This week I spoke at the African Community Centre's Remembrance of the Abolition of Slavery event in Swansea.
I was very impressed with what the speakers had to say and with the celebration of African culture which went hand in hand with the commemoration of slavery.
I spoke of the Welsh chapter in the history of the slave trade. As a trading nation during the height of the industrial revolution we were economic benficiaries from the African slave trade, however as the horrors of that trade became apparent more than 200 years ago, the Welsh were articulate and influential anti-slavery campaigners.
I reminded the audience that forms of slavery still exist today. In West Africa for example, the UK Government has been pressuring cocoa producers to end the use of child labour. Children as young as six have been known to be trafficked into slave labour, Save the Children estimate that two years ago there were some 250,000 children working in slavery-type conditions across Africa. Playing your part in ensuring this ends involves making sure you buy fair trade. This guarantees that only adults have worked in producing the product, and they're treated and paid fairly.
Closer to home and keeping with the fair trade theme I was very happy to be asked to officially open the new Oxfam shop in Whitchurch Village on Merthyr Road. Sue Courtney-Thomas and her team of volunteers have been working tirelessly to give the shop a bright new image. Oxfam's shops are vital in raising funds for Oxfam's work to tackle poverty and suffering all over the world and I'm proud of my constituents continuing support for the Make Poverty History agenda.
It always amazes me to be reminded of the depth of genuine concern and action that the people of Cardiff have for the developing world. The volunteers, many of them elderly, include Megan Rees, who has been volunteering at the shop since it opened 22 years ago.
This year, Oxfam has been at the forefront of delivering and where it is most needed, most recently bringing relief aid to Levbanon, northern Israel and Gaza - Oxfam is at the forefront of confronting poverty and suffering and the fight starts here at home.
Whether you are a student with a couple of hours to spare, somebody who is retired and looking for ways to keep active for a couple of days a week, or somebody working full-time with time to spare on the weekend, call into the Oxfam shop on Merthyr Road for a chat about how you can help out and play your part in the fight against global poverty. |
