After a conversation with a dear friend this morning about the conditions of sweatshops in the world, it reminded me of how important it is to make ethical choices as much as possible when we shop - this is something I have gotten away from now that we only have one income - it's harder to make a dollar stretch now. With stores like Walmart cutting prices way down, it's difficult to resist getting more for our buck, especially when we have families to care for. But there's a reason we're getting more - it's because others are getting less, and those workers have children to clothe, feed and send to school too. More lately in the news we've been hearing about the toy recalls due to the use of lead paint. If one Thomas the train car can make a child viciously ill, can you imagine what can happen to those who are painting thousands of them day in and day out?
These are two mere examples of the economic injustice that's going on every single day in the world which is "out of sight, out of mind" for most of us. There is no easy solution, because by avoiding the endorsement of sweat shop products, these workers may lose their jobs completely, and that isn't good, either.
We may not be able to save the whole world, but the little that we can do will mean so much to those we can reach. And what a wonderful lesson we can teach our children to pass on to their children!
Here's a great article about fair trade shopping. Buy choosing different chocolates, coffees and fruits, you can make a VAST difference in the lives of people across the globe.
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/fairtrade/whatyoucando/index.cfm
There are also several American co-ops who are working to stop sweatshops. This website offers a wealth of great resources and information!
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/boycotts/index.cfm
I haven't even skimmed the surface, there are so many amazing efforts happening here in our country. I hope to do much more research on this and related issues, because they are heavy on my heart each day. After my work at St. Mary's as an education and awareness coordinator of social justice, I see the world in a completely new light. God hasn't called me to be a tourist, but a worker in the vineyard. I can do much more with my time at home with my family - aside from prayer, so much activism can be done from the computer alone! I take my inspiration and my purpose from the Gospel of Luke who reminds us "to whom much is given, much is required," and I hope these words will lead us to revolutionize the way we pray, think and live.
1 comment:
Sometimes a small effort can make a big difference. The is a company called My Princess Pearls that works with people in 3rd world countries rather than exploiting them. It is possible to both make money and not exploit the people doing the actual work.
I wrote more in my blog.
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