Ah fast fashion. You allow the average person the opportunity to wear the latest trends at a reasonable price but at what cost to the greater good? I've written about Forever 21's unethical practices and it seems that another fast fashion retailer is now being investigated.
Zara, a Spanish company, is being investigated by Brazilian authorities after being tipped off about alleged slave labor practices. Different company, same structure/policies/pressure as other fast fashion retailers (see: Forever21). You can read all about it on Forbes.
Have you ever shopped at Zara? I've been in one but didn't buy anything at the time and now don't intend to until the investigation is complete.
- A
Monday, August 22, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Fugue State
Hello there! Remember me? I apologize for my disappearance this past month. To rejog your memory, I was last planning a move to North Carolina. Well, mission accomplished and here I am in Raleigh, NC! The 1,200 + mile road trip was uneventful (read: boring). For your benefit, some things I learned planning this move:
1. When traveling with family, make sure to stay in a hotel with a free breakfast. Trying to wrangle up a group of tired and hungry folks to go 'out' for breakfast is not fun.
2. Snacks are ESSENTIAL but when the bags of snacks outnumber the folks in the car, you may have gone overboard.
3. Saving money is great. Saving money by parking your car overnight in a public parking lot rather than the $25 hotel parking and then staying up all night worrying about your car...maybe not worth it? (Although, what is up with hotels charging double digits for parking?!!)
4. Double check the address you put in your GPS....if not, you may just end up at a private residence, thinking 'is the Target in there???'
Did I miss anything? Anybody else out there that has moved out of state?
- A
1. When traveling with family, make sure to stay in a hotel with a free breakfast. Trying to wrangle up a group of tired and hungry folks to go 'out' for breakfast is not fun.
2. Snacks are ESSENTIAL but when the bags of snacks outnumber the folks in the car, you may have gone overboard.
3. Saving money is great. Saving money by parking your car overnight in a public parking lot rather than the $25 hotel parking and then staying up all night worrying about your car...maybe not worth it? (Although, what is up with hotels charging double digits for parking?!!)
4. Double check the address you put in your GPS....if not, you may just end up at a private residence, thinking 'is the Target in there???'
Did I miss anything? Anybody else out there that has moved out of state?
- A
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Bridge Over Troubled Waters will host its
6th Annual Men’s Walk Against Violence
October 1, 2011
8:30 a.m.— 12 p.m.
The walk will last approximately 20 minutes, followed by fun activities for the family! We’re still in the planning process, but we are intending on having a moonwalk, face painting, hot dogs, soda and more. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your family while showing your children & our community we can unite as one to take a stand against domestic violence. One step at a time, we can influence the norms that allow domestic violence to occur.
Registration/Information:
Kelly Crittenden
713.472.0753 ext 233
kcrittenden@tbotw.org
713.472.0753 ext 233
kcrittenden@tbotw.org
- Krasi
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Whistleblower
Ready for another great movie based on a true story about a woman who stands for what’s right and fights for justice for those who have no one else to rely on? Well, the Whistleblower should be your next pick. I am greatly interested in seeing the movie and will do so as soon as I find out where it’s showing. Or I might just have to wait for the DVD (which I don’t want to do).
Women like UN policewoman Kathryn Bolkovac inspire me and their stories convince me that if one person can do so much damage to traffickers, if everyone joins, modern-day slavery will surely be eradicated.
For more on the story behind the movie: An Ordinary Woman Doing Extraordinary Things
- Krasi
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Well, I might be getting ready to leave Houston, but modern-day slavery is still around and great advocacy organizations, such as the Human Rescue and Restore Coalition, continue to spread information on the topic and I would certainly encourage any of you in the area to get involved. The following is obtained from the HRRC website.
The month of September will be human trafficking awareness month in Houston, TX. Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition will host a series of awareness events and training under this year’s theme “I Fight for Freedom.” HRRC strives to spread advocacy and education on the issue of human trafficking and hosts events that provide the opportunity to explore the different way in which each one of us can fight for freedom in our everyday lives. A list of the scheduled events is provided below. For more information, please visit www.houstonrr.org.
Human Trafficking Awareness Month Press Conference
Where: Rotunda of City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002
When: August 30th, 10am
Who: All are welcome
How: No registration necessary
Various advocates from across the city and from different sections will speak about human trafficking specifically as it occurs in Houston and what has been done to combat the nefarious practice. HRRC will be receiving a proclamation signed by the Mayor of Houston officially declaring the month of September as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Big Dipper Dash 5K Fun Run/Walk
Where: Tom Bass Regional Park, Pavilion 2, 3452 Fellows Road, Houston, TX 77047
When: September 10th, 6pm
Who: All ages welcome!
How: Race fees vary; register online or on the day of race
For the active bunch, HRRC will start the Human Trafficking Awareness Month with the 5K run/walk that pays homage to the way slaves in the past escaped North by following the stars, like the Big Dipper.
Human Trafficking Film Series
Every Tuesday in September, at various locations
Each evening will highlight a different aspect of trafficking through various films, special guest speakers, and calls to action.
Faith and Freedom Weekend
When: September 15th-19th weekend
Join HRRC as the organization unites all faith communities in the fight against modern-day slavery.
Fair Trade Scavenger Hunt
What: Search the Houston area for fair trade products and raise awareness about the availability of such items in Houston
Where: Those who register will receive a list of locations on September 19 and will be asked to visit those retailers and itemize what fair trade items they do have and how many.
When: September 19
How: Register at http://houstonrr.org/news-room/fair-trade-scavenger-hunt/
Texas Abolitionist Workshop
What: An opportunity to acquire tools and resources to establish an anti-human trafficking coalition
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002
When: September 24, 2011, 9am-5pm
Who: Participants should have a basic understanding of human trafficking before attending.
I Shop for Freedom
What: Learn more about fair trade and support your favorite fair trade vendors.
Where: The Meeting Room at St. Dominic’s Village, 6501 Almeda Rd., Houston, TX 77021
When: September 25, 2011, 3-5:30pm
Who: All welcome!
Needless to say, HRRC needs volunteers to help with organizing and executing all these events. Please contact volunteer@houstonrr.org for additional information.
Fair Trade Scavenger Hunt
What: Search the Houston area for fair trade products and raise awareness about the availability of such items in Houston
Where: Those who register will receive a list of locations on September 19 and will be asked to visit those retailers and itemize what fair trade items they do have and how many.
When: September 19
How: Register at http://houstonrr.org/news-room/fair-trade-scavenger-hunt/
Texas Abolitionist Workshop
What: An opportunity to acquire tools and resources to establish an anti-human trafficking coalition
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002
When: September 24, 2011, 9am-5pm
Who: Participants should have a basic understanding of human trafficking before attending.
I Shop for Freedom
What: Learn more about fair trade and support your favorite fair trade vendors.
Where: The Meeting Room at St. Dominic’s Village, 6501 Almeda Rd., Houston, TX 77021
When: September 25, 2011, 3-5:30pm
Who: All welcome!
Needless to say, HRRC needs volunteers to help with organizing and executing all these events. Please contact volunteer@houstonrr.org for additional information.
- Krasi
Friday, July 22, 2011
Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?
This past week, while watching AC360 one evening, I was reminded of the case of a woman who fell into a fountain while walking in a shopping mall and texting at the same time. When it first hit the web, the incident made it on Anderson Cooper’s RidicuList and as a part of a RidicuList classics, the video was shown again this week. The story made it on the RidicuList not because a woman fell into a fountain but because the woman found herself a lawyer and decided to sue the store because, as she claims, no one came to help her when she fell. What?!? If you watch the video (see below), as a shrewd observer, you will notice that the woman immediately gets up and out of the fountain. And anyway, what should've security done? Stop her and tell her to please not text while walking? I am sure she would have appreciated that... Yes, it is embarrassing, but she should just own up to her actions and move on. Instead, she decides to start giving interviews so now everyone with a TV or a computer knows who she is. It was her fault she fell to begin with and it is now her fault everyone knows that she was the one to fall. So if her premise is that she is suing for humiliation, I sure hope she doesn't win as in my opinion, she is the one responsible.
The video reminds me of similar cases such as the woman suing for burning herself with hot coffee and the guy suing that his bike did not come with a warning that he, the buyer, must turn his light on when riding during the night! Not only these two sued; they won…millions of dollars…
Thanks to such wonderful people, we now live in a time of ridiculous warnings on all products to prevent people not from injuring themselves but from coming back and suing the company producing the products.
The major issue here is that for some reason many people in Western societies have lost their ability to assume responsibility for their own actions. It is always someone else’s fault. It is the world that owes them and it is the world that is to blame for the fact that they fall into fountains while texting or getting hit by a car while riding a bike, at night, with no lights on. Such people must live blissful lives as they no longer have brains to think rationally and critically with in order to avoid injuring themselves in ridiculous ways. Most importantly, if they do encounter an unfortunate incident, they can still sleep soundly as the incident was most certainly not their fault.
- Krasi
Monday, July 18, 2011
To Catch A Dollar
Have you guys heard of microfinance? Microfinance awards microloans to impoverished people to help them get out of poverty. Impoverished people lack collateral, an essential requirement for a loan from large banks. According to the behemoth financial institutions, these people are risky ventures and so do not get loans. Makes sense, right? Well here's the clincher: microloans have a repayment rate of 97%. Not so risky after all, eh?
Rather than throwing money at the problem, microloans aim to give people the means to lift themselves out of poverty. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen, the first modern microcredit organization. You can follow his efforts and learn more about Grameen by watching To Catch A Dollar.
Organizations like Grameen get the money for the loans from donations. Grameen then handles the process of finding and awarding the loans. Kiva, another microloan organization, makes the person donating the financier. You get to choose who to donate to. Whichever institution you go through, you have a direct hand in improving someone's life in a sustainable manner. 'Teach a man to fish...' right?
What do you think? Have you heard of microfinance? Have you ever participated in microfinance? Would you consider it?
Resources:
Grameen
Kiva
- A
Rather than throwing money at the problem, microloans aim to give people the means to lift themselves out of poverty. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen, the first modern microcredit organization. You can follow his efforts and learn more about Grameen by watching To Catch A Dollar.
Organizations like Grameen get the money for the loans from donations. Grameen then handles the process of finding and awarding the loans. Kiva, another microloan organization, makes the person donating the financier. You get to choose who to donate to. Whichever institution you go through, you have a direct hand in improving someone's life in a sustainable manner. 'Teach a man to fish...' right?
What do you think? Have you heard of microfinance? Have you ever participated in microfinance? Would you consider it?
Resources:
Grameen
Kiva
- A
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