About

From Hooked - Students for Trade Justice

A GUIDE TO HOOKED

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OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Hooked: Students for Trade Justice is a network of students and organisations advocating for global trade justice, promoting fair trade products, policies and principles, and seeking to build sustainable community. Our aim is to empower people to realise their individual and collective power to effect change through their decisions and actions. We seek to do this by raising awareness and understanding in educational institutions and in the wider community, and providing opportunities for action. In doing so we are working to create and sustain a unified movement through networking, collaborating, resourcing, training and international delegation.

Networking - This involves providing a base for student groups to engage in dialogue, to collaborate and to consolidate student power in campaigning for fair trade and trade justice. This happens primarily via the Hooked website, but also through events like conferences, summits, retreats and cooperative activity in fair trade promotional events such as Fair Trade Fortnight. Networking also provides the opportunity to engage in dialogue with international student fair trade and trade justice groups.

Resourcing - An online site is provided for the exchange of resources and ideas. Fair trade-related resources like flyers, posters, zines, t-shirts and stickers, which are produced and used by affiliated groups, are disseminated. http://wiki.hooked.org.au

Training - This involves state and national coordinators providing support and guidance for campus groups. Training materials are online, and events like conferences and retreats provide a space for learning about fair trade/ trade justice advocacy and developing leadership skills.

International delegation - This involves fostering relationships with producer communities in the Asia-Pacific region and working with existing student-producer relationships in other parts of the world.

OUR MOTTO

“Getting unhooked from the cycle of consumerism and exploitation”

OUR VALUES

Fairness and equality We strive for a world where the dignity, opportunities and rights afforded to us are shared equally throughout the global community.

Personal development and education We encourage ongoing reflection and dialogue on trade alternatives and lifestyle choices.

Respect We value acceptance and embrace diversity within the trade justice movement

Connectedness through sustainability We recognise the disparity of our ‘footprint’ and aim to inform the organisation of our campaigns by bringing to the fore those development and environmental issues that affect the global community.

Journeying as a Community We value the building of community within our network, nationally and globally as a source of support, and to foster an ethic of care.

We recognise that every individual is constantly growing and changing. We value journeying as companions, not comparing and competing.

Trade Justice We believe that there is no one correct way to work towards trade justice. We aim to encourage people consider the individual and collective role they may play in its attainment, and to foster a place for education, experimentation and support. We particularly encourage people to consider the role of fair trade, community building and the “consume less/share more” philosophy in our endeavours.

People Not Programs We believe that an embracing of the individuals in community is key to the sustainability of Hooked and the trade justice movement. As such we value the quality of life of individuals rather than “successful” campaigns.

Sustainable Activism We value ulitilising mechanisms for the longevity of Hooked. We emphasise leadership and group development training to aid continuity from the efforts of previous students and campaigns.