Oxfam Youth Board member gets in the papers... Our very own Oxfam Youth Board and Change member, David Taylor, has made the papers today with a letter responding to the Independent's labelling of Oxfam as a 'right wing NGO' in an article about the Make Poverty History campaign. The article also accused Oxfam of offering 'free-trade solutions to Third World poverty'. Good ol' David says it is an insult to the 'commitment and passion of Oxfam's staff and activists'. Read his letter here, and click here for more information on Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. And, if you're feeling really passionate, get yourself down to London for the trade justice mass lobby on parliament. posted at 3:10 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Benjamin Zephaniah: we are a "frustrated generation" We have had some great writing through Write for Generation Why and it reminded me of a brilliant poet, novelist, playwright and social activist called Benjamin Zephaniah who has a free exhibition on at the moment in Manchester. He believes that art can be used for much more than for art's sake, and that you can combine it with political activism. And Benjamin doesn't believe young people are apathetic - in a recent interview he says we are a "frustrated generation... I meet people all the time who tell me they want to be active but don't know where to go or how to start". Have a look on our do something pages to see how you could get started. posted at 2:39 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Write for Generation Why is online! We had loads of great entries this month for Write for Generation Why and I just wanted to plug our talented new writers' work, now online. Write for Generation Why is our new initiative to seek out passionate writers, and gives you a great opportunity to improve your writing skills and express what you really think about what's going on. If you're interested in getting involved, send us a short piece of writing about any of Oxfam's issues, and we'll be in touch. In the meantime have a read of what our writers had to say about the Make Poverty History campaign and join in the debate. posted at 12:31 PM | Permalink 1 comments

Tune in to trade justice tomorrow night Whether you're in London listening on 104.4fm or via the internet worldwide, tune in to Resonance FM from 7.00 pm this Thursday night (tomorrow!) to catch Oxfam festival DJ Cynan (pictured) and our London campaigners Rajinder and Claire on air. They'll be talking about the upcoming Mass Lobby for Trade Justice, Claire's recent visit to some fair trade projects in Honduras, not to mention dropping some choice tunes! posted at 11:14 AM | Permalink 1 comments

Get involved - loads of great events coming up Just been looking at our rather wonderful What's On events diary, and realised there are LOADS of really cool events coming up all over the country. In just the next couple of weeks, there are so many ways you could support Oxfam, or other charities in your area. First up, there's the Make Trade Fair roadshow which is currently in Leeds, but travels on to London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol in November. It aims to build support and collect signatures ahead of the WTO meeting in December. There are tonnes of other Make Trade Fair events coming up too, starting with the Trade Justice Rally in Bristol on Thursday 27 October, including speakers from Nestlé, Oxfam and the TUC. The biggie for us is the Mass Lobby for Trade Justice in London on Wednesday 2 November. There should be 10,000s of people coming to Westminster to put pressure on their MP to call for trade justice ahead of the WTO meeting. We'll be there stewarding and helping out. Can't wait. As well as all the Make Trade Fair activity, there are loads of one-off events up and down the country, including the Fairtrade University Conference in Bristol (where you can learn how to make your university or college go Fairtrade), the Community Service Volunteers Make a Difference Day (a chance for you to help out in your local community) and the Shared Planet Conference 2005 (huge student event on poverty, the environment and human rights). Blimey, so much going on! And this really isn't the half of it. Get more info on all the events coming up on What's On, and sign up to e-Xtra for regular updates. Oh, and if you've got an event you'd like us to publicise, just e-mail us at generationwhy@oxfam.org.uk. posted at 9:18 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Volunteer as a steward at the mass lobby for trade justice I know it's short notice, but we're after volunteers to help us steward the lobby for trade justice at the Houses of Parliament, on Wednesday 2 November. It's really important that we have plenty of stewards to manage the large numbers of people we're expecting on the day. Many thousands of people are coming to meet their MPs, forming a queue beginning at the St Stephen's entrance to the House of Commons. The stewards' primary role will be to help manage the participants in the lobby queue, ensuring they are fully informed of the locations, facilities and schedule and to inform them of any special conditions, or changes on the day. The shifts are split into two small chunks: 10.00 am to 2.45 pm, and 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. There's more info on the Trade Justice Movement website - if you're interested, contact (ASAP!) Nicki Brown, TJM Event Logistics Assistant on 020 7288 8655 or by e-mail nicki@millipedia.co.uk. It should be a lot of fun - the whole GWhy team will be stewarding too, so we'll see you there! posted at 10:06 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Calling all film-makers - OneWorld & MTV competition Just a quickie for those budding film-makers and telly producers amongst you - we've just been sent through details of a cool competition run by OneWorldTV and MTV. The project is called Staying Alive, and is your opportunity to produce a 30-60 second public service announcement (PSA) on the subject of HIV/Aids and its impact on women and girls around the world. The competition is open to young filmmakers, aged between 15 and 25, interested in promoting awareness of HIV/Aids to a global audience. The winning PSA will be showcased on the Staying Alive website and the OneWorldTV open documentary platform, plus if it is a really outstanding PSA it will be broadcast on one or more of MTV's television channels. For more info about the competition and to download an entry form please visit the OneWorldTV competition page or send an email to tv@oneworld.net. posted at 10:01 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Generation Why survey - results in! Just wanted to say a BIG THANKS to everyone who filled in our online survey a couple of weeks back - we had 100s of responses, and you (mostly!) said very nice things about us, so we're dead chuffed. Just thought I might share some of the findings... First up, your fave parts of the site are the campaigns pages, do something and t-shirts, which shows you're all keen to actually get involved and do stuff that makes a difference. You were also all kind enough to rate Generation Why really highly for its design and content (and we didn't even pay you!), and you all wanted more info about volunteering opportunities and careers advice on the site. Loads of you wanted to see some kind of e-community or messageboard on here too... Don't worry - we'll be looking to add this kind of content over the coming weeks and months. One of the problems we've discovered is that some of you have had problems finding the site - we'll be looking to make all our linking much clearer in the future. We also asked you about alternative straplines for the site - we've found out that anything with the word 'youth' or 'young people' is a huge no-no! So don't fret, we won't be limiting the scope of the site with a boring strapline like that... I'll leave you with a couple of lovely quotes from your responses: "This website is all what young people think, you are in touch with the youth mind well done! I haven't found a website like it - you're UNIQUE!" And another: "I think it looks great and is really attractive - it makes you want to read all the areas and really relates to younger people and shows how these issues affect them, by tapping into their interests. I think you need to publicise it further." Thanks again to everyone who filled the survey in! We'd love to hear what you think of Generation Why. Have your say below. posted at 12:04 PM | Permalink 1 comments

Compassion fatigue - don't think so! Claims have been made over the past couple of months that the British public have had a tighter grasp of their purse strings than ever before. But Oxfam has fought back against these media myths, saying that the number of people donating and the amount that we donate has increased. So much so that the call centre here tripled in size to take the donations following the South Asia earthquake. Head of fundraising at Oxfam, Edward Fox, says that the more political and media attention a crisis gets, the more we donate. So much for compassion fatigue! But does this mean that we will only give in a quick response to a TV appeal? Do you think celebrities make a difference to how giving we are? Do you think the press should focus on how we can take action rather than making such a fuss about the money? Have your say below! posted at 11:46 AM | Permalink 2 comments

Governments have failed to respond effectively to disasters In a year of unprecedented natural disasters, governments around the world have failed to respond adequately and lives have been lost as a result, according to a new briefing paper from Oxfam. The number of people affected by disasters has risen dramatically in the last ten years, and the international humanitarian response to these emergencies has been "uneven, often late and sometimes inefficient". The paper also notes that much of the response is too often dictated by the media profile of the disaster, rather than humanitarian need. Oxfam has called for governments to commit an extra US$1 billion into a UN emergency fund, to ensure a fast and effective response to future crises. More on Oxfam.org.uk >> posted at 9:12 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Vote in the UK Festival Awards 2005 We've teamed up with our partners Virtual Festivals (along with BBC 6 Music and Carling Live) for the UK Festivals Awards 2005. You get the chance to vote for your fave festival, fave performances and even your favourite festival moment. Voting started yesterday (17 October)for three weeks - have a look at the categories and the nominees. Though we wouldn't wish to prejudice you in any way (of course!), the best moment HAS to be that Make Poverty History moment at Glasto, when 10,000s joined hands across the site. So get voting! More on the Virtual Festivals Awards site >> More about Oxfam's work at festivals this year >> posted at 1:29 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Make Poverty History CD giveaway! A very quick Monday afternoon blog - just wanted to tell you all about a marvellous Make Poverty History CD competition we've got going at the mo. To tie in with White Band Day 3, we've got 5 copies of the new album from "bug-eyed reprobates" (copyright: NME) Dogs, called Turn Against This Land. All you have to do is answer the simple question: when is the third international white band day? Easy-peasy, huh? Bit of a hint: you'll find the answer on our What's On page. Whilst you're entering, you could think about what you can do for the final white band day, and put pressure on world leaders at the World Trade Organisation to ensure trade justice for poor countries. Enter the comp now >> posted at 4:49 PM | Permalink 0 comments

How Oxfam responds in an emergency With the earthquake in South Asia still very much on the news, it's interesting to look at how Oxfam responds in emergency situations. There's loads of info about this on the main Oxfam website. Oxfam is currently doing emergency work in over 30 countries, and that work requires a lot of organisation - from the early response to fundraising, and from working with other NGOs to rebuilding livelihoods afterwards. But being prepared is the key to the success of any response. Oxfam is working to prevent the kind of dramatic emergency situations we see on our television screens developing in the first place. That work begins with an understanding of the problem. More info on oxfam.org.uk >> posted at 10:33 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Stories from Srinagar, Kashmir "I had two sisters older than me. Now I am all alone," eight-year-old Sajaar Ahmed whispers. The bodies of his two sisters have been found. Six other relatives including his father are still missing, buried under the mounds of rubble in what remains of their village after Saturday's earthquake. Oxfam's Ashok Prasad reports from Srinagar in India-administered Kashmir where the cold is proving the biggest threat to those who survived the earthquake. posted at 3:14 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Gifts that give twice... Hmmmm, it feels far too early to be talking about Christmas, doesn't it? Wasn't it summer only a few days ago? Anyway, if you're feeling keen and want to get in early, Oxfam have launched a rather splendid online gifts store called 'Gifts That Give Twice'. It's got all the stuff you'll need for Xmas - decorations, cards, nice wooden toys (my personal favourite are the bendy-twisty jungle animals) and tasty, yummy Fairtrade Xmas grub. Mmmmmm chocolate. As you might have guessed by the cunning title, the great thing about the site is that you get high quality Xmas gubbins, but at the same time you give some of the poorest people in the world the gift of a better future. That's because 100 per cent of the profits from the products sold goes to fund Oxfam's work in more than 70 countries around the world. A top idea, and a great website. So even if you're not buying your Xmas stuff yet, be sure to check it out when you do... posted at 10:51 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Shaista's diary from Islamabad Oxfam's Shaista Aziz (28) is in Pakistan, helping to coordinate the response to the South Asia Earthquake. She's writing a daily diary of her experience on the main Oxfam website (it's on the BBC website too). It's very moving, and a great way to keep up-to-date with what's going on on-the-ground over there, and how Oxfam is responding. If you want to help in some way, you can make a donation to Oxfam's South Asia Earthquake Emergency Appeal. Your gift will really help Oxfam save lives. More on Oxfam's response >> South Asia Quake in-depth on the BBC >> posted at 8:39 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Asia Earthquake - latest updates from Oxfam Oxfam has people on the ground in the region affected by the recent earthquake in Asia. Worst affected is Kashmir, but the quake has also hit north India and Afghanistan. Following initial assessments, Oxfam is gearing up to supply emergency aid to approximately 300,000 people in some of the areas worst affected. Oxfam has a history of working in the area and will be mobilising its existing partners and resources in the response. Latest on oxfam.org.uk >> posted at 10:21 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Where do you shop? Do you always buy Fairtrade? Hey there, just wanted to start a bit of a discussion around this. I was reading that Tescopoly thing the other day, and I thought how hard it is to always buy stuff that is 'good' for the world. For example, if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, right next to a Tesco, it can pretty difficult for you to shop somewhere else. Also, whilst we'd all like to buy Fairtrade stuff, it can be expensive, or just not available. Another thing that got me thinking about this is a quiz about brands (and the impact they have on the world) on the Pressureworks website. It all got me thinking that it's nigh on impossible to be perfect in the things that we buy, which can be a bit depressing. Is it enough to make as much effort as we can, whilst recognising we should do more (and not feeling too bad about it when we do shop in Tesco)? What do you think? Do you always buy Fairtrade? Do you get guilty when you buy some fancy trainers? It would be great if you could add your comments to this blog, and maybe we could do a feature on it in the future too... posted at 5:06 PM | Permalink 7 comments

Oxfam Unwrapped: Return of the goat Hey hey, hope you're all doing OK today. Just a quick blog (sorry they've been a bit sporadic of late, busy times behind-the-scenes at GWhy HQ). Just wanted to tell you about the all-new Oxfam Unwrapped Christmas catalogue. You may remember it from last year - when everyone was buying our dear ol goat for Xmas (just found out we managed to sell 17,000 goats last year). The idea is simple: rather than buying your usual Xmas gifts - socks, perfume, singing Elvis fish - you buy someone a gift connected to Oxfam's work, that will make a real difference to people in poverty. For example, goats (which are £24 a pop) can be bred and then sold to raise cash for school fees. Or you could build a toilet for just £30, which will help prevent the spread of deadly diseases in crisis situations. There are LOADS of different, great value gift ideas - 100 school dinners for just £6, 5 lots of student school kit for £20, an essential hygiene kit for £12... If you're feeling flash (and flush for cash) you could even build a classroom for £1,700! So, what are you waiting for? It's a top idea - get your friends and family a goat this Xmas. Or a donkey. Or even a rather handsome camel. Find out more at www.oxfamunwrapped.com. posted at 12:47 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Campaign news: EU backs international Arms Trade Treaty Just a bit of interesting campaign news for you on a Monday. The EU council meeting in Luxembourg has announced for the first time that it supports the international Arms Trade Treaty. As the EU currently accounts for two fifths (39%) of global arms sales, this is a massive step forward for the Control Arms campaign. Simon Gray, the Control Arms campaign manager at Oxfam said: 'For too long the arms trade has operated without international regulation and millions of people have died as a result. The backing of the EU for the international Arms Trade Treaty brings the treaty much closer to being a reality... Attention now turns to the UN arms conference next year and ensuring that the treaty tops the agenda.' Find out more about the Control Arms campaign here and give your support by joining the Million Faces petition. posted at 3:47 PM | Permalink 0 comments

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