Make your Black Friday Child Labor and Slavery Free
By: Cassandra Clifford
Note: This post reflects the views of the author, not those of the Foreign Policy Association. The author is an independent contributor.
You’ve filled your plates and stuffed you faces with the barrage of Turkey Day delights and now belly full your mind begins to drift to Christmas Shopping and the Black Friday deals. So sure prepare yourself for a deal, but why not shop in the true holiday spirit and give back as you give to your loved ones this year and shop slave free!
Global March Against Child Labor estimates that one in every eight children from 5 to 17 years old, some 179 million, work in the worst forms of child labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that some 80 million plus children under 14 years old work in conditions deemed hazardous to their health.
Slavery taints consumer products such as clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, electronics, sports equipment, rugs, agricultural produce, sugar, tea, coffee, chocolate, and many other products. Often products, like clothing, may even be tainted at multiple points in the supply chain. For example children may have been used to pick the cotton of a shirt, while workers were held in situations of slavery and forced to sew the clothing. Slavery touches each one of us as a consumer, therefore as don’t waste anymore time you can begin to take a stand against child labor and work toward being a more conscious consumer and keeping slavery tainted products out of your home, today in just a few easy steps.
Donate to local organizations that help empower people out of poverty & slavery
Educate yourself about the companies that use slavery in the making of their products
Don’t buy commercial sex
Become a more conscious consumer and buy products made by survivors of trafficking or Fair Trade products. Amanda Kloer summed it up easily with her list of 7 Ways to Fight Slavery at the Grocery Store. You can also see the Fair Trade and Slave Free Links list, which has a number of resources and sites where you can learn more about, and purchase Fair Trade or slave free goods. However here is a quick list to get your Black Friday Shopping Started:
Fair Trade Federation has an online directory, which will list Fair Trade vendors in your town.
Free2Work Watch List is the leading community of citizen investigators that monitors, reports and investigates companies around the world the use slave labor in producing their products.
Global Exchange – a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. Purchase; Clothing, Jewelry, Handbags, Coffee, Chocolate, Bath & Beauty.
Sweatfree Communities provides a great shopping guide on where to buy sweatshop-free apparel for men, women, and children.
Nightlight International offers intervention to sexually exploited women and children, to provide a program of holistic transformation, empowering them to live and make jewelry in their community.
Wonderfully Made Jewelry is designed to create hope for the victims of sex trafficking by providing sustainable jobs producing high quality handicrafts and jewelry.
Ten Thousand Villages is one of the world’s oldest and largest fair trade organizations representing the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Buy; Jewelry, Home Decor, Baskets, Stationary, Toys & Games, and Musical Instruments.
Free the Slaves liberates slaves around the world, helps them rebuild their lives and researches real world solutions to eradicate slavery forever. Buy; Clothing, Jewelry, Handbags, Books and paper.
Made by Survivors/The Emancipation Network offers handicraft programs to survivors and provides a job that enables them to support themselves and live a meaningful, independent life. Purchase; Jewelry, Bags and wallets, Handmade paper, Holiday, Home & gifts, Clothing, Scarves
Stop Traffick Fashion is a boutique about restoration and change. Each purchase from Stop Traffick Fashion directly helps the survivors and organizations rescuing and providing rehabilitation to survivors. Buy; Handbags, Jewelry, Body & bath
Equal Exchange Organic’s mission is to build long-term trade partnerships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world. Purchase; Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Snacks
Rishi -Tea sets the standard for quality & expands the awareness of tea and its rich, inspirational tradition. Buy; Tea, Tea Sets, Tokonami, and Clothing
RIJI Green provides economic opportunities for survivors and at risk people of trafficking. Your purchases offer hope for people who were once oppressed and abused for profit. Purchase; Purses, Felt products, Journals, Jute bags
Goodweave works to end illegal child labor in the carpet industry and to offer educational opportunities to children in South Asia. Buy your next rug today!
Nomi Network is a non-profit organization bridging the private, public, and non-profit sectors through enterprise and education to end human trafficking.
‘Buy Her Bag Not Her Body” survivor made tote bag
Make your own gifts or support local artisans, you can also search online for handmade items; Artfire.com has artists from around the globe selling their crafts and art supplies, Etsy features handmade and vintage items, Ebay has a number of used, one of a kind and vintage items and even has a specifically designed sight World of Good, as does Craigslist.
Remember to recycle and reuse as much as possible, for not only does it help us reduce waste and maintain fight global warming, you can also help reduce the consumption of slavery tainted goods. Shop your local vintage and charity shops. See How to Go Green: Gift Giving
Increase your knowledge check out some of the following resources;
By supporting companies who do not profit from labor servitude, you not only ensure that you are purchasing free and fair goods, but are one step closer to helping to end modern slavery. By purchasing Fair Trade, slavery free and survivor made products you are not only doing the ‘right thing’, but you can also use it as an opportunity to educate others, especially children, about human rights issues, such as child labor and modern slavery.
