Changes Make A Statement

Can you make a change this year? Last year we asked our newsletter readers to let us know what they are doing to try and eliminate products from their lives that might be made by forced labour or by people who are paid little money and work in exploitative conditions. One reader Karen Oxley, after reading our story on ETIKO and the production of Fairtrade t-shirts in India, immediately ordered three t-shirts – one for herself and one for each of her daughters.

“I hope that their friends make inquiries about the t-shirts and so give my girls an opportunity to spread the word about Fairtrade,” said Karen, who is Volunteers Coordinator for the Josephite Justice Network in North Sydney. “They (the t-shirts) look good, they are for a good cause and they are good for Fairtrade discussion starters.”

Karen said buying Fairtrade t-shirts means you are more inclined to value the product and less inclined to buy into the “throw-away-fashion-culture”.

“I hope that purchasing Fairtrade goes towards easing poor work conditions for workers who have less rights and finally and selfishly, it makes me feel good to think I am helping someone in some way,” she said.

Karen’s Fairtrade goal for 2021 is to spread the idea among friends and family that buying Fairtrade is a win win experience.
Caption: Karen’s recently-purchased wear no evil t-shirts.

This article was published in ACRATH’s April 2021 Newsletter. Read the newsletter in full here.