Media Release for World Environment Day – June 5, 2008

What do thirty pieces of junk art and the Green Ribbon Awards have in common? They both involve New Zealanders with a desire to do right by the environment.

Thirty artists from different cities and towns across New Zealand have been selected by Trade Aid to produce an art piece from recycled or sustainably sourced materials. The works will all feature in the Junk to Green Funk Art Auction to be held in the Wellington Town Hall on June 3 following the Ministry for the Environment’s Green Ribbon Awards. The joint event will signal the beginning of a multitude of events around the country for World Environment Day, held every year on June 5.

Trade Aid is enlisting the skills of the thirty artists to highlight the environmental issues of consumption and waste in our everyday lives. The auction aims to draw a parallel between the environmentally friendly nature of the artworks sourced from New Zealand’s own backyard and the low impact products found in Trade Aid shops.

“The idea is to raise the issue of the environment through a lens of social justice and human rights,” says Trade Aid Communications Manager Michelia Ward. “The need for environmental justice is based on the fact that Trade Aid’s producers, and most of the developing world’s population, have amongst the lowest carbon footprint in the world, yet are the ones already being affected by global climate change.”

Feilding artist Rachel Doré agrees. She says of her piece, named Kyrie, “I wanted the figure to represent the spirit of a sort of Waiata or Kyrie a calling out to others to become mindful, to become deliberate in taking action before we are all ensnared in what we have created out of our need and our greed for artificial satisfactions.”

The UN Development Programme has already warned that climate change would hit the world's poorest countries, raising risks of disease, destruction of traditional livelihoods and leading to huge population movements. A key example of this environmental injustice is in India and Bangladesh, where it is believed that 125 million people will be displaced with rising sea levels triggered by a projected increase in global temperature during this century.

The effect of climate change is a serious one for the whole global population as it threatens to undo all the gains made in development over the last thirty years. Environmental justice calls for action from both rich and poor countries.

Proceeds:

50% of the proceeds from auction will be donated to the NZ Enviroschools programme (www.enviroschools.org.nz) and 50% of the auction price will be returned to the artist.

Trade Aid product:

A selection of Trade Aid product featured as a parallel to the low impact local NZ artworks includes the following - see images at www.tradeaid.org.nz
 Carry bags made from juice packets picked up off the streets in the Philippines
 Cosmetic sea sponges sustainably harvested from the island of Pohnpei, Pacific
 Toy cars and helicopters produced in Kenya from recycled wire
 Indian patchwork quilts stitched entirely from used sari material
 Teddy bears made from organic alpaca wool in Peru
 Jute shopping bags created from organic jute fibre in Bangladesh
 And much more… check out the images on our website

Artists involved in the June 3, Art Auction -see www.tradeaid.org.nz for biographies:

First Name Last Name City representing
Rachelle Pedersen Auckland Central
The Gumdiggers Daughters Botany
Andrew Lyons Christchuch
Anette Seifert Dunedin
Rachel Doré Feilding
Ben Galbraith Gisborne
Ricks Terstappen Havelock North
Tony Bishop Invercargill
Marti Wong Hamilton
Mark Dimmock Masterton
Fraser Duncan Napier
Mike Ward Nelson
Dale Copeland New Plymouth
Sue Waugh Christchurch
Lisa Storhannus Oamaru
Tom Armstrong Palmerston North
Tony Drawbridge Petone
Kilary Tudgee Picton
Peter Schoenauer Ponsonby
Chris Meek Raglan
Amanda Tomasoa Remuera
Martin Tissink Rotorua
Susanne Schuler Sylvia Park
Nora West Takapuna
Finela Moore Tauranga
Kimberly Dove Te Awamutu
Christeena MacDonald Timaru
Keith Grinter Wanganui
Kelly O'Shea Wellington
Bruce Courtney West Auckland

Who is Trade Aid?

Trade Aid is a New Zealand founded, alternative trading organisation which has been working with craft producers and small farmers in developing countries around the world for 35 years. Trade Aid currently has 32 retail shops in both the North and South Islands and runs an extensive public education programme which aims to equip New Zealanders to speak out for greater justice in world trade.

How do we work?

Trade Aid forms long term partnerships with trading organisations, which represent the needs of groups of disadvantaged producers. Trade Aid provides these producers a market for their quality, often organic handcrafted products under the well respected and trusted Trade Aid brand. Alongside market access, Trade Aid works to provide a trading relationship which allows transformative change to occur within producer communities.

What are the outcomes?

35 years of alternative trade have produced a multitude of success stories. A few examples of these include aspects such as higher rates of education for fair trade producers’ children, higher income levels and increased participation of women within families and communities. For a sample of these success stories please visit our website at www.tradeaid.org.nz.

Please see further information about World Environment Day and Trade Aid at: http://www.tradeaid.org.nz/World%20Environment%20Day

ENDS

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