Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC) invites VOLO Athletics Founder James Milligan to participate in their ‘We Are Making a Difference’ Campaign. Watch the video.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEEK

The theme for International Development Week (IDW) 2014 is We Are Making A Difference. The Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC) has produced eight video profiles of groups of Manitobans who are contributing their time and effort in the areas of international development and social justice issues to make a difference in our world.

MCIC is profiling a wide range of Manitoba groups, organizations and towns who demonstrate that all across the province, people are working together to create a better world for all. These actions include Manitoba towns receiving official Fair Trade Town status, high schools supporting development projects at home and abroad, a credit union supporting social equity and Fair Trade, Canadian development organizations with projects that empower women and girls in the developing world and much more.

You can view all the profiles here.

ABOUT FAIR TRADE SPORTS BALLS

Soccer, volleyball, basketball, and rugby are played the world over, but most people don’t think twice about the origin of the sports balls that are so central to these games. Tens of millions of sports balls are produced in Pakistan every year and while conditions have improved greatly, there are still known cases of poor work conditions, unfair wages, and even child labour. It is not uncommon to find children going to work to supplement their family income, instead of going to school to get an education.

Under the umbrella of Fairtrade International, VOLO Athletics Fair Trade Soccer Balls ensures the people behind the ball get a better deal. There is monitoring against the use of child labour, employees are paid fairly and are provided a clean safe work environment, and there’s funding for social programs from every ball. Such social programs include providing school supplies for children, access to fresh water, and basic health care services like eye exams and diabetes tests.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SocialConscienceFairTradeSports

Twitter: @FairTradeSoccer

Blog: http://jamessocialconscience.wordpress.com/

MCIC: http://mcic.ca/