Fair Trade fun with fashion, food, music, awards...and a superhero!

Oxfam Ireland Press Release
25 February 2008

This year's Fairtrade Fortnight boasts its widest ever range of events in Northern Ireland with a fashion show, a coffee morning, a smoothie bike, a concert, an awards show and even its own dedicated superhero among the activities!

Running from 25th February to 9th March, Fairtrade Fortnight is being celebrated by Oxfam Ireland, in partnership with Fairtrade Mark Ireland, with a series of unmissable events aimed at shoppers, business people, students and campaigners.

As always, there are lots of Fair Trade food events on the menu including a coffee morning (28th February) for staff at Queen's University, which secured its status as a Fairtrade University in November 2005. You can also get closer to the producers as you sample free wine and chocolate and listen to Fair Trade business people – both local and international – talk about their work during a Fair Trade Enterprise Reception (March 5th ).

There will certainly be fun as the Fairtrade Smoothie Bike visits the Queen's Students' Union (March 4th and 5th ), so if you fancy using pedal power to rustle up a delicious Fair Trade smoothie, pop along and try it for yourself – for free!

Alternatively why not join in the free fun when all are welcome at a Fair Trade party hosted at Oxfam Ireland's Fair Trade shop in Rosemary Street, Belfast. Growers from Divine Chocolate will be the special guests as the shop, which celebrates its 5th birthday this month, offers tastings, music and fun at lunchtime on 5th March.

You can also follow the Fairtrade Fortnight challenge with Oxfam Ireland's own superhero, as Fair Trade Woman attempts to use nothing but fairly traded goods – there are more available than you think! You could even win your very own supply of Divine chocolate by reading her Fair Trade blog.

To close Fairtrade Fortnight on March 9th, the Black Box in Belfast will witness The Cake Sale – ‘The Alternative Mix!', as a host of local artists (including John D'Arcy, Joe Echo, Jonny Black, Kitty and the Can Openers, Ursula Burns, Laura Stevenson and many more) re-create the multi-platinum selling album The Cake Sale, which was originally put together by Brian Crosby of Bell X1 in aid of Oxfam Ireland's Make Trade Fair campaign.

The range of events throughout Fairtrade Fortnight reflects the fact that all aspects of our lives as consumers can make a real impact on the lives of producers in developing countries and also highlights the need for a change in the rules that keep people poor.

Further details on what's on during Fairtrade Fortnight

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Oxfam Ireland is an independent member of Oxfam International- a group of thirteen non-governmental agencies dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world.

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