The Get Ethical Blog

Most people love to shop at this cheap clothes retailer, but behind every cheap garment is a cheap worker and a cheap supply chain.

It was heartening to see Primark sack 3 Indian suppliers this week for using child labour. As the credit crunch bites and people look for cheaper clothes and shopping trips, they need to understand what they are buying and the consequences of this.

By shopping on Get Ethical you can rest assured that all our ethical clothing does not use child labour or damage the earth.

Read the full story on the times online abour Primark here

Dave

For those of you interested in animal rights 

We are pleased to let you know that Channel 5 News is planning to show farm animal investigation footage on  
Monday 23 June at 12.30pm, 5pm and 7pm
 
Our evidence exposes yet another RSPCA Freedom Food Scheme monitored farm, keeping ‘free-range’ hens in appalling conditions.
http://www.hillside.org.uk/RSPCAFreedomFoodHensApril2008.htm
 
If you would like to see our latest newsletter, please click on the link below:
http://www.hillside.org.uk/documents/Spring2008junerevised_000.pdf

Dave

Dear All,

As nations prepare their sportspersons to make a mark at the Beijing Olympics, the world’s biggest sporting event, little has been done for those workers without whose contribution the games would lose their luster. The people who make sportswear and sports goods toil under harsh conditions, battling insecure employment and low wage, insufficient to cover even their basic needs.

Extensive violation of workers rights in the sportswear industry has become the norm of the day. Studies by NGO’S and labour activist have established that during manufacturing of sports goods and sportswear, manufactures hardly offer living wage, delay payment of wage and workers are forced to work overtime without being compensated.

Beijing Olympics 2008 gives us a unique opportunity to bring to the attention of the world the deteriorating condition of workers in sportswear and sports goods manufacturing. Play Fair 2008 India Campaign, a part of the global Play Fair 2008 campaign, addresses this issue by persuading the Olympics Association, brands and suppliers and government to respect worker’s rights and ensure that there is observance of good labour practices.

If you want to raise your voice against exploitation in sports wear and sports goods industry, we appeal to you to participate in passing on this torch. Thousands of people across the world have already signed in. The signatures will be handed over to the International Olympics Committee (IOC) on June 10 and also to the Indian Olympics Association. So Catch the Flame now.

Dave

How very sad! 

Anybody free on May 17th for the wildest flash mob to help break a world record?

In May 1998, 70,000 people formed a human chain in Birmingham to demand that the G8 drop the debt, kickstarting the Make Poverty History

The idea is to stage a mass synchronised fun strip to your pants (provided by Pants to Poverty) in a public space, creating a mad blip in the daily lives of Birmingham shoppers.

mmmmmm

I think i’ll pass on this one. If anybody attends please let us know how it went. No photo’s please, I’m British. See Pants to Poverty for more info.

Shy Dave!

Ive been working with the planning committee for 6 long months and the festival is here at last. So if you have been to Nepal or are interested in something related to Nepal (including beer) then come on down! 

Outside Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square will house marquees serving delicious Nepalese food, while a performance area will offer a rolling programme of traditional and contemporary Nepalese music and performance. Fledgling mountaineers, will have chance to have a go on the climbing wall.

Inside the Town Hall there will be an opportunity to buy exquisite crafts and textiles, try out a yoga or meditation session, see dance and Music performances, fashion shows, Art and photography exhibitions, and attend the UK premiere of many films from the Himalayan Film Festival, as well as browse the huge exhibition fair covering all aspects of Nepalese life and work. Charities working in Nepal and travel and tourism specialists will be on hand to answer all your queries. There will be special events for children, masses of information for volunteers and GAP year students, chances to find out about trekking and mountaineering holidays and an opportunity to browse many books on the country.

See more details at www.nepal977.com

Dave

That …..

Over 70-year-olds are to be offered free home insulation as part of a Downing St-backed campaign to encourage action on climate change.

Retailer B&Q said it would offer to install insulation for over 70s and those on benefits beginning with 700 employees this summer.

My gran is always complaining about gas bills, food bills, car bills etc. etc. etc.

This might keep her quiet for a few seconds!

Dave

We are not the only ones to be hit by rising fuel costs!

International Rescue, commonly known as Thunderbirds, has announced that they have been forced to limit their world-saving activities due to soaring fuel costs. ‘Given that rocket fuel and petrol prices are hitting $120 per barrel, we are having to limit rescue missions by only sending one Thunderbird craft at a time and using public transport for non-emergency missions,’ admitted Scott Tracy.

To read the full story, click here.

I think this ‘News Biscuit’ website is funny-it just make me smile!

Dave

Something to think about on the Friday afternoon wind-down

There is a lot of media attention focused recently on both Zimbabwe and Burma and the international community and what we can and can’t do about it. 

In Zimbabwe, they have still not released the election results which looks dodgy by anybody’s standards yet the international community must respect the wishes of Robert Mugabe whether we like it or not. All this talk of getting in there and sorting it out for them/ interfering is just plain wrong. 

My reasons are as follows…. 

It is up to the people to remove him and other unpopular governments from power but not the UK government. Nobody said it was easy but by getting involved in this, the UK are running the risk of toppling another regime it doesn’t like. We did it in Iraq, Zimbabwe is talked about, what next and what criteria do we use? Do we only invade and topple the governments of countries that are undemocratic (half the world), ruled by dictators (quarter of the world), those with natural resources that we need (re-colonise Africa and the middle East), those that we don’t like (undefined), those with nice beaches and sunny weather (Bermuda triangle). You see it’s quite complex when you think about it. 

According to todays news, in Burma aid agencies are arriving all the time without proper documentation or permission to land and the Burmese government is being slagged off for it. Would the UK let anybody in without permission – I think not! Burma is a military regime that is closed to the outside world, I think its naive to think they are going to open the airport, forget immigration controls and say ‘come on in, people need your help’ The Burmese government clearly doesn’t have the expertise and finances to deal with a crisis and devastation such as this but through negotiation and the right approach the aid agencies will be allowed in. Otherwise we are in danger of forcing our way into countries that do not require our assistance or help (refer to toppling governments above)

If aid agencies and the support of the richer nations is that good, there would be no poverty and food shortages would there? As it is, a billion people still live under a dollar a day and its not getting better. As one nation gets better, another one fails!

Im having a go at aid agencies today as I read an article that said in some African countries certain charities are paying people to attend training so that they can report back on how successful it was to get more funding. The problem is that the people that are attending are doing it only for the money and are not interested or learning anything.

I’m getting off my preaching box now, 

Till next week 

Dave 

PS has everyone noticed that Zimbabwe is not in the news now that a new crisis has come along. It’s called the CNN effect…what ever is on the news is BIG and people want to do something about it until the next crisis comes along and people forget about the previous one. The power of the media eh?