“Getting the award in November 2020 was a major step for our University,” says Prof. Dr. Annette Scheersoi, Vice Rector for Sustainability. We want to push the issue of sustainability further at all levels and instill a sustainability culture.” The Fairtrade initiative has a key role to play in this process, she adds: “I’m overjoyed that so many people are promoting the idea of a sustainable university, and our Fairtrade team, in particular, has already launched numerous fantastic campaigns. Many congratulations on reaching the one-year mark!”
It took two years to work toward the award, which is presented by TransFair e.V. (Fairtrade Germany). Particularly noteworthy was the high level of commitment that students showed in supporting and helping to shape the application process. However, receiving the award is not the end but merely the beginning of another phase of development. Within the steering group, therefore, all the relevant stakeholders—the Rectorate, administrators, the Studierendenwerk and student representatives—are working together with great dedication to organize events and promote the buying of fair-trade products.
To coincide with the one-year anniversary, the highly committed students have a further success to report: “You’ll very soon see fair-trade bananas in the Studierendenwerk canteens,” announce a happy Leonie Bach, Judith Meder and Luise Tegeler from the Fairtrade team. The group of students intends to raise awareness of fair trade with another series of campaigns and events in the coming semesters. Anyone keen to put their own fair-trade ideas into practice is invited to join the student initiative and play an active role in helping to make the University a fairer and more sustainable place.
Congratulations have also come in from Fairtrade Germany: “We’d like to congratulate the University of Bonn on its first anniversary as a Fairtrade University and thank all those involved,” said Kristina Klecko, Campaign Officer for Fairtrade Universities. “Every university that’s strengthening the fair-trade cause is making a key contribution to greater sustainability and fighting for global justice. Over the next few years, we want to step up networking between the Fairtrade Universities in Germany and abroad and thus make the voices calling for fair trade even louder.”
Contact:
Vice Rectorate for Sustainability: prorektorat.nachhaltigkeit@uni-bonn.de
Fairtrade University student initiative: fairtrade@uni-bonn.de
