Category: Campaigning for change

In the Western Cape, scenic is an understatement: lush vineyards festooned with bougainvillea at the feet of colossal bare rock escarpments; dinky, opulent colonial towns – all church spires and verandahs and 4×4s. Perfectly asphalted roads, the infrastructure of modern ag – sprinklers, trucks, tourism (wine tasting, restaurants), a vision of plenty. But where are […] Read more »

In countries like Indonesia, many women and men making goods for big-name brands are struggling to make ends meet. Workers who enjoy freedom of association (freedom to form unions and negotiate with employers) have the best chance of obtaining fairer working conditions, escaping cycles of poverty and debt. But even when countries recognise freedom of […] Read more »

Here’s an Easter treat for chocolate lovers: proof that no brand is so big it can ignore its customers. A month ago Oxfam launched Behind the Brands with a call to “change the way the food companies that make your favorite brands do business.”  In just a few weeks thousands of tweets were sent to […] Read more »

Last week was National Close the Gap Day with more than 900 events held around the country by ordinary folk wanting to show their support for ending inequality in Indigenous life expectancy. Close the Gap was invited by the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) to be the charity partner for this year’s Centenary of Canberra […] Read more »

More than 140,000 people across Australia today will remind political leaders of their commitment to close the gap in health inequality, as critical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health funding is due to expire. Today is the seventh annual National Close the Gap Day, with a record 950 community events in homes, schools, universities, workplaces, […] Read more »

This time next week, thousands of people just like you will sit down with their friends, colleagues and neighbours for National Close the Gap Day. You may have already planned your own small get-together in your workplace or home – and your efforts will send a powerful message to government that the community wants on-going […] Read more »

With a Federal Election looming this year, it’s time to join together with other Australians to show support for doing our part to end extreme poverty. Because we believe it is possible to end extreme poverty, Oxfam Australia is joining the Movement to End Poverty. This is a joint action of the Make Poverty History […] Read more »

Last week’s Behind The Brands initiative kicked off with a call for Mars, Mondelez International and Nestle to stop ignoring the women who are working in their cocoa supply chains. Between them, these three companies net more than $45 billion a year in confectionery sales. But throughout their cocoa supply chains – from growers to […] Read more »

Malo ni! My name is Mikaele Maiava. I’m writing from the Pacific Island archipelago of Tokelau to tell you about a global action against the fossil fuel industry. Last October, Tokelau turned off the last of its diesel generators. In their place, we switched on our solar plants, making Tokelau the first country in the […] Read more »

There has been a great response to the Behind the Brands launch on Tuesday (Feb 26). Consumers clearly care about the people behind the foods they buy. Thousands of people have taken action; the start we hope of a movement to reverse the 100-year legacy of the world’s ten largest food and beverage companies in […] Read more »