A mini conference and street campaign at St Peter's Church, near the Eagle Centre, Derby, this weekend aims to highlight the injustices of some world trade practices.

For example, it has been reported that the amount of money which the European Union spends each year on agriculture is enough, theoretically, to give a round the world air ticket to all 21 million European cows, and give each cow £400 spending money as well. Absurdly, this equates to the average European cow having a higher income than half of the world’s population. *

The planning group for the conference taking place at 10am on Saturday April 9th, includes people from various Derbyshire Churches and several other local campaigning groups such as Derby Churches Justice and Peace Group, Derby World Development Movement and Oxfam. Under the conference banner 'World Trade: Blessing or Curse?', the group plans to tell those present about unfair world trading practices and encourage people to consider being part of the bigger movement to give developing countries a better deal when they trade with the western world.

A team of people from Methodist, Anglican, Catholic and Baptist churches, calling themselves 'Way-word', will perform a series of short, dramatic sketches on the pavement outside St Peter's to convey the message about unfair trading systems, and inside the church, the Rev'd Inderjit Bhogal, a senior figure in the Methodist Church, will be speaking. The Anglican Bishop of Repton, the Rt Rev'd David Hawtin, will also offer some closing remarks at the end of the conference at 1pm.

The event marks the beginning of Global Week of Action on World Trade, which runs from April 10th to 16th and aims to encourage people to take action on world trade issues at local and national levels.

The Rev'd Christopher Harrison, the Church of England, Diocese of Derby's World Development Adviser said: "Trade has lifted millions of people around the world out of poverty, and brought prosperity to many. But the massive subsidies given to agriculture by many rich countries, including our own, often make it impossible for farmers in poor countries to compete. We also need to help poor countries to share in the world’s prosperity, by giving them more opportunities to sell in the lucrative markets of the rich countries. The Global Week of Action aims to keep up the pressure on governments to create a world in which brute economic power does not continue to cause poverty and misery to the many people around the world whose incomes are a fraction of our own”.

For further information about Global Action Week, see: www.april2005.org

* source of information about EU agricultural subsidies: www.guardian.co.uk/country/article/0,2763,798597,00.html

Ends

For further information please contact:-

The Rev'd Christopher Harrison
CofE Diocese of Derby World Development Adviser
01335 390226
Mobile: 07973 754165

Ruth Green
Communications Officer/Bishop's Press Officer
CofE Diocese of Derby
01332 388680