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	Articles - Miscellaneous Trade Justice Parade: The start of something big! On Saturday 3 November an estimated 8,000 people gathered in London for the Trade Justice Parade - organised to draw attention to trade issues ahead of the World Trade Organisation meeting in Doha, Qatar and attended by several people from St Edmund's. With a flotilla of floats, live music, a peaceful procession though the centre of London and an inspirational rally in Trafalgar Square the event has put the Trade Justice Movement on the map and signifies the start of a huge global movement for change. Formed earlier this year, the Trade Justice Movement is a group of organisations, including The World Development Movement, Tearfund, Traidcraft, Save the Children, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth and Christian Aid, campaigning together for fundamental change of the unjust rules and institutions that govern international trade. Campaigners of all ages from across the UK and Ireland and beyond took part in the colourful, up-beat event and, as with similar demonstrations for the debt campaign, proved that it is possible to demonstrate together peacefully and make a difference. The parade of floats each symbolised a different injustice in global trade and many campaigners wore costumes to suit the various themes. The Christian Aid pirate ship, complete with plundering pirates, showed how WTO rules, rich countries and big business steal from the poor. Christian Aid has developed a trade badge on behalf of the Trade Justice Movement representing a pair of hand held weighing scales. The scales are imbalanced because international trade is currently weighted in favour of the rich and powerful. The figure in the middle reminds us that the imbalance is the result of human rules. But the figure gives us hope as well, because people are the solution - we can all take action to help tip the balance of trade in favour of the poor.

	http:/www.stedmunds.roundhay.org.uk/misc/tradejustice.htm © St Edmund's Church, Leeds Last Revised 26 November, 2001