‘Not Just Us’ – the next generation of trade justice activists from not your usual backgrounds!

Yorkshire based trade justice charity, the Lorna Young Foundation has recently launched its youth programme in Leeds – and young people from some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Leeds are becoming champions of trade justice. The programme – Not Just Us – offers young people who wouldn’t normally be exposed to these issues the chance to learn about trade justice and poverty through the innovative way of linking them with smallholder farmers in Africa via the internet AND through the practical experience of ethical trading.

The Lorna Young Foundation is a charity working to reduce poverty and promote sustainable livelihoods. The LYF supports smallholder farmer organisations in developing countries to build their commercial capacity and gain better access to UK markets.

The LYF works in the UK to raise awareness of trade justice and support communities to set up social enterprises that link directly with producer communities in the developing world. In 2009 the LYF set up the Oromo coffee company with a group of Ethiopian refugees living in Manchester. http://www.oromocoffee.org/

Not Just Us Leeds – made up of young people from Beeston, Belle Isle, Middleton and Harehills – have already been raising awareness of poverty and trade issues in South Leeds and are preparing for their first live radio broadcast on South Leeds radio on March 4th. Whilst for now they want to introduce the idea of fair trading to communities in Leeds, their ultimate ambition is to develop their own ethically sourced products with their trading partners and create their own brand.

For more info: http://www.lyf.org.uk/programmes/not-just-us/

Email: ethicalyouth@yahoo.co.uk