This week my husband needed new basketball shoes. This sparked some deep debates as it is not exactly easy to find basketball shoes that are considered 'ethical'. After much research on his behalf he discovered two different reports, which pretty much reported opposite results. One report even listed Nike as on of the top companies in terms of transparency. I refused to believe this. After all, I have read so many reports indicating that Nike factories have been linked to human trafficking and unfair wages. So started the debate in which there was no right answer.
He showed me the report from 2006 that demonstrated that Nike now has a much better system in place for monitoring how employees are treated than many other companies. I just kept thinking..shouldn't they continue to be punished for what they've done. His thoughts--shouldn't they be rewarded for the changes they are trying to instill. Like I said, no real right answer..I hate those predicaments.
According to his report, GAP was in a similar position. They have a record of awful ethics, so to speak, in terms of labor and rights of their employees. According to this report; however, they not have a better system in place than ZARA, which I have posted about previously as having an outstanding code of ethics.
So, I still stand in this place of tension: not wanting to support these companies, but wondering if they should be rewarded for trying to change. In the end we came to an agreement that buying less is the best way to keep a clear conscious (and I think secretly my husband just will take any route to encourage me to buy less ;).
Here are the two reports that we have found that offer somewhat conflicting information: one from responsible shopper (not dated) one from ETAG's Transparency Report (2006). If anyone has any further insight to this dilemma, please comment and let me know.
Yes, it's an interesting dilemma. My contribution may not give a solution, but may offer some insight into what really happens in factories the world over and the how unlikely it is that people in a boardroom are aware of what actually goes on:
ReplyDeleteI'll share with you a review of a book entitled "Chicken Feathers and Garlic Skin: Diary of a Chinese Garment Factory Girl on Saipan by Chun Yu Wang that appears on the Amazon.com page for the book.
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“What an eye-opener to the garment industry! The author willingly endured so many things that we snobby Americans workers would NEVER tolerate (but we’ll wear the clothes created in that environment). A fascinating peek into the industry.The author shows the garment industry from a very different perspective– from the eyes of a woman seeking to leave her homeland to make her fortune. A view from the very bottom of the world’s economic food chain. It is a sad but real story told in a simple but beautiful manner. I read it in one afternoon/evening because I couldn’t put it down. Everyone who wears clothes, or has ever heard of Saipan should read this book.”--Amazon
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It's unique merely from the standpoint that prior to the publication of this book, the inner workings of such factories had never been chronicled to such specificity and with such detail BY AN ACTUAL GARMENT FACTORY WORKER whose livelihood and survival depended on the understanding and negotiating the system. While details of the account may be shocking to many, the account does not come from an agenda to displace the system, but simply to explain how one survives in such a system. Very fascinating.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am the “as told to” co-author of this book which is now gaining interest from labor organizations and even Public Radio International’s “The World” program. I’m proud to have been a channel for helping this young lady get her story told, and invite any who want further reason and justification for becoming more aware of the sweatshop phenomenon in order to act, or simply live a more conscience-driven life to check it out. (PRI interview and others at www.saipanfactorygirl.com; Garment factory era info at www.saipanfactoryfacts.org)
FYI
ReplyDeleteYour husband is awesome...still reading the blog. and learning...Appreciate your passion on this and letting it spill over onto the blog for others to benefit, like myself.
Amen to buying less.
Walt- wow sounds like a great book. Thanks for letting us know about it! I'll have to check it out sometime.
ReplyDeleteJason- I know my husband is awesome. That is why I married him ;) Glad you are still following.
Jenny -
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd leave a comment since I've been reading this now and again... this is an interesting challenge - to consider every purchase beforehand, viewing it through this new ethical lens. Changing behaviors on the micro scale (impulse purchasing!) and macro in terms of setting global industry standards for manufacturing processes.
However, the real challenge is that I think people know this, but choose not to pay attention and don't care to "vote with their dollars" but just save their dollars. Do you think this can be changed on the scale needed to alleviate the issues you discussed?