Status: 26/09/2023, 13:04 p.m.
By: Dieter Roettig
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Katharina Waibl, Dr. Holger Kramer, Mayor Sandra Perzul, Manfred Holz, Renate Heggmaier, Susanne Jung-Kramer, Volker Bippus and Pastor Josef Kirchensteiner (from left) explained the fair trade Dießen offer. © Roettig
Dießen - When you think of fair trade goods, you spontaneously think of coffee or chocolate, but certainly not of football. The situation is different in the market town of Dießen, which has now been awarded the "Fairtrade Community" seal in the short-term renamed "Fairtraidtcasten" next to the Marienmünster.
In the future, two F-youth teams of MTV Dießen will kick with fairly produced and traded footballs. A sample ball was presented to Pastor Josef Kirchensteiner, who five years ago had the idea of joining the action alliance, which is already represented in 36 countries, with his working group "One World – Preserving Creation".
However, a whole series of prerequisites had to be created for certification. For example, only fair trade coffee and tea may be served in the town hall at meetings and events. In shops and cafés, at least two Fairtrade products must be readily available for purchase. The local councillors Dr. Holger Kramer and Volker Bippus founded a steering group that started talks with the trade association as well as trade, gastronomy, schools, kindergartens, clubs and church organisations and organised "networking meetings". According to Holger Kramer, the response has been consistently positive. In the future, a large number of fair trade products will be offered in Dießen.
"All tasks fulfilled in the best possible way" announced Manfred Holz, the founding father and honorary ambassador of the Fairtrade movement, at the presentation of the certificate. He had travelled all the way from Husum in North Frisia to congratulate Mayor Sandra Perzul and the steering committee. Dießen is now the 245th Fairtrade municipality in Bavaria, with 851 municipalities throughout Germany already being allowed to use the seal.
The Fairtrade movement aims at fair wages for workers and fair trade in the poorer countries of the southern hemisphere, while respecting environmental protection. "Fair trade can only be achieved through action, as has been done here in an exemplary manner," praised Manfred Holz. "Visions without actions otherwise remain illusions. After all, those who set us for the table must also be fed." Last but not least, fair wages and the curbing of child labour reduce the causes of flight.
The market town of Dießen has contributed at least one piece of the mosaic to solving these problems, Mayor Sandra Perzul was pleased to say. In particular, she thanked the members of the steering group such as Susanne Jung-Kramer, Dr. Holger Kramer, Katharina Waibl, Renate Heggmeier, Peter Kaun and Volker Bippus. After the official part, they all explained the Dießen Fairtrade offer, which includes coffee, tea, nuts and chocolates, the latter even with artistically designed Dießen packaging.
