Name

Mitchell Tracy

School

Westminster Schools

City or Town

Atlanta, Georgia

Graduation Year
2012

How many hours are you able to commit to USFT weekly during the 2009/2010 school year?

11

Please summarize your experience in the Fair Trade movement.
I have done extensive research on the Fair Trade movement for a research project in school and have been immersed in the Fair Trade culture and ideals through my brother Ben Tracy. I have promoted Fair Trade within my school and with people I know by encouraging them to be much more conscious about what they buy.

What is your understanding of anti-oppression and anti-racism?
I see anti-oppression and anti-racism as two completely separate, yet equally important and prominent movements that have been expanding in the past century. The relevance of these movements today is at an all-time high and I feel that Fair Trade represents a huge part of it within global trade. I support these ideals in my everyday interaction with other students and hope to continue that on a much larger scale as the High School Coordinator for USFT.

Why would you like to be on the Coordinating Committee?
I am truly motivated by the cause that Fair Trade supports and I feel that I can contribute a significant amount to the Fair Trade movement. I enjoy interacting with new people and educating them on what Fair Trade really is and why they should be more conscious as a consumer every day.

What do you think you can bring to the CC?
I think I will be able to use my social skills and knowledge of the Fair Trade movement to convince many schools to bring Fair Trade into their community by making them aware of the social, environmental and health benefits that Fair Trade products have. I feel that the absence of a High School Coordinator has severely impeded the progress of the Fair Trade movement within the youth and I hope to bring new light to that and truly make the nation aware of this wonderful and simple way to help the world.

What is your vision for the position(s) you are applying for?
I hope to expand the awareness of Fair Trade around the nation within my generation and beyond. I hope to see many more schools embracing Fair Trade products and making them available to more people. The exact essence of what is Fair Trade seems to be unclear to many of my peers, and I really wish to educate them and allow them to see the many benefits of a Fair Trade system

What does Fair Trade mean to you?
Fair Trade means justice. Something that I believe in very strongly and is my strongest moral instinct. Fair Trade has been a huge part of my life in my family and my education, including research projects in school and my brother's involvement with USFT. I feel that Fair Trade has benefited my life incredibly and I hope to bring that to everyone else around me.

Who are you, really? What are you passionate about?
I am just an average high school student who is well spoken and mindful about his beliefs. My passion is international relations, politics and law. Fair Trade is a significant part of that and has influenced my decisions about how I respond to different situations and the different choices I make every day. I simply want to share my knowledge with the rest of our youth and make them aware of this incredible thing that hasn't been acknowledged enough and that most people aren't aware of, Fair Trade.