So…someone told me today that they actually read my blog once, which a) reminded me that I even had one and c) reminded me that I’m meant to be writing in it.
Let’s see…my garden is all but dying and we got too busy for a stretch to be bothered to shop at the markets. Back in the real world the relevance of the first ‘sustainably’ has finally hit home. How the hell does one go about living responsibly when the most convenient option is to the pillage the earth and buy things that were made by slaves…
I made an off hand comment the other day that I had never seen the film ‘Amazing Grace.’ Someone overhearing the conversation must have thought my life was inadequate because of this and promptly went out, bought it and gave it to me as a gift later that same week. Conveniently enough, I was home alone (keep the change you filthy animal) that night, so I cozied on into the couch and watched it. As an English teacher I’m running a grave risk here of turning this into an analytical film review, but I’ll control myself and keep it brief. I thought it was pretty good for a deliberately Christian PG rated account of Wilberforce’s life. What a legend.
When the credits started to roll, however, I thought that the one thing that could’ve made the whole film better would have been to display the statistic: “There are currently about 12.3 million adults and children in slavery, bonded labour or sexual servitude. That is more slaves than have ever existed before in history.” That would’ve jabbed some people in the eyes. (I’m all about eye-jabbing.) But is eye-jabbing really enough? Or does it all just lead to a lot of sore corneas people no longer willing to come near me without protective eye wear? I watched Wilber’s life unfold and got angry…that I wasn’t some mad influential politician that could change the world. I’ll be honest. I’m frustrated that I lack the resources and capability to single-handedly change injustice and the social unsustainability that’s perpetuated by our insatiable desire for more stuff. Dammit. I guess I’m feeling empowered by a need but incredibly disempowered by the scale of it. What does addressing this even look like? Maybe it starts by looking like this. Here’s a little video, maybe that will make you/me feel better. At least it’ll help to soothe the swelling on that black eye.
OR try this link:
You own (stuff that was made by) slaves.
I will try to write more sooner, cos apparently there are people other than my mum that read this. ☺
Sustainably Sustainably 
yes… yes there are.
(more people than your mum – that read this 🙂
On the short video you posted,
It seems to me that consumer advocacy must take the form of purchase choices. Writing a letter of discontent over manufacturing processes is only a voiced opinion, which is the bread and butter of complacency when voice alone is deemed sufficient. While elected officials must place an amount of merit on constituents’ voiced concerns, these politicians have direct liability through the ballot. Is the production market as permeable in their own ‘election constructs’ or ‘policies’? It seems that in developed nations, there are a lot of people who will voice issues through avenues of a social collective, but they’re typing their indignation on the screen of an iphone or sipping slave-labour-priced coffee.
Apple just raised stock expectations and their company has a positive future outlook in market terms, but what if people unanimously (or even remotely patterned) boycotted the ipad3? It would dictate restructuring and price flux. If a consumer trend extended beyond just a single product, electronics and consumable goods would rise in price and balance would be restored in terms of purchasing power. Maybe this shift would even awaken people who are currently slumbering through the debt society that has supported slavery by ignoring its role in the market.
Consumers are just as much to blame as the “3%” since ignorance doesn’t redeem us from the current system. The idea of social engineering takes centre stage at this point, since corporate advocacy is the ruling power in both market and political policy formation.
Or there’s always permaculture as an answer ; ) Demonstrable self reliance and exclusion of the material market machinations that keep slavery intact.
Good luck with your garden!
I love this comment. Thank you. I particularly like “typing their indignation on the screen of an iPhone or wiping slave-labour-priced coffee.” And often at the same time. Perhaps I should reply with a blog, because voting with your consumer choices is really what it’s all about. It’s a real, practical way to support or boycott the companies that are perpetuating slavery in all its forms. My tact has been to apply as many as possible at once. Because, while I try my best to ONLY buy stuff that is slave-free, fair trade, organic or locally produced and even trying to be self-reliant – it is not always possible. And for that reason, I still believe in expressing our desire for change to the heavy weights. It certainly can’t hurt. Unfortunately, you’re clearly already the converted. How do we educate the masses to make those consumer choices carefully – because otherwise our houses are full of (things made by) slaves.