July 22, 2008
Safia on the box in Tokyo as her autobiography jumps to 26th on Amazon.
Murakami Ryu is one of my favourite writers so what a pleasure to be able to meet him when I appeared on Cambria Kyuden which aired on Tokyo TV this week. The co-presenter is so gorgeous she makes me feel like a "blob"!
Usually I get so nervous doing TV and radio interviews in Japanese. I arrived in Japan from London that afternoon, had a shower and went straight over to the studio to meet Murakami and the team at Cambria Kyuden. Fortunately, I was too exhausted to be nervous, felt like I was in a dream, and the TV producer Mr Haramura was a real honey sending me positive vibes (he’s traveled around Nepal and Bangladesh with me for weeks and knows all about Fair Trade and the constant struggles we face!). Murakami Ryu was such a warm person, I instantly felt at ease - in fact, at parts, it felt like talking to an old friend at my favourite jazz venue the Blue Note.
Two other social entrepreneurs were featured; Murata Sayaka of Kamonohashi Project who rehabilitates Cambodian child prostitutes and Komazaki Hiroki of Florence, a nanny service set up to look after the sick children of working mums. Both were totally inspiring! It makes me feel so proud of the social enterprise movement that is taking Japan by storm with People Tree at its forefront. Social enterprise is likely to become the biggest catalyst of social change in the next decade.
At the People Tree shop in Tokyo I also did a signing of my autobiography which has now jumped to number 26 on Amazon Japan’s Best Sellers List! It’s great that so many people are interested in reading about how I started People Tree and business that can make a difference. I would love to be able to tell that tale in English as well so if anyone out there wants to help me publish it do that get in touch!
Thank you, TV programme Cambria Kyuden, for helping put the story of People Tree to 2,000,000 last night – our server nearly crashed!
July 07, 2008
Make Fair Trade a priority at the G8
People Tree supporters in Parliament to remind Gordon Brown to keep to the ‘green revolution’ that he promised to take to the G8
What’s the talk surrounding this year’s G8 Summit in Toyako, Japan? It’s been all about the global economy, all about global food shortages, all about climate change…
But, wait – why is the all encompassing approach to international trade not even mentioned in any of the publicity yet??? Why isn’t Fair Trade a priority on the agenda when it brings the concerns already on the table under its umbrella-approach to global business?
Fair Trade isn’t just about paying a fair price – it’s about the environment, it’s about helping communities in the developing world become sustainable, it’s about bettering the global economy, it’s about reducing CO2 emissions. Make it a priority.
Join People Tree and voice the opinion that Fair Trade should be a priority at the G8
June 25, 2008
Tokyo Two - Greenpeace activists bullied by state
There’s nothing that makes my blood boil more than when people who stand up for human rights, animal rights and environmental issues are bullied by the state. The Japanese police arrested two Greenpeace activists who exposed a whale meat scandal involving a Government sponsored whaling programme.
Photocaptions
Left - Whale meat obtained by Greenpeace in Japan, during an investigation into large-scale theft of meat from the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme. A four month investigation by Greenpeace exposed claims by current and former crew that not only was thousands of dollars worth of meat stolen each year, but officials from the government's Institute of Cetacean Research and the fleet operators Kyodo Senpaku, know about the embezzlement, but ignore it, even though it is the Japanese tax payer which funds the expeditions.
©Greenpeace/Naomi Toyoda
Right - Greenpeace Japan Whales campaign coordinator, Junichi Sato, holds up one of the pieces of whale meat obtained by Greenpeace during an investigation into large-scale theft of meat from the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme.
©Greenpeace/Naomi Toyoda
The two activists Junichi Sato, 31, and Toru Suzuki, 41, have been held in prison for 10 days and the Greenpeace offices in Tokyo ransacked by 40 police officers who seized computers, documents and mobiles – and their crime? What they were trying to do was show evidence of expensive cuts meat worth more than $10,000 were being illicitly removed by the crew of the whaling boat. The activists were not trying to get to the crew of the boat but at the bureaucrats who are involved in this scandal. The Japanese tax payer is funding this whaling programme to the tune of $5,000,000 a year.
I am joining other leading activists in Japan to call for their release together with almost 150,000 people who have offered their support - I hope you will encourage others to take action also, you can sign the petition on-line here
I remember a whaling conference in Kyoto, Japan, where stands were set up to offer the general public whale meat to imply that this is an integral part to traditional Japanese cuisine. The truth is eating whale meat was introduced after World War II when other meat and fish was difficult to come by – except for in a few port towns whose residents would eat whale meat very occasionally.
Whaling for “scientific purposes” is bad enough without wasting tax payer’s money and making the top bureaucrats richer and allowing them to feast on prime cuts of whale meat.
May 14, 2008
World Fair Trade Day - May 10th 2008
reasons to be cheerful - one, two, three....
one...
best ever World Fair Trade Day was spent at People Tree's event in Tokyo. 800 people joined Fair Trade seminars presented by People Tree partners from India and the Philippines, media people and opinion leaders.
I presented on Fair Trade and the environment and how organic agriculture and hand production through Fair Trade can reduce CO2, global warming and climate change.
Shailesh of Agrocel presents his organisation's work
Safia talks about the relationship between Fair Trade and the environment
Safia and Yoshiko at Saf's book launch
Sanae shows her little girl how to make a Fair Trade bracelet in the hemp workshop
Maekita, author of “Eco-Shift” and speaker at the World Fair Trade Day wears People Tree.
Safia talks about the Vogue collection with designers
Marie Claire leads the way in introducing eco-lifestyle
Fair Trade bananas!!!!!
With Shailesh Patel from Agrocel and Frony Lapitan from Saffy Handicrafts we were able to verify this and share the big impact Fair Trade makes. For example at Agrocel each acre under organic agriculture saves 2 tonnes of CO2 as it is sequestered (held) in the soil – and hand weaving products saves one ton of C02 per year. What is clear is that Fair Trade can bring about environmental justice as well as social justice. Yay!
two...
the best People Tree Fair Trade fashion show ever...
Thanks to all the hard work of our producers, People Tree design and tech teams and some internationally renowned designers: Bora Aksu, Thakoon, Richard Nicholl. Pieces for the Summer and Autumn Collections were shown. I'm only going to show you the Summer Collection here though.... you'll have to wait for the Autumn collection!!
A video of the People Tree Fair Trade fashion show will be up next weekend
People tree's Fair Trade Fashion Show
Bora Aksu designed 3 pieces for People Tree in handwoven silk and cotton, using natural dyes and hand embroidery. WOW!
Accessorised with Bombolulu handmade necklace and earrings.
Bora Aksu for People Tree Summer 2008 collection
Thakoon for People Tree Summer 2008 collection, a fluid piece in Fair Trade organic cotton
Thakoon for People Tree Summer 2008 collection
Fair Trade handwoven People Tree collection from Nepal
'People Before Profit' by People Tree
Crochet cardi and organic fabrics from People Tree UK.
People Tree International collection
Handwoven screen print dress from People Tree International collection
Matthew Langille for People Tree
Organic and handwoven People Tree International collection
People Tree Zimbabwe screen print, People Tree Japan
three...
Launched my autobiography...
And nearly 100 people queued to have me sign it. That is the biggest compliment ever!
Cherie Blair has a lot more smut in her autobiography like why she doesn't carry around condoms at Balmoral when going to stay with the Royal familly, (apparently housekeeping unpack your stuff and carefully find a place for everything - particularly humiliating when they come across your condoms!!) so she travelled without and found herself pregnant a month later...., nothing quite that gynecological in mine. Sorry! (My book is not available in English yet so please learn Japanese!) If you want to help me publish it in English, give me a ring!
World Fair Trade day was celebrated all over the world.
At KTS they knited hats!
And at the KTS school they drew World fair Trade Day pictures
At Pushpanjali they planted trees, highlighting this years theme Fair Trade and Ecology and raising awareness about environmental issues.
May 08, 2008
New A-Z of sustainable fashion – Oxfam launches new boutiques
Stephen Jones' amazing creation for the new Oxfam boutique in Notting Hill
It couldn’t have been a sunnier, more beautiful evening to open the first of Oxfam’s new ethical fashion boutiques in Notting Hill.
Simply but elegantly fitted with the best in recycled, remade, Fair Trade and ethical fashion – you’ll really want to check it out. People Tree is the biggest Fair Trade brand there and the store offers the widest range of People Tree on the high street (for other People Tree stockists please look here)
Well done Oxfam team!!
Jane Shepherdson and the Oxfam team pulled in the support of designers Christopher Kane, Giles Deacon, Stephen Jones, Henry Holland, Richard Sorger and Jens Laugesen to produce one off pieces to launch the restyled section, apparently fashion students will be donating recycled pieces to the new store that will sit alongside carefully selected recycled and vintage pieces, Fair Trade and ethical pieces. Profits will go to supporting Oxfam’s work
Jane admiring Christopher Kane dress
Inside there are five strands of clothing that are carefully tagged
1) Fair Trade
2) ‘Reinvented’ – reworked donated product by LCF students
3) ‘Loved for longer’; - selected donated product
4) ‘Made with Love’ – volunteers reworking donated product
5) ‘Good Fashion Sense’ – working towards Fair Trade and organic
Models wearing the designer’s pieces
Where to go and when the stores open:
Oxfam – 245 Westbourne Grove, W11 2SB – opens 10th May
Oxfam – 123 Shawfield Street Kings Road, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW3 4PL opens 17th May
Oxfam – Chiswick, opens end of May …
Bring your own bag and don't forget to bring your own clothes to donate too!!
