On February 16-19th in Boston, USA, over 100 participants includes students, cooperatives, farmers and Fair Trade organizations came from all over the world, united in attending USFT Convergence.

United Student for Fair Trade (USFT) is a national network of student organizations, was formed in 2003 by a group of students and NGOs, which aims at advocating Fair Trade by raising awareness of the expand the demand for Fair Trade alternatives in campus and communities.

The annual Convergence is an educational outreach. Through workshops, forums and sharing, this is to enhance participants’ skills in Fair Trade and to empower them in organizing campaigns in their own communities. Besides, this is a chance for participants to build network with cooperatives and other campaigners in United States.

Though participants are from different places with different backgrounds, we do have the same values and goals. Facilitated by USFT coordinators, participants listed out ten common values, one is to work towards the key elements of Fair Trade, locally and globally.

The convergence was then kicked off by the executive director of the Fair Trade Resources Network, Jackie DeCarlo. She gave us an inspiring keynote on the history of Fair Trade and she encouraged participants to keep on moving in this advocacy.

Started by an encouraging speech, programs ran into other phrase. Workshops and forums speakers are from the production, certification, and retails ends of the Fair Trade supply chain. Mr. Samrat Thong-iam and Mr. Man Samsee are Thai farmers, they grow organic Fair Trade rice. Representing their cooperatives in Thailand, they join the Fair Trade Rice Campaign, organized by ENGAGE, a non-profit organization works towards a just and sustainable world, these farmers travel around United States to promote Fair Trade rice and share how Fair Trade helps them in building a sustainable livelihood.

Besides, regional breakouts gave participants opportunities to share their experiences and difficulties in advocating Fair Trade in their communities. This was also a chance to build alliance in solving the problems and making the Fair Trade campaigns sustainable.

A Vendor Fair was set during lunch time, there were a number of companies and organization that have generously supported Fair Trade, they are Equal Exchange, Fair Trade Sports, Oxfam America, No Sweat Shop, TransFair USA and much more. This was the chance for participants to meet Fair Trade organization and products suppliers, and make connections.

Coming from far away Hong Kong, I was one of the participants. This was an incredible experience for me. Every student’s participants are enthusiastic in advocating Fair Trade, they have lots of ideas and plans in head. Martin Papp, is now a chief networking officer in Buywell International, the Fair Trade Company. He is one of the amazing participants I met in the Convergence. He gave up his final year studies in University, and be a full time volunteer in this company. He has traveled to many countries, looks for more fair trade products and introduces them into local markets, and builds networks with cooperatives. He would also like to prove, Fair Trade can be one of the sustainable business in the commodity market.

The road to succeed is not easy, but it is not impossible. In this Convergence, there are many successful organizations and campaigns, which we can learn from them. Once we still hold our belief and values. We can be one of them in the future.

Draft by Alice Ho, 26th April 07