Miguel Bose – Musician/ Actor; SPAIN

 

 

One of Spain’s biggest musicians and actors, Miguel Bosé, is a vocal activist in support of fair trade and also protecting our oceans’ marine diversity.

 

He has been part of Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, campaigning in Hong Kong at a WTO summit, against the rigidity in global cotton trade.

 

In 2006, he visited Peruvian cotton fields, meeting a few of the 28000 farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by US subsidies that keep cotton prices low. Later in 2008, he also met with Peru’s Congress President, following which the Congress introduced a law protecting cotton farmers in recognition of the quality of these traditional varieties & the need to protect them.

 

Miguel’s high profile support, his unflagging commitment to the campaign and his intensive work in helping to raise awareness about the issue have undoubtedly helped political progress in shielding Peruvian cotton farmers from foreign subsidies.

 

Following his Latin America tour in 2007, Miguel joined Ariane Arpa, the head of Intermón Oxfam (Spain) to present the Spanish Government with 600,000 signatures, many gathered on his tour, calling on the government to modify Spain’s trade policy.

 

He campaigned at the 2008 UN climate meeting in Poland and the G8 summit in Japan and has also signed letters to world leaders attending the Copenhagen and Cancun UN Climate Conferences, telling negotiators that they must put people at the heart of their discussions and ensure a safer future for the generations to come.

 

Vote for Miguel as the Best Green International Celebrity !

 

Read Miguel’s letter in support of his nomination below:

 

When Oxfam asked me to be their soldier I didn’t give it a second thought. I’ve always admired the seriousness of their projects and their honest commitment, so I felt deeply honoured to answer their call.

 

I got involved in the cotton campaign in the Piura Region, Peru. It was about restoring the dignity of thousands of families who had historically and traditionally earned their livelihoods from growing a seed called Pima, which according to the experts produces high-grade cotton, the best in the world. Therefore, why was it on the verge of extinction?

 

So we set off for the dusty desert of Piura where we encountered a reality that, as it often occurs, was anything but romantic. It was hard work, but, thanks to the determination and perseverance of Intermón Oxfam Spain, Oxfam Peru, their collaborators and yours truly, we laid bare the facts, shed light on the reasons, and fully exposed those responsible, disclosing their names and creating public awareness. After years of insistence, although some good results have already been achieved, much still remains to be done and to fight for, and this spurs us on.

 

I am Miguel Bosé, a Spaniard and a musician who for the past 55 years has made many people feel ill at ease; those who fail to understand why I put all my heart into and focus all my resources on defending a right that nobody can prevent me from fighting for: to change what I believe is unjust. It is all very plain and simple; without justice, whether of a social or any other nature, this will never be a humane world. And I want a world that does not look the other way or which turns a blind eye. Thanks for everything.

 

Miguel Bosé