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UCSD Signs Nation’s Strongest Fair Trade Policy
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
UC San Diego Adopts Strongest Fair Trade Policy in the United States
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Contact: Rishi Ghosh, rghosh@ucsd.edu 858-531-5238
Student Sustainability Collective, UC San Diego studentsustainability.ucsd.edu
(La Jolla). After a five year campaign, UC San Diego has signed the strongest Fair Trade Policy of any University in the nation. The UC San Diego policy makes a “commitment to promote Fair Trade Certified TM Products… support livable wages, humane working conditions, and guarantees against the use of child labor.” In cooperation with TransFair USA and the national Fair Trade Universities Working Group, UC San Diego is pursuing the status of a “Fair Trade University.”
The signing of the policy, which had been in the works for over five years, represents a huge step in the US Fair Trade movement. All future food and vendor contracts at UC San Diego are mandated to require 100% Fair Trade Coffee, Fair Trade Tea and Fair Trade Sugar at all locations on campus.
“This is more than simply a victory for the university or for the students, who have worked hard on this policy over the past five years, this is a victory for the farmers who have been working for trade justice for generations,” said Yuki Murakami, Co-President of the UC San Diego Chapter of Amnesty International.
The UC San Diego policy follows the commitment made by the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh in 2008, which became the first Fair Trade University in the US by adopting the British Fair Trade University campaign standards.
“At UC San Diego, the turning point came when Chancellor Mary Anne Fox and the Director of Housing and Dining Services, Mark Cunningham, both expressed their support for our campaign” said UC San Diego Student Sustainability Collective (SSC) Co-Founder, Chris Westling.
The UC San Diego student government President, Wafa Ben Hassine, echoed the commitment today, stating “I will work through all necessary avenues to ensure that this policy is upheld. That said, I am more than confident that this will bring a new sense of social and environmental responsibility among students and faculty alike.”
The Fair Trade campaign was originally conceived by student organization One Earth One Justice, which worked over the years to successfully advocate that individual vendors on campus phase out non-fair trade products.
“We express special thanks for the strong commitment shown by University Centers, the UCSD Bookstore and Housing and Dining Departments on campus. Without their strong support, and the students’ persistence, this would not have been possible” remarked Elizabeth Elman, Director of Public Health, of the SSC.
“This is one great step forward to making all UC San Diego food systems sustainable,” Jared Muscat, SSC Director of Food Policy, noted after completing discussion with the UCSD food systems directors that call for 25% real food on the UCSD campus by 2016 and 30% by 2021. He added, “Fair Trade is an important part in the category of food sustainability and to have this policy makes the numbers our university strive for not only look realistic, but possible to push further.”
The Student Sustainability Collective was founded in Spring 2009 as a student-controlled component of the newly opened UC San Diego Sustainability Resource Center. Through an understanding that environmental sustainability and social equality are deeply connected, the SSC hopes to expand the understanding of sustainability both on and off-campus.
The SSC intends to advocate for expanding the Fair Trade University campaign UC-wide and then nationally. “We’re at a tremendous crossroads here. People across the country are starting to demand that producers be afforded the same basic rights as consumers,” said Westling.
The policy is available online at http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/ppm/docs/541-2.pdf
Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Methyl Iodide?
Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone is having a fine time drifting into 9th week however, I hope also to quickly stall that and speak on an important and urgent topic, the possible use of methyl iodide as a pesticide on strawberries and tomatoes. The chemical is a very scary and dangerous one, which would have hazardous effects not only on the environment and those who eat food exposed to it, but more severely for the workers who deal with it.
There have been many prominent voices speaking against its approval, including several Nobel Prize winners and the head of a special committee appointed by the California Domestic Pesticide Regulations. The leader went so far as to say, “adequate control of human exposure would be difficult, if not impossible” (Examiner).
I am obviously one for organics no matter how harsh the pesticide, however this chemical raises alarms well beyond my normal concerns due to its clear danger to the food, but more so to the workers who handle it and the communities surrounding its users. The approval is not yet final, it is pending upon final comments from the public lasting until June 29, when a decision will be made. Here at UCSD we boast a large community and one who can make a loud voice when necessary. Unless we want workers and our stomachs to be poisoned by methyl iodide we must stand up and speak our voice.
Along with our friends The Sustainable Food Project I am preparing a student petition against the act that includes asking our school’s food providers to abstain from purchasing and selling produce touched by the harmful chemical.
Look for us this coming week on Library Walk, asking you to learn about your farmer and help protect workers, farmers, the earth, and your stomach.
Hopefully my next entry will be happier, in fact I have many posts I could add to make life happier, and will at some point-just for now, we need to act.
Much love,
Jared A Muscat
SSC Director, Food
NASA Statement Regarding Native American Cultural Appropriation at Sungod
On Friday May 14th, 2010 at UCSD’s annual Sungod Festival, UCSD students dressed in mock Native American attire, including, but not limited to, painted faces, feathers, and headdresses. This act is disrespectful and degrading to the traditions and culture of Natives as the attire is sacred to many Native American tribes. Acts like this perpetuate negative stereotypes of Native American culture, breeding the insensitivity and misunderstanding that is already plaguing our university. Actions should be taken to properly educate the UCSD community (students, faculty, staff, and Alumni) on Native American culture and issues. As students at UCSD we should not have to see our cultures mocked and ridiculed during a student sponsored event taking place at our university.
Native American students were forced to witness these acts of disrespect and see their peers mocking and degrading what is considered to be sacred attire in many of the Native American cultures. Though the university was awakened to issues of diversity and campus climate at UCSD in the past few months, based on these numerous incidents of disrespect it is apparent that the university needs to take more action to promote diversity and cultural awareness among the UCSD community (particularly with regard to the Native American community with whom the university has had a long history of discontent).
The denigrating acts are a product of the ever-diminishing Native American presence on UCSD: UCSD’s Native American undergraduate population is less that 1%, there are few (if any) Native American Faculty, there are very few classes taught on Native American issues and there is still no Native American Studies Minor. These are just a few factors that allow acts of ignorance such as those carried out during Sungod to take place.
While the Native presence at UCSD is small, there is no excuse for the lack of knowledge and representation that the students and local Native American community feel from the university. The university needs to increase their efforts to outreach to the local Native American community. Members of the Native American Student Alliance have worked to bring the American Indian Recruitment (AIR) Program to UCSD. While we would like to see this program flourish at UCSD, it is difficult to do so without the university showing that they would like to see a strong Native presence at UCSD. With the repatriation of local Kumeyaay remains, more classes centered around Native American Studies, increased Native staff and faculty and the institutionalization of the AIR Program at UCSD, the overall tolerance and knowledge of Native American issues will improve along with the current campus climate issue.
Given the recent humiliating incidences of cultural insensitivity at Sungod, the Native American Student Alliance strongly urges the UCSD administration to hold a meeting in order to address the pressing issues of the UCSD Native American community as mentioned above and discuss more specifically the ways in which these goals can be carried out. On Friday May 21st members of the UCSD Native American community will be meeting with UCSD administration to address the recent developments in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) with respect to the “culturally unidentifiable” remains. We strongly suggest that our meeting take place in conjunction with, if not immediately after, the meeting discussing the remains.
Sincerely,
UCSD Native American Student Alliance
SRC MOVE IN PARTY
Van Jones at UCSD: Helen Edison Lecture Series
The SSC is proud to participate in the Helen Edison Lecture Series’ upcoming lecture with Van Jones.
Check out the Van Jones signed copy of Green Collar Economy in the Sustainability Resource Center.
Media from the event will be up soon!
http://helenedison.ucsd.edu/eventjones.cfm for more details!
CSSC and SSC to Host Convergence at UCSD
Hosted locally by the Student Sustainability Collective, University of California at San Diego, April 30 to May 2
Join hundreds of students from across CA to build community, share resources, plan action, attend workshops, and celebrate.
What are Convergences?
Over the past 6 years, CSSC’s bi-annual Convergences have grown to play an integral role in the sustainability movement in California, by bringing together thousands of student leaders from over 50 academic institutions.
Attend A Convergence
Convergences are held twice a year in the Spring and the Fall at different campuses across California each time. Our upcoming Convergence will be held at UC San Diego from April 30th to May 2, 2010. Learn more about our upcoming Spring Convergence.
The best way to make sure you receive notice about future Convergences is to subscribe to receive our newsletter.
For Students By Students
Convergences are organized and hosted by students who volunteer their time to organize all aspects of the event. They are open to students of all university systems in California as well as high school students and out of state students. We also offer full and partial scholarships to anyone in need.
A Statewide Community
By attending CSSC Convergences, you are joining our statewide community of campus sustainability leaders. This network has amazing benefits including:
- Access to a California-wide network of support, including resources, skills, and partners
- Discovering new ideas for transforming your campus and community
- Developing your leadership by sharing your experiences
- Forging valuable, life-long friendships and professional connections
Convergence Highlights
- Inspiring Speakers
- Provocative Panels
- Interactive Workshops
- Community Building and Networking
- Collaboration, Resource Sharing, Action Planning
- Saturday Evening Celebration
- Delicious Local Vegetarian Food
Workshop Topics
- Climate Issues
- Community Organizing
- Curriculum, Education, Research
- Energy Efficiency/Alternative Energy
- Equity
- Food Systems and Agriculture
- Fundraising, Grant Writing
- Green Building, Campus Operations and Green Housing
- Green Business Practices, Green Economy
- Greening Your Career
- Institutionalizing Sustainability
- Leadership Skill Building
- Organizational Development
- Permaculture
- Social Equity
- Socially Responsible Investing
- Spirituality
- Transportation
- Waste Reduction, Composting, Recycling
- Water, Landscaping, and Site Stewardship
Human Rights Month all of May
May is Human Rights Month at UCSD!
The SSC has compiled many of the events that various campus departments, student groups, and government programs are organizing, into a single calendar of social and environmental justice themed events.
EVENT LIST:
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MONDAY 10 May
Live Hip Hop by Lowkey / MSA / Library Walk 2pm
“Victims of the Apartheid” by Norman Finkelstein / MSA / PC East Ballroom 6:30pm
Liberty in North Korea Fundraiser/ Link / Library Walk Space 1986 10am-3pm
Pilipino Awareness Nooner / Kaibigang Pilipino / PC West Plaza
Ready, Set, Rent / Student Legal Sevices / PC West Eleanor Roosevelt College Room 11am-12pm
Multiethnic Electoral Coalitions and the Control of Capital in Africa / SSB 104, 12:30-2pm
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TUESDAY 11 May
Van Jones – Obama’s Green Jobs Leader / Helen Edison Series / PC West Ballroom 7pm
“Modern Civil Rights Movement: The Global Palestinian Struggle” / MSA / Library Walk 12pm
Protest Against Budget Cuts / UCSD Delegation / UCLA, 9am-5pm
Public Meeting regarding Extension of Trolley System / ACCB / PC East Ballroom, 3-6pm
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WEDNESDAY 12 May
Spoken Word / Muslim Student Association / Library Walk 12 pm
“Your Tax Dollars at Work: Financing Oppression” by Hatem Bazian / MSA / PC East Ballroom 6:30pm
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THURSDAY 13 May
“The Politics of 21st Century Apartheid” by Angela Davis / MSA / PC West Ballroom AB 4:00pm
King Corn Film Screening / Neighborhood Community Garden / Che Café, 5pm
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FRIDAY 14 May
Speaker / History Department / Dolores Huerta – Philip Vera Cruz Room 4pm-6pm
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SUNDAY 16 May
Culture Show / Afghan Student Association / PC East Ballroom 7pm-10pm
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MONDAY 17 May
Future of Iranian Democracy Activism PANEL / Students for Civil Rights in Iran / PC West ERC Rm 7-9:30pm
The Different F.A.C.E.S. of Feminism / Women’s Center / PC, 3-7pm
Intersectionality in Feminism / Women’s Center / PC West Earl Warren Room, 3-4pm
Women of Color and Student Voices in Organizing – Panel Presentation / Women’s Center / PC West ERC Room, 3-4pm
Allyship and Organizing / Women’s Center / PC West Green Room, 3-4pm
Readings by Feminist Writers – Panel by Anna Joy Springer / Women’s Center / PC West Marshall Room, 3-4pm
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TUESDAY 18 May
Student Sustainabilty Film Screening / Free Food! / 7-9pm – PC West Red Shoe Room
Thad Dunning – Yale / Center for the Study of African Political Economy Speaker Series / Social Sciences Building 107, 12:30-2pm
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WEDNESDAY 19 May
Invisible Children Film Screening / Schools for Schools / 6-8pm – PC West ERC Room
Student Worker Collective Potluck / SWC / 7-9pm / Cross Cultural Center Library
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THURSDAY 20 May
Anti-Rape Booth / Women’s Center / Library Walk Space 1967 9am-1pm
Worldwide Public Health Film and Discussion / FIMRC and Amnesty International / Center Hall 7pm
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FRIDAY 21 May
Anti-Rape Booth / Women’s Center / Library Walk Space 1967 12pm-3pm
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SATURDAY 22 May
Queer Activism: Annual High School Conference / Queer People of Color / LGBT Resource Center, 8am-6:30pm
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MONDAY 24 May
Student Sustainabilty Film Screening / Student Sustainability
Collective / PC West Green Table Room, 5:30-10pm
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TUESDAY 25 May
Student Sustainabilty Film Screening 5/25/2010 Tue – 5:30 PM – 10:00
PM – Student C. Dolores Huerta Room
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WEDNESDAY 26 May
Face AIDS GBM / Face AIDS at UCSD / Thich Nhat Thanh Room 7pm-8:30pm
Student Sustainabilty Film Screening / Student Sustainability
Collective / Student C. Dolores Huerta Room, 5:30-10pm
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THURSDAY 27 May
Student Sustainabilty Film Screening / Student Sustainability
Collective / PC West Green Table Room, 5:30-10pm
