After 100 days: photos from earthquake-hit Pakistan 100 days after the earthquake that devastated parts of Pakistan, Guardian photographer of the year Dan Chung has taken these moving images of survivors in a remote hilltop town. As the story says, "The hardy people of Kuz Ganrshal were unprepared to move to refugee camps after last year's earthquake, preferring to live up to five families per home instead. Oxfam has distributed blankets, plastic sheets, mats, hygiene kits and tents." You can find the lastest on Oxfam's response to the earthquake here. posted at 1:41 PM | Permalink 0 comments

M&S launches Fairtrade clothes Saw this on that BBC Breakfast thing this morning: Marks & Spencer is launching a range of Fairtrade cotton clothes as part of its 'Look Behind the Label' campaign. The company says that these days shoppers don't buy certain clothes because they're worried about where they come from and how they were made. They're starting small - to begin with it's restricted to t-shirts and socks, and in 40 stores nationwide - but at least it's a start. The report says that M&S will be the 'first major retailer' to sell Fairtrade clothes when the goods go on sale in March. Of course, you know you can get Fairtrade t-shirts on this website, too. So, do you think other retailers will follow suit? Is this the start of a Fairtrade revolution on the High Street? Have your say below. posted at 10:16 AM | Permalink 3 comments

Peace and love, man Just wanted to write a quick Friday afternoon blog (oh, when will this week end?) about our new e-cards for lovebirds. We made them for Valentine's Day, but you can send them any time, to anyone. (Well, maybe not anyone. Try to stick to people you actually like, or you might get in to all kinds of bother). Any road, we reckon they're the perfect Friday pick-me-up for that special someone in your life, and they have messages about Oxfam campaigns, too. This one's my personal favourite. Love those doves, man. Send an e-card now. Do it! posted at 3:31 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Is volunteering good for you? Just a quickie - we've had loads of you writing in recently about the virtues of volunteering, and how it isn't just reserved for the privileged few (or the over-50s). It's really highlighted how many of you volunteer, and how much you get out of the experience. For example, Catherine Lough makes a great case for working in an Oxfam shop, and points out that "many teenagers freely give up their spare time to help without any extra incentives". Similarly, Emma Smith says that volunteering has encouraged her "to question my life in the UK and see the world from entirely different perspectives". Charlotte Stemmer has written in to tell us about her search for voluntary work, whilst Hollie McNish looks at whether volunteering really is only for those who can afford it: "We should admit that [overseas gap years] are an expensive way to volunteer, and are about the experience and the place as much as the work itself." And Ruth Webb echoes her point, arguing that all kinds of vountary work should be made available to the underprivileged. Read their views and add your own comments >> posted at 1:31 PM | Permalink 0 comments

New cinema ad offers AK47s for sale Just seen a great piece about the arms trade in The Guardian by Bianca Jagger. She talks about a shocking new cinema ad from Amnesty International (part of the Control Arms coalition), which offers AK47 machine guns for sale alongside the usual ads for cars (and that irritating Orange thing with Patrick Swayze in it). As Jagger says, it's a spoof designed to "draw attention to the appalling ease with which weapons are bought and sold around the world". Jagger makes a passionate plea for an international arms trade treaty, and asks us all to put pressure on the UN to act when it meets in June: "The international community must acknowledge that the reality of armed violence is even more shocking than that pictured on our cinema screens." Read the full article here, and see the new cinema ad here. Help to put pressure on the UN. Join the Million Faces petition to Control Arms >> posted at 2:00 PM | Permalink 1 comments

Finish your food, or get fined for charity! A Nigerian restuarant in east London has come up with a new angle on your Mum always telling you to finish the grub on your plate - it fines customers who don't eat all their food, and donates the money straight to Oxfam. The owner of Suya Express in Dalston says he was fed up with people overloading their plates at his all-you-can-eat-buffet, then not eating all of it. As he puts it (very succinctly): "There are lots of people in Africa who don't have the opportunity to see this amount of food, let alone to buy it." He fines them £2.50 a go, which goes direct to the Oxfam shop across the road. What a legend! Read the full story on the Third Sector website >> posted at 1:43 PM | Permalink 2 comments

Write a consumer review - and 50p goes to Oxfam Consumer website Review Centre.com has been running a great campaign that has so far raised £2639.50 for Oxfam. For every consumer review that's published on the site, Review Centre will pledge 50p to support Oxfam's work around the world. The site features reviews on almost everything, including entertainment, fashion, travel, websites, music and careers. So, if you've got something to shout about, log on and get reviewing. They are not far off their target of £3,000, which can be tracked using the site's Totaliser. As Review Centre's boss Paul Nadin puts it, visitors to the site "can help to make a difference, simply by doing what they do best, writing reviews of products, consumer goods and services and sharing their experiences with fellow consumers." It's like a cool online watchdog, but with the added bonus of raising money for Oxfam. Write a review now >> posted at 11:13 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Women are more charitable than men: it's official! Just seen an interesting news item on the main Oxfam site (which is also featured on the BBC website) which says that "millions of women" across the UK want to do more to end global poverty after the events of 2005. As the press release says: "The aftermath of the tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake and the Make Poverty History campaign, has triggered a groundswell of people who want to take action. Women and young people are in the forefront - 26 per cent of women say they now have a greater inclination to support a charity, and 40 per cent of young people agree." And the release says that women are more charitable than men, too. "More than a quarter of women donate to charity on a monthly basis, compared with one in five men, and 55 per cent of women put their hands in their pockets on an ad hoc basis in contrast to 47 per cent men." But women do more than just give money. They also played a key role in the Make Poverty History campaign - 15 per cent wore a white band, compared to nine per cent of men." So, what do you think? Are girls really more charitable than boys? Or is this giving the men a bad name? posted at 1:25 PM | Permalink 5 comments

Were you inspired by Make Poverty History? We need your thoughts! Hey there - just a quick plea for a tiny favour. We need to hear from people who were really inspired by Make Poverty History last year (and who previously hadn't been that involved with any campaigning-type stuff). It's for a bit of research that we're doing - we'd just like to get your thoughts on how Make Poverty History motivated you, and how you intend to stay active this year. All we'll need is a couple of quick comments - if you think you can help, e-mail us at generationwhy@oxfam.org.uk as soon as possible, and we'll send some questions over. Thank you! posted at 9:58 AM | Permalink 2 comments

Experience Oxfam Live 2006 During April, May and June 2006 there will be 18 Oxfam Live events taking place all over the country. This is your chance to hear about our work, take part in stimulating discussions and watch inspiring presentations on the many ways you can help to end poverty and suffering. What's more, this year the hope is that new - as well as existing - supporters will come along, as this news item in Third Sector magazine explains. Find your nearest Oxfam Live event and register on the oxfam.org.uk website >> posted at 3:37 PM | Permalink 8 comments

Unlikely animal friendship / tenuous metaphor Say hello to Aochan the rodent-eating snake and his new best friend Gohan the hamster. Now if these two can live in peace, what's stopping the rest of us? posted at 3:07 PM | Permalink 7 comments

Hollywood gets political Just thought we'd blog about another interesting piece in The Observer the other week (we really should read a different newspaper occasionally). It's basically about a new Hollywood film studio making commercially viable films with a real political edge, helping to turn "American filmgoers into grassroots activists". Participant Productions was set up by eBay billionaire Jeff Skoll, and its overarching aim is to "change the world one story at a time". One of its first films is Syriana (pictured), starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, which "plots the ways in which American interests in Middle Eastern oil lead to the very acts of violence that America most fears". The great thing about Participant Productions is that it doesn't just try to educate the audience - it also provides ways for them to get involved. It has an activist sister site called participate.net, which provides community discussion as well as campaign actions in conjunction with partners, such as one to reduce our global dependence on oil, and another to end sexual harassment and domestic violence. Along with films like the Constant Gardener, it all reinforces the impression of a newly politicised Hollywood, which can only be a good thing for campaigners across the world... Have a read of the Observer article: "Hollywood's new politics" and let us know what you think below. posted at 1:33 PM | Permalink 2 comments

Tell us what you think and have your say Just a quickie as this January day draws to an end - wanted to make sure you've all had a look at our Your Say section. It's your chance to share your thoughts with the world (well, people who read Generation Why, any road) about the things you care about. The place where you can have your say, share ideas, and feedback on what other people think too. Over the past few months we've collected together a great group of dedicated writers and aspiring young journalists to scribble their thoughts about all the things that have had an impact on their lives - from unfair trade to climate change, and from campaigning tips to ethical living guides. We've been really overwhelmed by the response - we've had dozens of inspiring features, and loads of interesting ideas and debates have come up. So, have a read of some of the features and let us know what you think... And if you want to join our team of writers, read this page to find out how. To kick off, why not read Liz Dodd's beautifully written piece about the tsunami photo exhibition... posted at 4:04 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Are you a new puritan? 'New puritan' is a new-ish buzzword coined by media boffins to describe a new breed of young people - people who want to live (as they see it) healthily, responsibly and ethically, but who also want to get others to do the same. Our very own Emma Blackmore has written an interesting feature describing what it's all about, and it's spawned a really great debate. As one reader, Dan Lovell, puts it: "New puritanism is meaningless. Has every social movement been 'puritanical' simply because it involved self-sacrifice?" But then Richard Mooney chips in: "If I want to eat junk food, take cheap flights and treat myself to designer brands I should not be criticised!" So, what do you think? Are you a new puritan? Is there any such a thing? And, is it such a bad thing if there is? Read the article and have your say. posted at 3:35 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Latest on the South Asia earthquake If you've been watching the news over the weekend, you may have seen moving reports about the efforts to get aid to the remote parts of India, Pakistan and Kashmir that were devastated by the earthquake last October. With winter well underway, and with it the serious threat of exposure, there are fears that the death toll will rise unless the international community speeds and scales up its operations. British boxer Amir Khan visited the region in December, and he commented on the cold: "I could feel the bitter cold though my thick winter jacket. It made me wonder how people here will survive the harsh winter... It's important that earthquake survivors in Pakistan are not forgotten - the world must not turn a blind eye to their suffering." Read the latest on Oxfam's response here. posted at 9:09 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Trailwalker UK: enter Oxfam's epic endurance event now! Trailwalker is a 100km trek across the South Downs, starting in Petersfield and ending in Brighton, taking place this year on 15-16 July 2006. It's one of six wider global events that take place every year, in three continents. So, not only could you and three of your friends take part in something massive and helping some of the world's poorest people, you can get fit at the same time. You, and your team, will have 30 hours to complete the trek and, although it's a very long way, past participants have loved it, as one said: "Trailwalker puts all other things in your life into perspective. It gives you an amazing sense of achievement - and rock solid buttocks!" There's live entertainment from the Gurkhas and the famous Gurkha curry. And you are guaranteed a great night out at the end in Brighton's ultra feel-good happy nightlife (walking gear = fancy dress). Request a brochure here. posted at 11:42 AM | Permalink 0 comments

2006 is critical for the Control Arms campaign The Control Arms campaign wants to get the ground ready NOW for a huge year that can change the global rules that govern the sale of weapons. As Oxfam director Barbara Stocking put it: "In 2006, the world has a choice. Either it continues to ignore the massive human cost of arms proliferation or it finally acts to control the arms trade." And this week is critical as UN meetings begin in New York, in preparation for the UN conference in June. It will be the first major review of small arms control in five years. It is alarming that countries which manufacture very few arms have the biggest arms control problems because they are "flooded with weapons". The civilians of Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone suffer every day at the hands of an unregulated arms trade. Jean Charles, humanitarian officer in the Congo, said that "there are so many weapons here that each person makes up their own law". What action can you take? Sign the Control Arms Million Faces petition - this is a chance to real show how you feel about the injustices of the arms trade. Draw a self-portrait or add a photo to your name. Have a look at the Manchester Faces petition page and get invovled in their visual petition against the arms trade. Tell your friends about the campaign by sending them a 'children are born with these arms, not these' e-card. Read the 2006: critical year for achieving Arms Trade Treaty press release on Oxfam.org.uk. posted at 12:01 PM | Permalink 1 comments

Is it always better to buy fair trade? Just read something over my tea and toast yesterday which was pretty interesting (sorry, really gonna have to stop this read-something-on-Sunday, blog-about-it-on-Monday thing). It's an article in the ethical living bit of the Observer which talks about a new shopping dilemma - whether it's always better to buy fair trade, given that some of the products will have been flown across the globe to get to our shelves, and will therefore cause damage to our environment. The author gives a decent conclusion: "You'll have your views on whether fair-trade credentials override food-mile transgressions, but there's also room for an ethical consumption strategy: buy fresh produce locally and seasonally (and organic), but for consumables such as rice, chocolate, cocoa and even textiles - which have to be imported anyway - go the fair-trade route." Have a look on the Observer website - it's a quick and interesting read, and ties in with some of our recent ethical living features in our Your say section. posted at 11:51 AM | Permalink 4 comments

Make Poverty History - review of the year As well as our rather nifty review of 2005, I've just seen a really timely Make Poverty History review on the main Oxfam website. As our campaigning manager Richard English says in his verdict on the whole year: "Whatever part you played in 2005 to help Make Poverty History you can feel proud of what has been achieved... One of the most powerful sounds of 2005 was a click of fingers - the stark illustration of the shocking fact that a child dies as a result of poverty every three seconds. 2005 showed us that together we are able to force the world's most powerful leaders to confront this challenge." What's most important is to remember that the campaign to end poverty is here to stay. As Richard says, "Oxfam is in it for the long haul and with our partners in the UK and around the world in 2006 we will redouble our efforts." posted at 2:26 PM | Permalink 0 comments

After the wave: tsunami photo exhibition A year on, and last year's devastating Tsunami is remembered in this exhibition, opening outside The National Theatre, London on Tuesday 10 January. Thanks to an unprecedented response in donations from the public, Oxfam has been able to continue to help people to rebuild their lives. The exhibition is being held jointly with some of Britain's best news photographers, displaying a tribute to the resilience of those who have had to pick up the pieces and re-built their lives. Each photo tells a different story: from a family remembering those they have lost in a special ceremony to a community helping to re-build a road as part of an Oxfam cash-for-work scheme. The exhibition is free entry. You can read a couple of really interesting stories about young people affected by the Tsunami on the Cool Planet website. posted at 11:01 AM | Permalink 1 comments

Are you a Fairtrade family? BBC2's The Money Programme is looking for a family that has recently converted to Fairtrade products, or perhaps you are trying to convince others in the family that it's worth giving it a go? If you're interested and want to know more, contact researcher Andy Webb via email at andy.webb.01@bbc.co.uk or call on 0208 752 6041. posted at 8:37 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Happy New Year from Generation Why! OK, so it was a couple of days ago now, but we all hope you had a cracking New Year, and a good break too. Whilst we acclimatise to the strange sensation of being at work again, we thought you might want to read our rather magnificent review of 2005. It was a truly amazing year, thanks to the incredible energy of 1,000,000s of people like YOU. The challenge is to build on that energy in 2006 - you can kick off by signing up to the "I'm In" pledge. As it says on the banners: "If you give a damn, give us your name". One other thing: whilst we were idling at home on New Year's Day, we read this interesting piece in The Observer about celebrity and charity, the achievements of 2005 and where next for Africa in 2006. As it says: "In 2005, a generation primed for action got the politics of delusion. In 2006, it is time to take a lesson from a land whose many plagues rarely include star-worship." Just thought you might like to have a read, too. posted at 12:06 PM | Permalink 3 comments