Resources
To find more information on sweatshops and how you can help, visit these 3 websites:
Organization 1: Green America
"Green America: Growing the Green Economy for People and the Planet." Green America. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
http://www.greenamerica.org/
Green America is an organization that's mission is to "harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. We work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the bounty of the Earth is preserved for all the generations to come." Green America focuses on economic action to solve social and environmental problems and mobilizing and encouraging people to take a more active role in society. The main point of Green America is to create a more sustainable world by encouraging just, healthy, and sustainable practices and putting an end to abusive practices. The website, Green America, covers a wide variety of topics. For example, some topics include GMO's (Genetically modified foods), information on sweatshops and a campaign against sweatshops used by Apple, fair trade, and finally, climate change and the environment.
Green America is a very useful source because it provides information and action plans for many social and environmental problems. For example, on the topic of free trade, Green America provides their audience with a detailed overview of what fair trade is, suggestions for what people can do to get involved in promoting fair trade, and a list of fair trade resources. Compared to the other sources, Clean Clothes Campaign and SweatFree Communities, Green America covers a much wider variety of issues and topics. For example, the CCC and SweatFree Communities mainly focus on sweatshops and assisting workers around the world while Green America is dedicated to an array of topics about social and environmental issues. Green America, originally called Co-op America, was founded in 1982. Since then, the group has grown to become the United States leading organizations working to create an environmentally friendly and just economy. In addition, Green America helps businesses to use their influence in order to create change and so far they have certified up to 3,000 businesses. Although Green America has very good intentions of creating a more green and just society, it is somewhat biased because it does not provide any information about the possible benefits of "issues" such as GMO's. For example, they do not mention that GMO products increase crop productivity and can help end hunger.
The controversy of sweatshops is one of many topics that Green America focuses on and goes into great detail on. This source is very useful for gathering information on sweatshops because it gives the reader an abundance of details on what sweatshops are, what people can do about sweatshops, and where consumers can buy sweat-free products. Green America supports our argument that the usage of sweatshops should end. For example, they show how devastating sweatshops are for the people that have jobs there when they state, "Consider the example cited in a 2003 National Labor Committee report on a Honduran worker sewing clothing for Wal-Mart at a rate of 43 cents an hour. After spending money on daily meals and transportation to work, the average worker is left with around 80 cents per day for rent, bills, child care, school costs, medicines, emergencies, and other expenses." People that work in sweatshops are paid close to nothing and it backs up our argument further that sweatshops need to be put to stop. More details from Green America could be used to back up our argument. In addition, they have many questions and suggestions that inspired our own FAQ's or solutions to the problem of sweatshops. For example, they offer many ways consumers can help to end sweatshops and one of their solutions is, "Demand sweatshop-free products where you shop." This is a very good solution to the problem and inspired our groups suggestions to ending the abuse of sweatshops. Also, Green America certifies businesses that promote green and just practices and they could potentially give our organization certification so that we can continue to grow and spread our research and arguments against sweatshops.
"Green America: Growing the Green Economy for People and the Planet." Green America. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
http://www.greenamerica.org/
Green America is an organization that's mission is to "harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. We work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the bounty of the Earth is preserved for all the generations to come." Green America focuses on economic action to solve social and environmental problems and mobilizing and encouraging people to take a more active role in society. The main point of Green America is to create a more sustainable world by encouraging just, healthy, and sustainable practices and putting an end to abusive practices. The website, Green America, covers a wide variety of topics. For example, some topics include GMO's (Genetically modified foods), information on sweatshops and a campaign against sweatshops used by Apple, fair trade, and finally, climate change and the environment.
Green America is a very useful source because it provides information and action plans for many social and environmental problems. For example, on the topic of free trade, Green America provides their audience with a detailed overview of what fair trade is, suggestions for what people can do to get involved in promoting fair trade, and a list of fair trade resources. Compared to the other sources, Clean Clothes Campaign and SweatFree Communities, Green America covers a much wider variety of issues and topics. For example, the CCC and SweatFree Communities mainly focus on sweatshops and assisting workers around the world while Green America is dedicated to an array of topics about social and environmental issues. Green America, originally called Co-op America, was founded in 1982. Since then, the group has grown to become the United States leading organizations working to create an environmentally friendly and just economy. In addition, Green America helps businesses to use their influence in order to create change and so far they have certified up to 3,000 businesses. Although Green America has very good intentions of creating a more green and just society, it is somewhat biased because it does not provide any information about the possible benefits of "issues" such as GMO's. For example, they do not mention that GMO products increase crop productivity and can help end hunger.
The controversy of sweatshops is one of many topics that Green America focuses on and goes into great detail on. This source is very useful for gathering information on sweatshops because it gives the reader an abundance of details on what sweatshops are, what people can do about sweatshops, and where consumers can buy sweat-free products. Green America supports our argument that the usage of sweatshops should end. For example, they show how devastating sweatshops are for the people that have jobs there when they state, "Consider the example cited in a 2003 National Labor Committee report on a Honduran worker sewing clothing for Wal-Mart at a rate of 43 cents an hour. After spending money on daily meals and transportation to work, the average worker is left with around 80 cents per day for rent, bills, child care, school costs, medicines, emergencies, and other expenses." People that work in sweatshops are paid close to nothing and it backs up our argument further that sweatshops need to be put to stop. More details from Green America could be used to back up our argument. In addition, they have many questions and suggestions that inspired our own FAQ's or solutions to the problem of sweatshops. For example, they offer many ways consumers can help to end sweatshops and one of their solutions is, "Demand sweatshop-free products where you shop." This is a very good solution to the problem and inspired our groups suggestions to ending the abuse of sweatshops. Also, Green America certifies businesses that promote green and just practices and they could potentially give our organization certification so that we can continue to grow and spread our research and arguments against sweatshops.
Organization 2: Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC)
"Clean Clothes Campaign." Clean Clothes Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
The Clean Clothes Campaign, or CCC, is an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the harsh conditions of sweatshops and assisting workers in these crushing conditions. The CCC has recognized actions that have threatened workers in the garment industry. These threats include inadequate safety standards and pay. The CCC has played a role in pushing for more adequate treatment of workers, specifically with two subjects, a worker living wage, and the Rana Plaza collapse. Lastly, they advocate for morality in work, and outline issues that have caused the torturous conditions present nowadays, with reference to why they support such demands.
Living wages are the blood of any functional workforce, without it, work simply wouldn’t exist in its current form. In developed countries, many are content with their yearly raise to match the current living standards. In developing countries, especially those with factories, a pay might barely be enough to feed and house a family, with no sight of a raise to compensate for future price climbs. The right of a living wage, as defined by the CCC, is, “A living wage should be earned in a standard working week (no more than 48 hours) and allow a garment worker to be able to buy food for herself and her family, pay the rent, pay for healthcare, clothing, transportation and education and have a small amount of savings for when something unexpected happens.” Many of the world’s sweatshops do not pay a reasonable wage for their workers. Due to this, often times “The low wages mean that workers often have to rely on loans just to make ends meet and have no savings to use if they find themselves out of work.” The CCC’s work in this area is recognized and supported by the European Union through DG Development and Co-operation - EuropeAid, signifying a climbing success in one of their largest goals.
On April 23, 2013, a Bangladeshi garment factory,the Rana Plaza building, “came crashing down, killing 1,134 people and leaving thousands more injured.” Aside from obvious safety issues, the CCC have rallied over the promised unpaid compensations for the families involved, stating that, “It is true that no amount can make up for the loss of a loved one or the resulting physical and emotional scars inflicted on those who survived such a tragedy. But what is also true is that the survivors and victims’ families should be compensated for the financial and medical losses they sustained as a direct result of the disaster.” The CCC has created a list of companies that have sourced from Rana Plaza and companies that source from Bangladesh in general, noting that all contributions so far “have failed to make a significant enough contribution and we are calling on them to increase their donations immediately.” Lastly, the CCC have made an effort to target a major brand with clear links to the factory, and have noted how little their contribution of 1.1 million is not nearly enough as compensation for the workers and families directly influenced by their choices.
While these major issues of sweatshop labor in the garment industry have been thoroughly analyzed, the CCC also recognizes issues with a less public face. Ranging from the organization of work unions to international law, workers are ravaged by insufferable conditions that only occasionally see light. The aforementioned examples also serve well in describing immorality from large companies to their workers. Work unions, something taken for granted in America, are next to impossible to create in factories, to the point that “Management has warned them that if anyone tries to organise workers and form a union they would be handed over to the police.” Sometimes, even governments ignore this law, as seen with “union-busting” companies and a buyer’s tendency to gravitate towards these areas, despite the UN’s article on Human Rights. “The right to organize with others to fight for better working conditions is a universal human right: Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.” • United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 23.4. The second example, international law, is one that is slowly growing, albeit not as effectively as hoped. The UN has created the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to attempt to counter companies that exploit workers for their own quotas. This framework. based on government protection of human rights, the corporation’s responsibility to respect human rights, and provision of opportunity for the common worker, is viewed as a step forward, despite it being voluntary whether or not a corporation actually adopts these ideas. The largest complaint about the Guiding Principles framework is that “companies will simply change their tactics by reframing their policies instead of proactively improving working conditions.” The CCC states that they will monitor activities in business to see whether or not they honor the framework or not.
The CCC is among the largest advocates for equality and human rights for workers in sweatshops. However, other organizations like SweatFree Communities and Green America, share similar goals and ideals. SweatFree Communities spreads news and information relating to sweatshops in a similar fashion to the CCC, only for a much broader audience. SweatFree Communities also allows users to participate in the fight against sweatshop environments. Green America, the second organization to be mentioned, has vast connections for a variety of sweatshop related material that give them an edge in outreach. Alongside news and awareness of events, Green America is recognized as a certified Green Business, one that responsibly source and market, while remaining accountable by tracking their progress in a public manner. Green America has also created many publications on social and environmental issues, and has an active blog outlining their work overtime.
Overall, the Clean Clothes Campaign has proven their determination in the fight for workers rights, and the abolishment of conditions that make sweatshops what they are today. From raising awareness of some of the largest violations of human rights in the world to involving international law as a monitor, the CCC has shown that sweatshop conditions within the garment industry and more can be changed for the better.
"Clean Clothes Campaign." Clean Clothes Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
The Clean Clothes Campaign, or CCC, is an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the harsh conditions of sweatshops and assisting workers in these crushing conditions. The CCC has recognized actions that have threatened workers in the garment industry. These threats include inadequate safety standards and pay. The CCC has played a role in pushing for more adequate treatment of workers, specifically with two subjects, a worker living wage, and the Rana Plaza collapse. Lastly, they advocate for morality in work, and outline issues that have caused the torturous conditions present nowadays, with reference to why they support such demands.
Living wages are the blood of any functional workforce, without it, work simply wouldn’t exist in its current form. In developed countries, many are content with their yearly raise to match the current living standards. In developing countries, especially those with factories, a pay might barely be enough to feed and house a family, with no sight of a raise to compensate for future price climbs. The right of a living wage, as defined by the CCC, is, “A living wage should be earned in a standard working week (no more than 48 hours) and allow a garment worker to be able to buy food for herself and her family, pay the rent, pay for healthcare, clothing, transportation and education and have a small amount of savings for when something unexpected happens.” Many of the world’s sweatshops do not pay a reasonable wage for their workers. Due to this, often times “The low wages mean that workers often have to rely on loans just to make ends meet and have no savings to use if they find themselves out of work.” The CCC’s work in this area is recognized and supported by the European Union through DG Development and Co-operation - EuropeAid, signifying a climbing success in one of their largest goals.
On April 23, 2013, a Bangladeshi garment factory,the Rana Plaza building, “came crashing down, killing 1,134 people and leaving thousands more injured.” Aside from obvious safety issues, the CCC have rallied over the promised unpaid compensations for the families involved, stating that, “It is true that no amount can make up for the loss of a loved one or the resulting physical and emotional scars inflicted on those who survived such a tragedy. But what is also true is that the survivors and victims’ families should be compensated for the financial and medical losses they sustained as a direct result of the disaster.” The CCC has created a list of companies that have sourced from Rana Plaza and companies that source from Bangladesh in general, noting that all contributions so far “have failed to make a significant enough contribution and we are calling on them to increase their donations immediately.” Lastly, the CCC have made an effort to target a major brand with clear links to the factory, and have noted how little their contribution of 1.1 million is not nearly enough as compensation for the workers and families directly influenced by their choices.
While these major issues of sweatshop labor in the garment industry have been thoroughly analyzed, the CCC also recognizes issues with a less public face. Ranging from the organization of work unions to international law, workers are ravaged by insufferable conditions that only occasionally see light. The aforementioned examples also serve well in describing immorality from large companies to their workers. Work unions, something taken for granted in America, are next to impossible to create in factories, to the point that “Management has warned them that if anyone tries to organise workers and form a union they would be handed over to the police.” Sometimes, even governments ignore this law, as seen with “union-busting” companies and a buyer’s tendency to gravitate towards these areas, despite the UN’s article on Human Rights. “The right to organize with others to fight for better working conditions is a universal human right: Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.” • United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 23.4. The second example, international law, is one that is slowly growing, albeit not as effectively as hoped. The UN has created the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to attempt to counter companies that exploit workers for their own quotas. This framework. based on government protection of human rights, the corporation’s responsibility to respect human rights, and provision of opportunity for the common worker, is viewed as a step forward, despite it being voluntary whether or not a corporation actually adopts these ideas. The largest complaint about the Guiding Principles framework is that “companies will simply change their tactics by reframing their policies instead of proactively improving working conditions.” The CCC states that they will monitor activities in business to see whether or not they honor the framework or not.
The CCC is among the largest advocates for equality and human rights for workers in sweatshops. However, other organizations like SweatFree Communities and Green America, share similar goals and ideals. SweatFree Communities spreads news and information relating to sweatshops in a similar fashion to the CCC, only for a much broader audience. SweatFree Communities also allows users to participate in the fight against sweatshop environments. Green America, the second organization to be mentioned, has vast connections for a variety of sweatshop related material that give them an edge in outreach. Alongside news and awareness of events, Green America is recognized as a certified Green Business, one that responsibly source and market, while remaining accountable by tracking their progress in a public manner. Green America has also created many publications on social and environmental issues, and has an active blog outlining their work overtime.
Overall, the Clean Clothes Campaign has proven their determination in the fight for workers rights, and the abolishment of conditions that make sweatshops what they are today. From raising awareness of some of the largest violations of human rights in the world to involving international law as a monitor, the CCC has shown that sweatshop conditions within the garment industry and more can be changed for the better.
Organization 3: SweatFree Communities
"SweatFree Communities: Home Page." SweatFree Communities: Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
SweatFree Communities started as a conglomeration of several individual grassroots organizations from Maine, Minnesota, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin. It started with a wish to end sweatshop labor passively. Their idea is to educate people living locally to a sweatshop and then persuade them to take a stand against their government and force it to introduce new policies improving conditions in sweatshops. Their success was tremendous and as they state, “Just seven years later, nine states, 40 cities, 15 counties, 118 school districts, and one nationwide religious denomination have adopted such “sweatfree” policies.” SweatFree Communities provides people with resources, information on how to take action locally, and recent news and developments pertaining to sweatshops.
SweatFree Communities is a very reliable source not only because of their success locally, but because of their success in partnership with leading government agencies. Indeed, they created the SweatFree Purchasing Consortium, a membership group for governments to join together and promote policies against sweatshops. In 2010, SweatFree Communities agreed to become a more internationally-known advocacy group by becoming an International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) campaign. While SweatFree Communities is not as professional as the Clean Clothes Campaign or Green America, it takes a more active role than either of them. Also, SweatFree Communities does not reach as many people around the world, but bring younger than both, its outlook is very promising.
This source is important and relevant to the International Anti-Sweatshop Project (IASP) because it promotes and encourages people to take a stand against sweatshops, whether it be by putting pressure on their governments or simply not buying products made in sweatshops. It helped in providing us with necessary background information in order to launch the project. It showed us some of the reasons why people protest against sweatshops, and in doing so, strengthened our own resolve. It also showed how the project could help be part of the movement and educate people about the atrocities taking place.
"SweatFree Communities: Home Page." SweatFree Communities: Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
SweatFree Communities started as a conglomeration of several individual grassroots organizations from Maine, Minnesota, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin. It started with a wish to end sweatshop labor passively. Their idea is to educate people living locally to a sweatshop and then persuade them to take a stand against their government and force it to introduce new policies improving conditions in sweatshops. Their success was tremendous and as they state, “Just seven years later, nine states, 40 cities, 15 counties, 118 school districts, and one nationwide religious denomination have adopted such “sweatfree” policies.” SweatFree Communities provides people with resources, information on how to take action locally, and recent news and developments pertaining to sweatshops.
SweatFree Communities is a very reliable source not only because of their success locally, but because of their success in partnership with leading government agencies. Indeed, they created the SweatFree Purchasing Consortium, a membership group for governments to join together and promote policies against sweatshops. In 2010, SweatFree Communities agreed to become a more internationally-known advocacy group by becoming an International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) campaign. While SweatFree Communities is not as professional as the Clean Clothes Campaign or Green America, it takes a more active role than either of them. Also, SweatFree Communities does not reach as many people around the world, but bring younger than both, its outlook is very promising.
This source is important and relevant to the International Anti-Sweatshop Project (IASP) because it promotes and encourages people to take a stand against sweatshops, whether it be by putting pressure on their governments or simply not buying products made in sweatshops. It helped in providing us with necessary background information in order to launch the project. It showed us some of the reasons why people protest against sweatshops, and in doing so, strengthened our own resolve. It also showed how the project could help be part of the movement and educate people about the atrocities taking place.
Full List of Sources:
"Sweatshop Deathtraps and Corporate Global Exploitation." - The CON Trail. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
Nisen, Max. "How Nike Solved Its Sweatshop Problem." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 09 May 2013. Web. 07 June 2015.
"Lecture Hall." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Donations." Donations. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"CorpWatch : Forever 21 Fails to Comply With Federal Sweatshop Investigation." CorpWatch : Forever 21 Fails to Comply With Federal Sweatshop Investigation. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Green America: Growing the Green Economy for People and the Planet." Green America. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
"Clean Clothes Campaign." Clean Clothes Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
"SweatFree Communities: Home Page." SweatFree Communities: Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
"Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics." YouTube. Who Pays Film, 4 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 June 2015.
"A Haitian Sweatshop Worker Speaks:." Global Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Arifa -- the Life of a Sweatshop Worker." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Sweatshops and Third World Living Standards: Are the Jobs Worth the Sweat?: Publications: The Independent Institute." Sweatshops and Third World Living Standards: Are the Jobs Worth the Sweat?: Publications: The Independent Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Sweatshops." Global Issues in Context. N.p., June 2015. Web. 9 June 2015.
"Sweatshop Deathtraps and Corporate Global Exploitation." - The CON Trail. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
Nisen, Max. "How Nike Solved Its Sweatshop Problem." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 09 May 2013. Web. 07 June 2015.
"Lecture Hall." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Donations." Donations. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"CorpWatch : Forever 21 Fails to Comply With Federal Sweatshop Investigation." CorpWatch : Forever 21 Fails to Comply With Federal Sweatshop Investigation. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Green America: Growing the Green Economy for People and the Planet." Green America. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
"Clean Clothes Campaign." Clean Clothes Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
"SweatFree Communities: Home Page." SweatFree Communities: Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.
"Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics." YouTube. Who Pays Film, 4 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 June 2015.
"A Haitian Sweatshop Worker Speaks:." Global Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Arifa -- the Life of a Sweatshop Worker." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Sweatshops and Third World Living Standards: Are the Jobs Worth the Sweat?: Publications: The Independent Institute." Sweatshops and Third World Living Standards: Are the Jobs Worth the Sweat?: Publications: The Independent Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2015.
"Sweatshops." Global Issues in Context. N.p., June 2015. Web. 9 June 2015.