Phil@Stop the Traffik

It was a dull, rainy day in Antwerp, and the police had got there before us. When we arrived for the start of the march, there were two police riot vans waiting. This made us smile, firstly because we didn't know how many supporters would come, and secondly because there is almost nothing as mild mannered and polite as Oasis Belgium - we'd much rather make you a cup of tea than shout at you. Anyway, the police were taking no chances.
Slowly a small crowd gathered in one of the cobbled courtyards that dot the centre of Antwerp, the rain eased off and we were nearly ready - all we needed was the band! And what a band it was! They are called the Psalters and if you ever see them, you'll never forget them. My colleague Niels, who is much groovier than me, found them. They spend part of the year living in a Christian community, part of the year travelling to places like Iraq to spend time with the people and learn their culture and music, and the rest of the time they tour as a band. We had caught up with them in a small anarchist festival in Germany (that's another story!) and they had wanted to help us with a protest march against the terrible exploitation of children who are trafficked to work on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast. This is one of the big campaigns run by Stop the Traffik, asking that the chocolate industry takes its responsibility not to buy from farms that exploite children and to help put these children into school and pay more so that the farmers make a decent living.
So, here were the Psalters, piling out of a transit van, all leather and dreadlocks and piercings, face paint and it must also be said, a gentle and friendly attitude. Never judge by appearances! What was the music like? It's hard to describe - they call it refugee music and it's made up of amazing harmonies, chants, strange instruments as well as good old feedback guitar.
And the coffin? Well, to make a statement about all the children who were being abused and sometimes dying on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast, we made a small coffin and draped it in a cloth. It was to be a funeral procession. We set off down the road, escorted by the police, the coffin held high, the Stop the Traffik supporters following behind and others giving out leaflets. Then the Psalters started up. They had a big bass drum and a harmonica, which they played through a megaphone, accompanied by beautiful singing and chanting.
It sounds weird, but the effect was electrifying. People started to pour out of shops and houses to see what was going on. As we wound round the beautiful streets of Antwerp, people were leaning out of top story windows, wondering what this was all about. Sometimes, something happens and suddenly an event seems to take on an importance and a significance you never expected. Sometimes you get the feeling that something is happening spiritually and it is slightly out of your control. As a Christian, I love those times.
We reached the centre of the city and the Psalters played for a while, people asked questions and took leaflets. Belgium, the home of chocolate (sorry if you are Swiss, but I still think Belgium is the home of chocolate!), suddenly hearing a message that there is a price to pay for all this luxury and it is being paid in the fields of Africa. Strange day, strange and wonderful.
Now, you might say that days like that change nothing. You might believe that the mega corporations like Nestlé, Mars, Cadbury and the like will never listen to a few bedraggled protesters, or to a few letters, or phone calls or school events. Change comes in strange ways though. Since Stop the Traffik began its chocolate campaign a couple of years ago, Cadbury has changed one of its main brands to Fair Trade in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, one of the big Dutch brands, Verkade, has gone Fair Trade, Mars has pledged to make all it's chocolate certified as free from trafficking by 2020 (long time, I know) and now, today, we learned that the biggest brand in Belgium, Cote d'Or, which is owed by Kraft, has said that it is working to make all of its chocolate certified by Rainforest Alliance. We have concerns about whether only 30% of the cocoa will be certified in order to get the label - but it's certainly a start!
Change comes in strange ways, and the smallest pebble can start an avalanche. Nestlé next! Please join us on this campaign. You can find out how at http://www.stopthetraffik.org/takeaction/chocolate/
And by the way, if you want to experience the music of the Psalters, you can at  http://www.psalters.com/