Hope On The Horizon

Quick post folks; have you all heard about Apple partnering with the Fair Labor Association? Wahoo! A great step in the next horizon of ethical electronics!

Check it out: Apple joins labor monitor

Don't ever doubt the power of your words and beliefs folks!

- A

Needed Words During A Time Of Stress

I love how some good words, whether they be written or sung, can remind you of the lessons we often forget when 'life' takes over. Definitely feeling that this week but keeping my eye on the goal: increasing awareness and advocacy.

"We will take nothing for granted"

- A

The Right to Education

      Another discussion in the International Human Rights Law class made me ask an important question and add my own thoughts to it. And since you all are lucky, you get to read it!               

      What exactly does it mean to have the right to education or the right to work? I would think that the right to education entails the access to and opportunities for obtaining an education. However, it should not imply a successful completion of coursework (the right to a certain grade) or an actual degree. I am afraid that there is a misunderstanding in certain parts of the contemporary world between the idea of a right to the opportunity and access to good education and obtaining an actual degree. I do not want to make the statement that to be entitled to a right a person must perform some duties. However, if there is an access and an opportunity to obtain education, the person who does not complete the work necessary to obtain that education should not demand the degree. The right to education is the right to have education that is available, accessible, acceptable, and adaptable; it is not the right to obtain good grades by any means and receive a diploma. 

         

                - Krasi

MissRepresentation

Yes A., it is February already – the best month of them all! And not because it is the shortest month, but because some really awesome people were born exactly in February:)

Anyway, since I have been stuck inside my apartment since Thursday evening on account of the snow storm that hit Denver, I have had a lot of time not only to be productive but also to be searching for interesting happenings in the area. During one of my search attempts, I found out that one of the films the Denver Film Society is offering this month is MissRepresentation. What a coincidence since I had just added the film to my Netflix wishlist:) I might just go see it in the theatre, instead. And with women's month coming up, what a better way to celebrate who else but us, WOMEN!

 

For those of you interested in the topic of women empowerment and the dire need to fight for respect for women, here is the trailer:

-          Krasi

Welcome February!

Goodness it is February already?! I will leave you with this video to start off the month. It makes my heart happy perhaps because it shows how little our world really is.

(Source)

Here's to a wonderful February!

- A

The importance of consequences

In International Law and Human Rights the other day, the professor engaged the students in a discussion about who would be willing to run a red traffic light and under what circumstances might an otherwise law-abiding citizen break such an important law? Even though several students raised their hands (not me mind you!) when the scenario included an empty small intersection at three in the morning, the situation that is of a particular interest to me is crossing the red light if no other cars are in sight and you have a very ill person (a friend) in the car whom you are trying to take to the hospital. Even I was willing to raise my hand to that situation. However, I realized that if I were in that situation and I ran the red light, I would do so with the idea that I am breaking a law and that if a ticket and a fine are the result, I would be angry but would know that this is how things work. I made the choice to run the red light to save my friend so paying a fine should be a minor inconvenience. 

Many, of course, do not agree with me. They say that it is not fair. That they are trying to be good people saving lives and should not be penalized for breaking the law in that case. For me, this is not about an action being fair or not fair. It is about making a choice – to run the red light and risk a ticket but save a friend or not to run the red light and risk losing a friend. Make the choice and bear the consequences. I personally would pick the first option and even though unwillingly, I would pay the fine. Because that fine is nothing compared to my friend’s life.

Any thoughts on this situation? 

-          Krasi

The Next Frontier

I've talked about Fair Trade and ethical consumerism extensively and I've been happy to report that I now have a handle on which consumables and clothes retailers I can count on to provide me with the peace of mind that comes with knowing my purchase supported a fair wage for others.

The next phase of my mission is to find electronics that are ethical but this is really hard y'all! I've made my dislike of Apple very clear but the truth is ALL ELECTRONICS get their pieces from overseas factories and nearly all these factories have deplorable working conditions.

I'm currently feeling overwhelmed because I can't get away from it! With my coffee, chocolate, and my clothing I was able to step back but with electronics it is impossible unless you go completely off the grid! I don't know about y'all but I like the grid (maybe not so much as some...you know who you are...new tweets every 10 minutes, FB status updates on what you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...).

For example, I have been going back and forth about buying a Kindle. Let's look at the pros and cons shall we?

Pros: Very green. I can purchase my textbooks and save not only paper but fuel and carbon emissions because they won't need to ship anything.

Cons: Horrible working conditions for the people that make them. By buying one, I am supporting this business model.

Talk about cognitive dissonance! I can help save the environment while contributing to abject conditions for human beings. I don't know y'all, I'm kinda sad and frustrated. I hope that we now move towards a fair trade mentality with our electronics.

A good article to read on this:

Fair Trade Electronics?

A wonderful segment on this issue:

Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory

What do y'all think? Would you buy electronics if they were fair trade?

- A