Individual Nominees

Ruth Gatward

My interest in Fair trade began some time ago now and the more I learn about the changes and difference it makes, the more I want to be involved!  Both my father-in-law and my husband are involved in fair trade to an extent and both work with producers in Africa.  I am therefore surrounded by fair trade and the related issues on a regular basis in conversations with them, as well as encountering it in day-to-day life.

I have visited South Africa and Malawi on a number of occasions in the last 6 years, including spending a moth in Malawi last year with my husband, when I was working voluntarily at an orthopaedic hospital in Blantyre.  The more time I spend in Africa and the more contact I have with the people who are impacted by trade, the more I want to be involved as much as possible.

My husband and I try to support fair trade as much as possible in our day-to-day lives by carefully selecting the right products when shopping for food.

I feel that, as an individual on the Board of Trustees, it would give me the opportunity to be involved more in a fantastic industry that I am very passionate about.  I would bring a great deal of enthusiasm to the Board and would be very grateful for the chance to be a part of the SFTF team.

 
Kimberly Mackay

I first became interested in fair trade issues while I was a part of ‘Trocaploc’ in my 6th year at Plockton High School. ‘Trocaploc’ was formed in 2005, by Louisa MacInnes. It started off as a small group of students running a lunchtime stall selling fair trade chocolate but soon evolved into a joint school and community organization in its own right where I helped plan events in the local community, stock take and manage accounts. Another part of this group was attending a class dedicated to the teaching of Human Rights with regular visits from guest speakers. Since leaving Plockton High School to attend University I am still involved with the group and take great interest in how it has evolved and progressed since it was founded in 2005.

Being a part of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum again this year would be a great privilege to me. Being a student myself, I believe that I can get through to young people with the knowledge and experience I have gained and continue to gain, with my enthusiasm for promoting fair trade in Scotland and also for working with my peers. I would hope to work with the rest of the team and bring in fresh, new ideas where possible and do my best to promote the good old ones. Encouraging the younger generation is vital for the future of Scotland in becoming a fair trade nation and my contribution to the forum can enhance and balance the range of experience in the group. From my experiences of working in local cafes and restaurants there are opportunities for promoting the benefits of fair trade.

John McAllion

I am an experienced campaigner on issues relation to Fair Trade and Trade Justice. I worked for Oxfam between 2003 and 2008 as a campaigner with lead responsibility in Scotland for the charity’s Trade Campaign. As a member of Trade Justice Movement Scotland, I was actively involved in organising the original Fair Trade Scotland Conference in Perth 2007 at which the decision was taken to set up the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. I was also a member of the working group charged by that conference with bringing the Scottish Fair Trade Forum into existence. I was elected to the interim Board of the Forum at it first general meeting in 2008 and had the honour of being the Chair of the Board during its first Year.

During the first year, I have been involved in working closely with out campaign coordinator and other board members in establishing the Forum as a legal entity and a registered charity, and in securing funding for out future campaigning. I have also worked closed with Fair Trade activist across Scotland and with Scottish Government Ministers and officials. I also have considerable political experience having been both MP and MSP for Dundee East between 1987 and 2003. Before that I was a councillor on Tayside region. I have a detailed understanding of how Scottish Politics operates and am practiced in giving evidence to parliamentary committees and enquiries.

 
Martin Meteyard

I have been passionately committed to fair trade for over 20 years, and hope that my experience could be useful to the Board at this challenging time.

My past involvement includes:
- jointly organising (as a buyer with GreenCity Wholefoods) the first Scottish fair trade conference in 1986
- helping to establish Equal Exchange fair trade co-operative in the late 1980s
- chairing conferences of the international fair trade organisation IFAT in 1991, 1993 and 1999
- chairing the Board of Cafédirect 1998-2005 (this included bringing producers onto the Board, and overseeing the company’s £5m share issue)
- promoting support for Fairtrade Fortnight and other activities as Scottish Secretary of the Co-operative Group, 1997-2004
- chairing the Board of the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) 2005-06

I currently chair the Board of the Lorna Young Foundation, a charity set up by Cafédirect to support producers (in memory of one of Scotland’s fair trade pioneers).

I have also been working informally for the past few years with Zaytoun, who import fairly traded olive oil and other products from Palestine. I visited olive farmers in the West Bank with them in 2004.

I believe that my background contains a useful mix of commercial, campaigning and governance skills. I am also a confident public speaker.

I have been self-employed since 2004, mainly working with co-operatives and other social enterprises; this gives me the flexibility to make the commitment that I believe the Board of the Scottish Fair Trade Forum requires.

 
Juan Andres Santelices

I believe, that my experience, passion and knowledge about the Fair Trade sector and other social and sutainable certification systems (FSC, MAC, organic) plus my wide experience and understanding of the global south and the developing world, could be very valuable for the SFTF. I have over 13 years experience working in sustainable development with small holders around the world, Central and South America (10 countries), the South Pacific Islands and Indonesia. >From the year 2000, when I arrived to the UK until the end of 2003, I was involved in my own business (London) importing organic produce from Chilean small producers, then I came to Scotland in 2004 I worked as Programme Director in a NGO, Just World Partners, in International Development. Later on I moved to Equal Exchange Trading, Fair Trade Company in Edinburgh, where I was their Producer Support Manager. Most recently I have also become a Trustee at Plan Vivo Foundation, an organisation who works in the Voluntary Carbon Market but with a social and fair approach, working with small farmers in Africa and Latin America. As a Chilean with a degree as Forestry Engineer, a post graduate degree in International Relationships and my international experience in sustainable development, I hope I could be part of the Board and share my knowledge with all the other members and so contribute to achieve our goals, like to become a Fair Trade Nation. I am willing to take all the responsibilities that this position involves.

 
Denis Robert Shovlin

To stand as an individual for this crucial cause and be successful I have to justify, and substantiate a number of key questions?  The first question one would ask who is this guy.  Well my name is Denis and 56 years of age and a survivor of a brain injury an ABI because of Encephalitis due to a vaccination that went wrong in 1953 at 5 months and lost my coordination till I was a year old. Despite my bad start I have achieved a BD from Glasgow University where the staff were extremely supportive.

This is all well and good but, what has this to do with fair trade? As a disability campaigner there is a common thread about justice and fairness.  Being a proved and competent area committee member with the co-operative at present I am the fair trade co-ordinator on the central Scotland area under Robin Stewart.  Also as a product of Glasgow University I was taught about the importance of networks, and extremely well known in the disability movement as a former member of the UKDPP disabled people's parliament. 

Within me I have a powerful driver surging me forward with the aim of being a success at what ever I do.  A strong supporter and local campaigner of fair trade. Presently I am the secretary of Headway Forth Valley. In essence like battling with an impairment fair trade is similar as the third world has to  swim against the tide in order to survive in a volitile and turbulant world.