Chester WDF

Background

Encouraging Local Action for a Fairer World

CWDF is a unique partnership of groups and individuals, all committed in their different ways to working for the worldwide ending of poverty and hunger, through sustainable development.

We meet bi-monthly, usually at the Quaker Meeting House, Union Walk, Frodsham St, Chester CH1 3LF Tel: 01244 316554

Why not join us? Please contact us for further details of our meetings and other events, on 01244 400 906 or 01244 350323, or email bernard.payne[at]tiscali.co.uk

Group Members

Amnesty International, Chester Group
And Albert
British Humanist Association, Chester Group
Caldy Valley Church
Cheshire Development Education Centre (CDEC)
Chester Asian Council
Chester Baha'i Community
Chester CAFOD Support Group
Chester Christian Aid Committee
Chester Fair Trading Partnership
Chester Parliamentary Constituency Office
Chester Quakers Meeting
Chester Stop the War Coalition
Church Action on Poverty
Friends of the Earth Chester
Greenpeace Chester
Hamilton Street Methodist Church
Holy Trinity Blacon One World Group
Hoole URC
Jubilee Debt Campaign, Chester
Justice and Development Education (JADE)
St Columba's Third World Group
Shrewsbury Diocese Justice and Peace Commission
United Nations Association
University of Chester Department of Geography & Development Studies
Upton URC
VSO, Cheshire Supporter Group
Wesley Methodist Church
Wirral Trade Justice Group

Individual Members

Individuals are welcome to join as individual members of CWDF. The names of individual members are not published or supplied to third parties.

Forum Highlights Past and Present

The Forum was founded in 1993 as the Chester World Development Group, the current name being adopted in January 2000. It began when a number of people and groups, all lobbying our then MP about Third World poverty, environmental degradation and related issues, decided to join together to create a stronger local voice on these matters. The individual groups continue to have their own foci, but CWDF provides an important means for information exchange and coordination of events and action.

Since its founding, CWDF, has collaborated with Chester College, the UNA and others, to offer well-attended events with expert speakers, deepening local knowledge of important subjects. In 1997 we were delighted to be associated with the setting up of the Cheshire Development Education Centre, and since then our regular meetings have been held at the CDEC base in Boughton, Chester. In 1998 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights with a spectacular day of entertainments and symbolic artwork in Chester´s Grosvenor Park. In the lead-up to the Millennium we played an active role in the Jubilee 2000 campaign for Debt cancellation for developing countries. Each October, in conjunction with CDEC, we encourage a range of activities to mark "One World Week".

Since 2000 CWDF has developed a special interest in the Trade Justice campaign, alongside the ongoing Jubilee Debt campaign, and actively supported Chester City´s bid for designation as a Fair Trade city. Trade Injustice is a major cause of poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, thereby impinging on many problems that are the focus of individual agencies and NGOs.

Because Trade Justice issues are so important, CWDF created a Trade Justice Movement Working Group, initially to arrange Chester´s involvement in the national lobby of Parliament in 2002. The Secretary of the Forum serves Chair of this Working Group.

About our aims

The CWDF is committed to the worldwide ending of poverty and hunger, within the context of respect for the earth and sustainable development. In contributing to this goal the Forum will:

Raise awareness of world development issues within the local community;
Generate the active involvement of the people of the Chester area in the challenges of world development, including effective lobbying and campaigning;
Supplement rather than duplicate the work of other groups and individuals:
Provide an inter-group information exchange, and give wider publicity to member group events:
Where possible, help to staff large events being run by member groups or temporarily lead chosen campaign actions.

Scope indeed for local action!

Constitution

The Forum belongs to the members, who meet bi-monthly. The Secretary, treasurer and committee are elected annually. The chair is rotated among the entire Forum.