Trade Justice "Ballot on the Beach" during Labour conference

Thousands of campaigners are expected in Brighton on Sunday 26September to cast their votes for Trade Justice. There will be arally, procession and Latin American style protest - with pots,pans, whistles and drums - outside the Labour Party conference, tocall for fairer global trade rules.

Led by the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) and MAYCWorld Action, Methodists are encouraged to gather for theprocession between 12.45 and 1.45pm outside Dorset GardensMethodist Church, Brighton.

In Brighton, the Trade Justice Movement, a coalition of aidagencies, environment and human rights campaigns, fair-tradeorganisations, trade unions and faith groups, will be launching amajor new campaign called 'Vote For Trade Justice' in which peopleare asked to cast a 'vote' in support of the trade justicecampaign. Celebrities such as Casualty's Kwame Kwei-Armah and TimeTeam's Tony Robinson will cast ballots alongside thousands ofcampaigners to call on the UK government to support the call fortrade justice. MRDF and MAYC World Action have already started togather in the votes, with over 1,500 being cast at MAYC's Breakoutalone, and many more being taken to Brighton.

"We hear firsthand from our overseas partners about the effectsof unfair trade rules," said Kevin Fray, MRDF's Supporter RelationsCo-ordinator, who has recently returned from visiting MRDF partnersin Uganda, "When crops lose value because of changes in theinternational market, people lose their livelihoods. It's as simpleas that. We must support our partners at a local level, but we mustalso encourage our government to change the rules that keep peoplein poverty. So please come to Brighton on the 26 September. It's agreat opportunity to speak out in solidarity with the world'spoorest people."

World Action Secretary Lizzie Jeans said: "We want to achievesomething extraordinary with Vote for Trade Justice - a collectivestatement from the huge numbers of people in the UK who believe inchallenging our world of enormous inequality, and making worldtrade work for all. The Labour government could play a role inchanging this. Help us create a message they can't ignore."

"'Vote for Trade Justice' will give a voice to the thousands ofpeople across the UK who are concerned about the way trade isdeepening global injustice and poverty. Unjust trade rules keepmillions of people in poverty around the world and harm ourenvironment. The Labour government could play a key role inchanging this."

For further information about Brighton or to order Vote forTrade Justice cards, visit www.mrdf.org.uk or www.worldaction.infoor contact 020 7467 5132.

ENDS

Notes

1.         'Vote forTrade Justice' will run throughout 2005. Next year is a crucialperiod for the fight against poverty with the UK government hostingthe G8 meeting of the world's most powerful countries and holdingthe presidency of the EU. It is also the 20th anniversary of LiveAid.

2.         The TradeJustice Movement is supported by more than 50 member organisationsthat have over 9 million members, with new organisations joiningevery month. Together, we are campaigning for trade justice - notfree trade - with the rules weighted to benefit poor people and theenvironment.

3.         MRDF is anindependent charity rooted in the Methodist Church in Britain.World Action is the campaigning section of MAYC - supporting youthwork in the Methodist Church. Both are members of the Trade JusticeMovement.