Dear XXXXX
Thank you for your message regarding Oxfam's corporate partnership with Starbucks and your concern about the current situation in Gaza. As you rightly point out, Oxfam has partnered with Starbucks in the past, however this was a number of years ago and is no longer the case. I am pleased to be able to provide you with an up to date review of both our partnership with Starbucks and our position on the current crisis in Gaza.
Oxfam accepted a donation from Starbucks back in
2004 for a programme in Ethiopia. We worked with them for one year and have accepted no donations from them since. We do not have an active partnership with them, and we are not in discussions to receive any further donations at present. If you'd like up to date information on Oxfam corporate partnerships, please do take a look at our web site:
Get involved : Corporate partners :: Oxfam GB.
More recently, in
2007, we ran an active and highly successful campaign against Starbucks and their stance on Ethiopia's attempt to trademark its own coffee growing regions. We campaigned against Starbucks in the UK and other countries, speaking out in international and national media. Due to pressure from Oxfam and nearly 100,000 supporters worldwide, Starbucks changed their position. You can see more about this campaign on our website:
Starbucks :: Oxfam GB
We are of course aware that we have an obligation to work with ethical corporations, and we have to take a number of things into consideration before working with any company or supplier. We also maintain the right to campaign against any actions taken by an organisation, or against the organisation itself regardless of any previous or current partnership that we may have with them.
Oxfam is not taking sides in the current crisis in Gaza, we do not support the governments of Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories. As a humanitarian agency signatory to the Red Cross Code of Conduct, Oxfam's only concern is the welfare of the innocent civilians caught in a conflict. Our only role and aim is to provide humanitarian assistance when it is needed and speak up for all people caught up in violence so they have their security concerns addressed.
This is why we are calling on both the Israeli Government and Palestinian armed groups to immediately cease all attacks against civilians because we do not believe that there is a military solution to the conflict. All the parties to the conflict need to get round the negotiation table and push, and be pushed, for a just and durable peace. This will not be easy and requires a great deal of political courage and vision on all sides. But if all the people of this troubled region are to live in lasting peace then negotiation is the only path forward. We are therefore asking all our supporters to help us push for this by signing our petition at
Gaza crisis - Ceasefire now :: Oxfam GB. Please do add your voice to ours and ask your friends to add their names too, we need all the support we can get. This call was also supported by a full page appeal in the Financial Times last week.
We are also appealing for funds and donations to our Gaza appeal, so that Oxfam’s partners in the area can help provide access to clean water and food. If you would like to donate, we can do so directly at
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/gaza_crisis.html. We also have a page dedicated wholly to the crisis which is updated as soon as we receive new information, and also contains blogs from our staff who have remained in the region. Please have a look at
Emergencies - Crisis in Gaza :: Oxfam GB for more information.
If you would like more information about our work in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, where we are working with communities from both sides, please visit
The Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel :: Oxfam GB.
I hope this helps clarify Oxfam's position and you feel you can continue to support our vital work. Our priority is and always will be to assist those who are living in poverty and suffering and I hope you will feel you can support our vital work.
If you have any further questions about this or any other aspects of our work, please do get back in touch and I will be happy to help.
With best wishes
Lucy Grafton
Supporter Relations
Oxfam GB