Weston Stoler
Puritan Board Sophomore
Do you know the best place to obtain clothing, furniture, food, ect.... not produced by sweat shops/slave labor?
Sweatshop/slave labor free items
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Jeff Burns
Puritan Board Freshman
For food, I've found the best place is my garden. Oh wait.... That may actually be considered a sweat shop.
FenderPriest
Puritan Board Junior
We live near the Amish... so, we're kinda covered on that point by the Amish/Mennonites in the area.
Weston Stoler
Puritan Board Sophomore
I have come to realize that 90 percent of the stuff I buy is made by slave labor. I cannot even shop at walmart anymore....
Weston Stoler
Puritan Board Sophomore
awretchsavedbygrace
Puritan Board Sophomore
How do you know this is particularly true about the things that you buy?
Miss Marple
Puritan Board Junior
Consider thrift stores. Even if an item was indeed produced by some sort of slavery, you are not giving any company that enslaved them any money. The money goes to Goodwill or Salvation Army or etc.
An alternate view:
I know and have met people who have worked in these "sweat shops" and I know where they are located (textiles and shoes mostly).
If the economy is bad, it is usually bad all around. In my experience, the sweat shop wages were comparable and (in most cases) superior to, what the people would have otherwise been getting had they worked in another sector (if they can find a job). The fact that these sweatshops rarely are low on workers is testimony that in many places these sweatshops are not the problem, but Third World Poverty in general is the problem and the "sweat shop" is often a better place to work than most other local places of possible employment. I have met folks who have praised God due to having a job such as this.
Of course, there are abuses and these abuses can be publicized and addressed widely when big name companies are involved....much more than the 1,000 other incidents of similar abuse or injustices at other jobs where a big name company is not involved. If Wal-Mart or Target is involved, at least there is hope of pressure/improvement if abuses are discovered (in many places there is not even any realistic way to look for such abuses..and so no one is looking, and thus not finding).
If you are trying to financially serve the kingdom, a better approach than trying to research and sort out which sources of buying are, indeed, "sweat shop" and which fall into the category of "an okay work place" would be to buy the most affordable option and then send your saved money overseas to foreign evangelists or missionaries that are caring both for the bodies and souls of these workers. Or to campaign your government to be more sensitive to the out-sourcing policies of its companies.
I would second Miss Marple's suggestion to buy at thrift stores, because then you would truly be combatting waste my recycling someone else's clothes. Otherwise, I would save any pangs of conscience for other dilemmas besides First World Guilt.
I know and have met people who have worked in these "sweat shops" and I know where they are located (textiles and shoes mostly).
If the economy is bad, it is usually bad all around. In my experience, the sweat shop wages were comparable and (in most cases) superior to, what the people would have otherwise been getting had they worked in another sector (if they can find a job). The fact that these sweatshops rarely are low on workers is testimony that in many places these sweatshops are not the problem, but Third World Poverty in general is the problem and the "sweat shop" is often a better place to work than most other local places of possible employment. I have met folks who have praised God due to having a job such as this.
Of course, there are abuses and these abuses can be publicized and addressed widely when big name companies are involved....much more than the 1,000 other incidents of similar abuse or injustices at other jobs where a big name company is not involved. If Wal-Mart or Target is involved, at least there is hope of pressure/improvement if abuses are discovered (in many places there is not even any realistic way to look for such abuses..and so no one is looking, and thus not finding).
If you are trying to financially serve the kingdom, a better approach than trying to research and sort out which sources of buying are, indeed, "sweat shop" and which fall into the category of "an okay work place" would be to buy the most affordable option and then send your saved money overseas to foreign evangelists or missionaries that are caring both for the bodies and souls of these workers. Or to campaign your government to be more sensitive to the out-sourcing policies of its companies.
I would second Miss Marple's suggestion to buy at thrift stores, because then you would truly be combatting waste my recycling someone else's clothes. Otherwise, I would save any pangs of conscience for other dilemmas besides First World Guilt.
Scottish Lass
Puritan Board Doctor
Buy American?
SolaScriptura
Puritanboard Brimstone
This is the best advice on the subject ever typed.
black_rose
Puritan Board Freshman
Fair Trade. Just google it and you'll find various things. Even sites like chocolate.com have an option for you to search for fair-trade items.
Find out more here: Fair Trade USA | Every Purchase Matters
Also, you can find some fair trade food items at health food stores and even in some normal grocery stores. Places like Aldi supposedly sell some, and I know that Kroger and Earth Fare near where I live have a few fair-trade food items as well.
---------- Post added at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------
Also, just did a quick search at Walmart, and it looks like they have a number of Fair Trade coffees, which you can see here.
Find out more here: Fair Trade USA | Every Purchase Matters
Also, you can find some fair trade food items at health food stores and even in some normal grocery stores. Places like Aldi supposedly sell some, and I know that Kroger and Earth Fare near where I live have a few fair-trade food items as well.
---------- Post added at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------
Also, just did a quick search at Walmart, and it looks like they have a number of Fair Trade coffees, which you can see here.
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