Open Trade

Trading is a vital part of any and every culture, and is intrinsic to the health of those cultures and their relations with each other. It is arguably the oldest human activity, predating law and governance. It is carried on between nations both in times of war and in peace, and is the basic bedrock on which any society is established. We have coined the term Open Trade to denote healthy trading practices as opposed to the monopolistic form practised today, incorrectly called 'free trade' and have founded the Open Trade Network in order to restore such trade.

Open Trade Network

Open Trade Network is a non-profit making, voluntary organisation founded in Norwich in 1996. It developed out of members' attendance at a conference on the subject of Open Trade in Spain in 1992 from which impetus a number of markets were held in Birmingham and Slough to which goods from Morocco were brought by a caravan of Open Trade traders.

In the year of its foundation Open Trade Network facilitated the participation of Norwich and Norfolk traders in the famed Bevervijk Bazaar outside Amsterdam. Open Trade Network participates in the annual Almonastir market in Spain organised by sister organisation Comunidad Islamica en Espana as well as their bi-annual market in Mertola in Portugal.

Open Trade Network ran the Black History Month Market in Norwich and Great Yarmouth in 2004 and in 2005 in association with NEAD and NNREC, and in 2004 also held the first of the Open Trade Markets and Festivals, the Andalusian-Moroccan Fayre with the participation of traders from Spain who brought Spanish and Moroccan goods.

We are currently involved in the next Open Trade Festival Market in Norwich in August/September 2006.

NEW: There is now an RSS feed with news items of interest about trade, etc.

23 June, 2008 13:04