Young Christians to witness first hand injustice of world trade rules

The impact of the injustices of trade rules are to be witnessedfirst hand in a MAYC World Action fact-finding trip to Ghana nextmonth. Taking part in the visit - which takes place in the wake ofthe collapse of world trade talks in Cancun - are two winners of ayoung people's writing competition.

Cheap US subsidised rice has flooded the market in Ghana,causing farms to close and putting many rice farmers into desperatepoverty - unable to compete. Lizzie Jeans, World ActionCo-ordinator, said: "This is what the recent World TradeOrganisation talks in Mexico were all about - not jargon andcommittees but life and death, the wealthy causing poverty."

The MAYC World Action trip to Ghana in October includes thewinners of a young people's writing competition, London studentChris Cornell and Essex youth leader Anna Brett - as well asPresident of the Black Methodist Youth Conference Winnie Gasa fromLeicester, JMA Secretary Steve Pearce, and Ms Jeans. The threeyoung people will report on their experiences in Ghana. They hopethe stories they tell will encourage others to support the TradeJustice campaign.

Ms Brett, 25, said ' It's really exciting to have theopportunity to help raise awareness of an issue that's soimportant. Trade Justice is something that we should all becampaigning for, and it will be a privilege to be able to help in asmall way. I'm looking forward to how meeting the farmers willbring the reality of international trade home to me. I'm sure itwill have a great impact on my life'.

The President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev Dr NeilRichardson congratulated the competition winners, saying: "Effortslike this demonstrate clearly that young people are taking a leadin raising their voices about the damage that world trade rules aredoing. We should all be as enthusiastic. I look forward to readingtheir eye-witness accounts and hope these will change hearts andminds on an issue vital to our common humanity."