Here the advertising budget almost doesn’t exist (in any event advertisement is dealt with by rich countries); therefore very few people know what equitable trade is.

Of course the selling price is a little higher, but by buying products from equitable trade we really help and support fairer exchanges between Southern and Northern countries.

Ana Barbier, Ane Fernandez

South also exists here

We all know the problems of countries of the southern hemisphere, with all those malnourished people dying of hunger, children working, the thousands of illiterates… It is a very long list.
But, are we really conscious of the people who suffer in rich countries, because of cold and malnutrition? People who don’t have a home, who sleep in the street, who do not have a job and who have to beg to be able to eat once a day. They represent the other part of a supposedly developed society. In Bilbao, there are 36.000 homes and 90.000 people who can barely cover the elementary expenses of day-to-day life. 774 people live in the streets (48% from abroad, the majority of them illegal immigrants). The most frequent reasons to end up on the streets are the lack of money, extended unemployment, death of a loved one and disease. 20% of them are, however, university graduates, but who wants to employ a tramp? We try to hide them, to ignore them, but these people exist and like any human being, they have the right and the need to be helped economically and morally. By giving them money, one ensures them a meal, but they feel dependent on our charity. They should thus be helped in a way that does not make them feel marginalized and that makes them want to continue to try having a worthy life. A word, a glance, a smile, it is the least that we can do.
Laura Gardner, Amaia Urgoiti et Ines Uribe

Actions:

Like each year our school, under the responsibility for the parents’ association, tries to improve the life of less favoured people from our city, Bilbao. Various operations are started and make it possible to make the whole school community aware of such problems. We collect gifts for local associations which are given the responsibility to distribute the gifts to the neediest.

Food Stock Exchange: during 1 week, the pupils bring non-perishable food products which are stored in the college before being recovered by “Caritas” which will distribute them in the various canteens for the poor of our city .
The last operation (DEC 2007) enabled us to collect 60 kg of food. Another purse will be launched at the time of our race against hunger, in May.

The collection of toys: as every year we have received mountains of toys that are usually used on Christmas day and immediately after are kept very carefully in the wardrobe witch gets full very quickly. It’s time to think about those who are not as lucky as we are show solidarity and intelligence by giving those toys, that we don’t even look at, and can fill of happiness a lot of children to whom Santa Claus has not been able to offer any presents. A collection of toys is organized annually, and given to Caritas, who gie them away.

Clothes collection for charity: Influenced by fashion and publicity of our days, we buy more and more clothes everyday, mostly having in mind that the massive importation of the Asiatic textile industries make it much more available. But there are some ethical problems (just price, clandestine work and children’s labour), but some waste problems too.

At school, some students have worked about this subject, three years ago, and their results have conduced us to discover an enterprise witch point has motivated them (look in our web page)

Since then we have been working in close collaboration with this company to which we give the collected clothes, with the certitude of their correct use. The last operation in date has allowed us to collect 2 clothes containers, and we’re preparing a new operation which will add to the money collected on the Race against Hunger day.
The clothes are separated, then recycled or re-used, in Peru, Romania or resold in Ekorropa shops, which are second-hand clothes shops here in Biscay.

Vicky Gorria, Monica Muro et Maria Ortega.

Race against hunger

The Race against Hunger will be organized for the 11th year in May, 2008.

Our school and the race
Last year our school decided to participate in this race against the hunger. There were more than 300 participants from our school and other ones from the German School of Bilbao. We collected more than 9000 Euros that were destinated to Burundi.

The race took place during a Wednesday morning and as there were a lot of participants we had to organise two different races by age.
The A.P.A. got from the sponsors some bags with food which were given to the pupils at the end of the race but we wasted a lot of food and kilos of tailing.(A limit when we think about the theme of the race). It’s evident that this year we’ll have to avoid this kind of mistake, sensitising, and we have decided to place this day under the sign of solidarity, of course, but also under the sign of sustainable development.
We are officially registered for the 11th edition and despite the exact date has not been decided yet (may), we already know that it will assemble a higher number of participants than last year.
Our purpose is to reach, this year, more than 15 000 euro and the first contacts have already been taken with the three schools of the Basque country which participate with us in the project: “Eco-parliament of the young” to convince them to participate in this solider purpose.
We have created a pupil commission to define with the teachers and the school direction, the development of this day. And we will ask :
- That this race will be a party.
- To make some stands done by the pupils of 3eme, stands where we will sensitise all the athletes about the hunger in the world, about the right of education for everybody, about the help to the most needed of our city, about the tolerance and about the sustainable development in general.
- To be able to let people know about our engagement and share with the highest number of people our worries about this problem, about poverty in general and climate changes
Some ideas:
To organise a rock concert (“terminal” pupils), to contact with a well-known music band (we’re thinking about Ken Zazpi), to invite our parent to participate, to invite the media to let people know about our engagement, to make personalized T-shirts in art lessons…
Decide if you want to help us in this solidary adventure, making us know by leaving a comment in this blog.

Lucia Guerra, Carlota Sans, Guillermo Arbulu and Guillermo Garcia (3èmeA)

Sponsorships of solidarity classes

Aide et Action is an association for development through education and the first sponsorship association in France.
They act for a world where dignity is for everybody, thanks to education. Their commitment and their actions are based, foremost, on the values of liberty, respect, solidarity, equality and integrity.
Free of any political or religious dependence, they undertake to:

ACT respecting everybody’s right, and particularly the one of the children, humanity’s future, to quality education.
INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS, mobilize and influence so that education becomes a worldwide commitment.
ACCOMPANY people, contracting education projects.
PROMOTE an open education about the world, its diversity and its cultures.
DEVELOP the principle of solidarity and exchange between cultures thanks to the sponsorship link.
GUARANTEE the transparency of their actions and the use of our resources.

Besides suggesting individual sponsorships, Aide et Action suggests European students to mobilize on a Project which will contribute to improve the school atmosphere for children in Togo, Benin or Senegal.
Through three correspondences during a school year, this sponsorship allows children from here (primary and secondary school) and there, to exchange and “be aware of the others and their differences.”

Thanks to these sponsorships of solidarity classes, we have had the chance to keep correspondences with children in Togo.

The year 2007 has been very enriching. We have had three correspondences with classes in Togo (Agaradé, Kolo y Efolo) with great success. They have sent us photos and drawings and especially they have explained us how they live, which has allowed us to note that they have nothing or next to nothing. It is very important to understand how they live in order to be able to help them.


The money we have given them (200 euros) allows them to launch some projects. An example of a project is the operation palm oil. With the money of our sponsorship, the students of Agaradé have bought palm nut to produce of oil used for cooking and cosmetics. Afterwards, they went to the market to sell this oil, and the money collected has allowed them to meet the immediate needs of their class. Thanks to these projects, children also learn the differents stages which may help them to achieve their personal projects.

Their mails have helped us to undestand their difficult situation and their lack of school equipment, so we have bought dictionaries, rulers, compasses, maps... in order to help their teachers to work in better conditions.

This year the school sponsors of three more classes: at Kpaporga (Togo) and at Marsassoum and Boughary (Senegal).

Carolina Lopez, Marta Jainaga.

But how do we sponsor our actions?

Our school has carried out many projects led by students from various levels and by teachers for a few years. The main goal of these projects is to send money to our sponsored classes in Senegal and Togo.


The Raffle
We have been organizing a raffle for Christmas since December 2006 . Our goal is to send the money we make from it to developing countries. The winners of the raffle get all sorts of prizes. It fun ! Tickets are sold for one euro each and we have collected 3643 euros. This year, more than 400 prizes, including two bicycles, a camera, many rucksacks… have been won.


The Calendars
Last year, with the help of some teachers, some secondary school students designed a calendar about sustainable development.
Every month, we tackle a topic related to environmental problems (water and air pollution, transport, etc…) and look into solutions. Moreover, our calendar mentions all the environmental festivals like the world day of water.
1100 copies of the calendar have been printed and they will be sold for five euros and the profit we make will be used to buy school material that we will send to our sponsored classes in Africa.

Jone Ugarteburu, Marta Abeijon

Proyect Materi

Under the aegis of the government of Cantabria, the French school of Bilbao contributed in different plans which have as a common objective, helping in the development of Benin. Benin is a country located in Africa, in the gulf of Guinea between Nigeria and Togo. It is a country which has always attached great importance to education and it is rare to find a village where there is no a primary school. This is important because one of the biggest problems of Africans countries is their high level of an alphabetisation.
However, a quality education encourages children to stay at school and they risk being exploited less or being victims of acts of violence. The actions which allow giving a quality education to the children, have deep and lasting consequences to the society in general. Different actions led by the government of Cantabria with an important collaboration of the French school of Bilbao try to promote these concepts. More précisement Matéri plan.
One of the actions led as part of this plan and with which a bigger is operation “Education with pedals ". It was led to end thanks to the dispatch of 715 bikes which were distributed to the students and to the professors of Matéri. For 200FCFA / month (more or less 30 euro cents), the pupils of the high school will be able to have bikes. Preference will be given to those who live on the centre furthest. The abandonment of studies draws away the loss of right to the tenancy. (Intensification does not make lose the right to the bike.) This action tries to motivate the pupils not leave their studies and to make itself every day to the school to finish their studies and acquire the bike.
Also another led action was that of the collection of pounds. In the secondary school have informs the pupils that all those who would like could give pounds which they do not use any more, to recover them later all and to send them to the Benin.
The difference between humanitarian help and foreign aid well needs to make. This last has as objective to help less developed countries so that they can develop and one day to have the means of food by them without needing to accept helps. A more pronounced help, portrays twinning am under consideration for the next receipts

Beatriz Marquez, Ines Renobales Claudia del Campo

Youth’s Ecoparlement

Our way of consumption uses rapidly up our natural resources and we know that they will not last forever- Their extraction, and especially the fact that they have to be transformed to be turned into a consumable product, provoke, a part from other consequences, CO2 emissions. These emissions are mainly responsible for the climatic changes.
These climatic changes are felt all over the world, but they reach great proportions in zones were life conditions are already difficult.
A great number of countries, already affected by lack of food or drinking water, if we choose only to mention these two problems, are today at the edge of implosion.
It is therefore evident that our consumption habits are in a great part responsible of all these planetary changes

Becoming a responsible consumer imposes itself as a priority and the future of our planet is in the hands of the new generation, meaning us, tomorrow’s deciders.

Let's not forget, if we want to talk about endurable development that magnificent mention of Saint-Exupéry:
"Earth is a heritage that we borrow from our children."

Nowadays, we know, because our elders, our teachers, confess their mistakes and act to inform us. And we are lucky to know. But, does everyone have that right, that possibility?

We have nowadays in our hands fabulous tools to act, like 21 Agenda (global, local, in groups). But, why do we talk about local 21 Agenda if we don’t decide to create our personal 21 Agenda?

Yes, each of us has to behave like responsible consumers, being capable of criticising tricky publicity that excites our purchasing.
Yes, we have to recycle, reuse, understand the mechanism, the motive and convince our entourage.
Yes, we have to wonder about the "fair price" of our purchases if we want to act efficiently and durably.

We are convinced about all that, and even if it is sometimes complicated to apply our convictions, we must achieve this, because there's no other chance.
Our worries are thus others.

We have to face urgent problems, those problems which poison human being's daily life. We know there are a lot of those, but certain ones seem to be in capital letters.

· HUNGER IN THE WORLD
· THE RIGHT OF EDUCATION FOR ALL

We’ve heard about exterior debpt a long time ago, our countries are helping the countries in debpt repay them, but what for? To open as soon as possible a new debpt to restart our economy?
We arent going to solve this problem of hunger in the world while cultivating industrial use plants to satisfy our need of gas.
Meanwhile, the price of basic material such as cereal are rising scandelously and poor countries will once again be in debpt.
Speaking of debpts, aren’t we also in debt to crush these countries under the weight of our needs?
Us, the youth, must protest against such inegality wich we do not understand
To protest, it´s thinking, and that’s already good.
But what´s the use if we just wait for things to change?
Everybody, react! Let’s unionize our efforts and show our parents, our theachers that we are able to take that challenge.
Thanks to their help and support, we are starting to react but we must stay in control of the situation and surpass ourselves
Let’s quote this phrase by Gandhi: “Misery is the greatest source of pollution”.
That’s our project and this is what we propose you to do with us:
· A race against hunger
We´ve done it last year and we collected 9 000€ for Burundi (Africa). This year our objective is to collect 15 000€
It’s immediate and quite easy but it’s still charity.
But we still must do it because it´s unbearable that 24 000 people die daily of starvation while we are being picky with the fodd that is given to us.
We must also react ecologicly so that our help becomes more and more frequent and punctual.
How?
By favorising the right of education for all, the only reliable way to extinguish misery
Donations to poor classes seems like a good example of what we can do, because it helps them be more independent of us thanks to education.

The 3º pupils

Translated to English by:
Laura Gardner, Amaia Urgoiti et Alex Ronin