Know More

After some researching, I found this site which allows you to view the profiles of popular brands that detail labor relations among other issues. It is a good place to stop by when considering a new purchase, or just to learn more about the brands you commonly use.

Principles for the ethical consumer

I found this website. It has great principles to abide by when trying to be an ethical consumer (including when fair trade isn't an option). You can also search through pretty much any brand of items you would find at a grocery store to find out if they have any major offenses.

Yoga to stop Traffick

I've always had a deep secret desire to lead a christian yoga class. My friends think this is weird. I think it could catch on. Yoga clears your mind and helps you relax. The Lord brings peace and hope. Most yoga classes are 1 hr, most of my prayers don't last near that long, but maybe with each pose I could think about praying for something/one different. Now you think I am crazy too. I'm ok with that. At least now you know why this caught my eye:

Yoga to stop traffick:
http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/on_march_13_yoga_will_stop_traffick

The "Ugly Truth"

A friend sent me this link to an article explaining a recent audit by Apple for its factories. The findings? Of the 102 audited factories, "54% had employees that worked more than the maximum allowed 60-hour weeks; 24% were paid less than minimum wage; 37% failed to meet anti-discrimination practices, and three facilities had employed a total of 11 people who were 15 when they started working" (Whittemore, 2010). Apple has stated they are now trying to employ practices to move toward better compliance.
The article also points out that in many factories (where all of our electronics are made), Apple was the first to perform such an audit; therefore, many companies do not even know how their products are being made or who is making them.
The article closes with this, something I couldn't agree more with or say any better:
"Still, the larger question has to center on what we expect of our manufacturing processes. Consumer demand for lower prices drives pressure for unscrupulous practices. A huge part of changing the world, then, has to mean voting with our dollars" (Whittemore, 2010).

The debate

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.

Blood Diamonds

Received this in an e-mail from Human Rights Watch today...

Help Stop Zimbabwe’s Blood Diamonds >>

Few outsiders have penetrated the closely guarded diamond fields in Marange. But Human Rights Watch researchers repeatedly travelled to this area in eastern Zimbabwe and interviewed dozens of people. We documented the killing of more than 200 people by Zimbabwe's military, as well as torture and the use of forced labor, including children, in the diamond fields.

Who benefits from Zimbabwe's diamond wealth? Mostly members of the military, corporate officials in league with the government, and the men in President Robert Mugabe's inner circle. The revenue helps them hold onto power in the face of international sanctions.

The body that monitors the diamond trade, and is charged with shutting down trade in “blood diamonds,” is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. So far, it has failed to take action against Zimbabwe.

Tell Kimberley Process member states that they need to take action to end the smuggling of blood diamonds and stop the human rights abuses at the Marange diamond fields.

Photo: Groups of miners in the diamond fields in Marange in 2006. © 2006 Associated Press

A month and a half later

It was only a little over a month ago that I felt the need to delve deeper into how my clothes were being made--more how the people making my clothes were being treated. I set some goals and made this blog, knowing it would be a way to keep myself accountable. So here is my "check-in".

1. Buy less. "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."- Luke 12:15.

THIS IS HARD. There are so many lies I've tried to use to convince myself to buy things like "I deserve it," "It is on sale, so it doesn't really count," you know the type. These are all things that make us focus on ourselves and less on others. I heard a really good sermon last week talking about how we choose to live for the Lord or feed our earthly desires--the lust of our eyes. (1st John 2). I am amazed at how easily I sometimes want to settle for the lustful things I see with my eyes instead of the love in my heart.

2. Shop local thrift stores.
Here's the truth: the only progress I have made in this area is that I googled the thrift stores around our area. I still have yet to go look inside any. BUT since I am buying less, I haven't really stepped into that many stores in general.

3. Avoid the worst offenders.
Check- but since it's only been a month and a half, that isn't really saying much. Funny story, we had returns to make at Bergner's from before Christmas. I only had the gift receipts ( they were not gifts for us, but gifts we bought for other people and I somehow lost the real receipt). Anyway, after much pleading on my part for them to just give me my money, and their persitent refusal, I threw out, "but I don't want to buy clothes made in sweasthops!", somehow thinking that would solve all of the problems. The lady just stared at me and repeated her rambling about how the computer system wouldn't allow it..I think she was really saying,"Our computer system doesn't care what you think about sweatshops!"


4. Write a letter (or several).
I've sent a few e-mails, I hope they were actually read by the companies and not just deleted.


5. Support Fair Trade.
So many times I still want to justify buying the cheaper item. I did buy a delicious fair trade chocolate bar, and yes, fair trade does taste better ;). I am currently investigating some fair trade coffee options and have only purchased clothing from Zara.


6. Pray.
I've been praying- sometimes pray for safe conditions for these workers, but have mostly found myself praying against the greed of Americans that can feed the need for these kind of conditions. I pray against the injustices brought on these people by those who run the sweatshops--I pray that somehow God will be glorified through the ugliness that exists in sweatshops and human trafficking.

In sum, honestly there's been many days I've been tempted to just forget about it all. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by such a big problem and say "why bother?" It is easy to think, "What good are the little contributions I am making really doing? " But for now, I must continue fighting these urges. Because sometimes little changes can make a big difference. And after all, this isn't about ME. It's about those who don't get a say and don't have a choice and when I step back this kind of "sacrifice" isn't much of anything compared to what they have to endure.