I am Felicity Courcier and am 13 years old. I live in York, England.
Today, I would like to talk about world peace, and the role that Fairtrade can play in helping to achieve it.
I believe that peace means a world free of conflict where everyone can live with dignity and respect. It is my view that a lot of conflict is caused by inequality in how wealth is shared in the world.
Fairtrade is key element in achieving world peace. Fairtrade may not sound familiar in Japan; however, it is well-established in England. This is because the Fairtrade Foundation was established in the Unit-ed Kingdom in 1992.
Fairtrade is about ensuring that producers in the developing world are fairly compensated for their la-bor and produce. Fairtrade is based on the idea that trade should be fair to all those involved, and the profits shared more equally.
This allows the farmers and producers to send their children to school, look after the environment, and live with dignity and respect. This helps reduce the causes of conflict, which is often about poverty, lack of education, and competition for resources.
I went to South Africa a few years ago and I was shocked by the extreme difference in the lives of those at the bottom and top of society. I saw children having to work on the street to earn enough money to survive close to expensive restaurants and shops. This made me think that we need to urgently tackle inequality in the world.
I live in York, which achieved fair trade status in 2004. The local authority seeks to ensure that fair-trade goods are sold and used wherever possible in the city. A number of events to promote Fairtrade are held throughout the year.
I think that this model should be adopted around the world and people educated about the benefits of Fairtrade.
I am determined to work to reduce and ideally abolish inequalities in the world. I believe the Fairtrade movement can make a real difference to achieving a more fair, equitable and respectful world.
Thank you for this opportunity and for your time.