By Fr.
Shay Cullen
There
is good news in the Philippines these days as the framework agreement
for a way forward towards a peace settlement in Mindanao has been
signed and agreed by all the warring parties in the Muslin region
especially with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It is not
the final peace deal, it is the agreement to agree to the way forward
whereby a Muslim homeland called the “Bangsamoro” will be
established. The details have yet to be worked out but the process is
underway in an atmosphere of trust and confidence. The fighting has
ceased at last and may it never start again. The terrorist groups are
outlawed by their own people and political leaders and their
banditry, kidnapping, killing and robberies will end at last.
There
is already a sense of confidence in the possibility of growth in the
economy of Mindanao.
For
the past decades, there have been areas of Southern Mindanao where
hostilities raged back and forth, little trading could be done and
the great natural wealth of the war-torn areas was lost. Land
grabbing by non-Muslim and some powerful Muslim families created a
culture of impunity and injustice and this led to anger and
violence.
Now
with the dawning of peace, those injustices will be put right and
trust and respect can grow between Muslims and Christians. Justice
will be the cementing of peace and trade will follow. We want that to
be Fair Trade. The criteria of Fair Trade are essential for a
positive and happy economic future. Now the growth of trade will soon
be coming back with the new atmosphere of peace and prosperity will
replace poverty.
The
Southern Philippines is blessed with a typhoon-free climate and
fruit, especially mangos, thrives all year round. These we hope will
be flowing into the open market soon. That is where we, in the fair
trade movement and Preda Fair Trade, want to be and see that the
small farmers get the highest price and share of the earnings. More
people across Europe will be buying the Preda Fair Trade mangoes that
are coming with the peace dividend. Justice precedes peace and Fair
Trade is based on respect and justice for the small producers and
farmers.
For
many people, especially those who buy Fair Trade products like Preda
dried mangoes sold in several European countries under the Forest
Feast brand, their first experience with Fair Trade was most likely a
happy and enjoyable one. They are people who do not want to buy
products coming from areas of conflict like blood diamonds from
Africa where slave labor is used, or from rural areas where child
labor is cheap labor. They want the producers to be getting fairness
and prosperity.
The
customers of fairly traded products feel and believe that the value
of a product is more than its great taste, beauty, design, and
usefulness but they also believed that the most important part of its
value is in the way it is produced, presented and sold.
The
Fair Trade customer knows that the producer, artisan, or farmer is
earning a just and fair reward for his or her work and skill. The
customer will be happy to be respecting the rights and dignity of the
producers making lives healthier, happier and it brings about social
justice.
They
know that the Fair trade product and the producer are free from
exploitation, oppression, forced labor, child labor and safe from
dangerous chemicals, life- threatening hazards and bad working
conditions. Fair trade is justice in practice; it should be the right
and normal way for human beings to trade and exchange goods and
services with each other and work for human dignity and peace through
fair trade.
Preda
Fair Trade mangos are sold in the Philippines
at www.predafairtrade.netand
abroad in most Fair Trade and World Shops throughout Europe and in
the UK and Irish supermarkets under the Preda-Forest Feast brand. The
sale of these quality dried fruits helps the small farmers greatly
and making their lives happier. Needy children are helped too. The
earnings of Preda Fair Trade are donated to help abused children and
women and to fight sex slavery and the trafficking of people. We can
all be part of building justice and peace in Mindanao and around the
world.
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