Dear friends,
after recent discuss about informing educators of new resources, website
updates, etc I have decided to send you all a copy of this e-mail update I
send to our mailing list (350 recipients). However I feel that if teachers
are interested in exploring the global and ethical issues in Business
Studies and Economics and would like our support it would be more
appropriate if they join our mailing list rather than me having to post
this on both lists. If you would like to subscribe please reply OFF-LIST
with subscribe in the subject box.
Following the recent discussion on the suitability of some suggested
resources for educational use I recommend that you look at the individual
resources and make the judgement of their usability on your own views and
teaching experience.
'JUST BUSINESS' WEBSITE DEVELOPMENTS
Coffee Resources:
http://www.jusbiz.org/coffee.shtml
These resources have been specially developed to support the
Nuffield Economics and Business Studies (9128) Unit 4 examinations in
January and June 2003. However the materials do have a wider use and can be
used to explore issues of competition and globalisation.
This section includes:
an on-line quiz:
*reports;
*notes for teachers;
*information on multinationals, fair trade companies, coffee prices, coffee
agriculture, etc;
*opportunities to find out more about the producers (both conventional and
fairtrade);
*a brand-new case study on Cafédirect specifically written for our website;
and
*the Coffee Game (to go on-line in October)
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New articles:
Globalisation - authenticity, not rhetoric, by Damon Leigh .
http://www.jusbiz.org/articles/rhetoric.shtml
If globalisation is such a good idea, bringing equality and quality of life
to all, then why are there still so many examples of the poorer, developing
nations of the world getting a raw deal as a result of the actions of rich,
powerful, developed nations? This article was originally written for
Authentic Business and has been reproduced with their permission.
Trade Unions and the Struggle for Global Justice , by Peter Jones.
http://www.jusbiz.org/articles/Tradeunions.shtml
This article explores the role of Trade Unions in a globalised economy.
Peter makes the case that, far from being outmoded or obsolete as some have
suggested, the relevance and importance of trade unions in the 21st century
is greater than ever. Furthermore he argues for the need to develop
international trade union co-operation as a counter-prevailing power to
that of international big business
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News page
www.jusbiz.org/news
Check out the latest news stories that you can use in the classroom to
explore global and ethical issues in Business Studies and Economics. New
items include:
*Trouble in the pipeline for World Bank
http://www.jusbiz.org/news/pipehype.shtml
*Black Wednesday is the tip of the iceberg
http://www.jusbiz.org/news/wiceberg.shtml
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NEW WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT:
CORPORATES
www.corporates.org
According to Friends of the Earth:
"The balance of power has shifted. Governments are losing control to huge
multinational corporations. This process is putting basic human rights and
vast areas of the natural world in serious danger. It's time to challenge
the rise of corporate power. "
And that is what this new web site is all about. It contains:
· Case studies on AMEC, Asia Pulp and Paper, April, Rio Tinto and Scotts
· Basic information on corporate globalisation, investor power, the
lobbying of governments
· More detailed briefings
· Success stories
· News
· And more!!!
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MAKE TRADE FAIR
www.maketradefair.com
Oxfam's Maketradefair.com gives a voice to the farmers, labourers, and
factory workers who are being cheated by the blatantly unfair rules of
world trade. And it gives a voice to you, the consumer, if you want to join
them in the call to end exploitation and make trade fair.
However probably of more interest to teachers is their new section on
Coffee based on their new campaign. Here you can:
- read their report 'Mugged' on the state of the industry including their
'Coffee Rescue Plan'.
- try out the Coffee Tycoon game to see if you have got what it takes to
make it big in the industry.
- or read about the lives of coffee farmers affected by 'unfair trade'
There are a great many companies, known as 'roasters', around the world who
buy green coffee beans and turn them into roast and ground or instant
coffee. But the four main roasters - Kraft, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, and
Sara Lee - are giants in the coffee world and shape its retail market.
Their brands include Maxwell House, Nescafé, Folgers, Douwe Egberts, and
Kenco.
What do Oxfam want them to do?
· The big companies should pay farmers a decent price for their coffee and
also buy Fair Trade coffee.
· Governments of rich countries should back a Coffee Rescue Plan by
supporting producers' plans to make companies trade only in good-quality
coffee; paying for the destruction of excess stocks; and providing aid to
help poor farmers out of the crisis and restore their environment.
· Consumer power: everyone can play an important part -
put pressure on companies to act responsibly - and buy
Fair Trade coffee.
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DISPOSABLE PLANET
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2002/disposable_planet/
BBC News online presents a special six-part series on sustainable
development, looking at population, food, cities, waste, tourism and energy.
The website includes:
Photo essay: China's hi-tech toxics
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2002/disposable_plane
t/waste/chinese_workshop/default.stm
I don't know if any colleagues covering market failure now or in the
near future might be interested in this photo essay on computer
recycling. Raises some interesting issues and it shouldn't be hard for
students to spot some external costs from reading it!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2002/disposable_plane
t/quiz/
This could also make an excellent activity for students to try
different lifestyle strategies and see the effect they have. The quiz
tells you your ecological footprint in terms of food, mobility, shelter
and goods and services and then says how many planets we would need if
everyone lived as we did.
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MONITORING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION
www.poverty.org.uk
The most authoritative UK site for statistics on poverty and social
exclusion. Produced by New Policy Institute with support from the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation
Absolutely packed full of useful stats and comment/analysis on poverty
trends and related topics (including labour market information)
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NEWS:
PRAWN UNITS STINK OF CHILD LABOUR
Kolkata, India -- Cases of child labour exploitation have been
reported from the coastal districts of West Bengal, Maharashtra
and Orissa, where the children are being engaged in the prawn
cultivation, processing and packaging industry.
The Centre for Communication and Development (CCD), an NGO based
near the city, has caught on video instances of child exploitation
at a prawn-processing unit. According to the organisation, more
than 200,000 children are engaged in such jobs all over the country.
These prawn-processing units are managed and run by third-party
agents and contractors. Processed prawns are sourced from these
units by leading corporate houses.
The children, whose age ranges from three to 12, work for more
than 12 hours from 9 at night to 9.30 in the morning. Their job
is to take the prawns out of huge frozen ice cubes, decapitate
them and remove their outer coverings. Injuries are common.
For this, they earn about Rs 2-3 per night.
Swapan Mukherjee, CCD Secretary, said the matter had been brought
to the notice of the West Bengal Government. However, the Labour
Department has denied any such instance of child labour exploitation.
"The Government said their surveyors regularly inspect these
processing units and they have never come across any such case.
According to them, the phenomenon of child labour exploitation
does not exist in West Bengal," Mukherjee informed.
The Centre recently saved a boy from one such processing unit
and admitted him to its destitute children's home.
Incidentally, in West Bengal, the prawn cultivation industry
is supported by the World Bank. "Moreover, companies such as
Britannia, Shaw Wallace, Union Carbide and ITC are investing
heavily in this sector," he said. He clarified that none of these
companies is directly involved in child-labour exploitation.
Of the total labour force employed by these prawn-processing
units, 70 percent or nearly 7500, are children.
(Source: The Hindu - Edited)
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Hope this is helpful. If you have any comments about our website and
resources we would love some feedback.
Best wishes
Finbarr Carter
Finbarr Carter ([log in to unmask])
Project Co-ordinator
'Just Business'
www.jusbiz.org
Norfolk Education and Action for Development
38 Exchange Street, Norwich, NR2 1AX
Tel: 01603 610993
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Registered Charity: 1010853
Registered company: 2237 424
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