Human Trafficking and HIV report
This report exlores trafficking and HIV in the South Asua region.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
ooowwwwww!
Our compassionate efforts toward justice guarantee a deepened faith and prayer life. They will lead us to disciplines of the spirit and of the heart. By engaging with suffering, we learn true joy. By touching despair, we discover what it means to embrace hope. By coming to know Christ crucified, we participate in his resurrection. By pouring ourselves out, we gain our lives.
--Joyce Hollyday
--Joyce Hollyday
Friday, November 16, 2007
Gap Takes Steps to Stem Child Labor
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE – Chicago Tribune
SAN FRANCISCO - Gap Inc. is pulling 50 percent of its orders placed with a vendor whose subcontracting led to children sewing some of the retailer's clothes in squalid conditions in India.
The penalties disclosed Wednesday wrapped up the San Francisco-based company's investigation into an embarrassing episode that attracted headlines around the world and renewed concerns about abusive labor practices in overseas factories.
To help address the problem, Gap said it would make a $200,000 grant aimed at improving the working conditions in India and would try to recruit retailers from around the world to participate in a forum next year to address child labor issues.
"We are determined to see some good come of this situation," Gap spokesman Bill Chandler said Wednesday.
Gap said it would also partner with the Global March Against Child Labour and other organizations to provide independent monitoring of hand embroidery and beadwork that is typically done in informal settings, not factories. Grants would help establish community centers in India where such work could be performed under better-monitored conditions.
The child labor concerns surfaced last month after the Observer newspaper in London reported children as young as 10 had been sold by their families to an Indian sweatshop. The children said they were sometimes hit with a rubber pipe and forced to work up to 16 hours per day sewing clothes, some of which were destined for Gap's shelves.
After the report was published, Gap terminated its ties with the subcontractor responsible for the sweatshop and promised none of the clothes made there would be sold in its stores. But Gap didn't take any immediate action against the supplier that hired the subcontractor in violation of the company's policies.
Gap's internal investigation concluded that at least one child was seen working on its product in an unauthorized factory in New Delhi.
"What happened here was without the knowledge or approval of Gap Inc. or, we believe, of the vendor," the company said in a summary of its investigation's findings. "Nonetheless, we hold ourselves and our vendor fully accountable."
To punish the vendor, Gap imposed a six-month probation that includes a 50 percent reduction in orders placed with the supplier. Gap declined to identify the penalized supplier, one of the company's roughly 200 vendors in India.
Last year, Gap stopped working with 23 factories that didn't live up to the company's standards. The company, which operates more than 3,000 stores under the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic brands, employs 90 full-time inspectors to check out the conditions at more than 2,000 factories around the world.
SAN FRANCISCO - Gap Inc. is pulling 50 percent of its orders placed with a vendor whose subcontracting led to children sewing some of the retailer's clothes in squalid conditions in India.
The penalties disclosed Wednesday wrapped up the San Francisco-based company's investigation into an embarrassing episode that attracted headlines around the world and renewed concerns about abusive labor practices in overseas factories.
To help address the problem, Gap said it would make a $200,000 grant aimed at improving the working conditions in India and would try to recruit retailers from around the world to participate in a forum next year to address child labor issues.
"We are determined to see some good come of this situation," Gap spokesman Bill Chandler said Wednesday.
Gap said it would also partner with the Global March Against Child Labour and other organizations to provide independent monitoring of hand embroidery and beadwork that is typically done in informal settings, not factories. Grants would help establish community centers in India where such work could be performed under better-monitored conditions.
The child labor concerns surfaced last month after the Observer newspaper in London reported children as young as 10 had been sold by their families to an Indian sweatshop. The children said they were sometimes hit with a rubber pipe and forced to work up to 16 hours per day sewing clothes, some of which were destined for Gap's shelves.
After the report was published, Gap terminated its ties with the subcontractor responsible for the sweatshop and promised none of the clothes made there would be sold in its stores. But Gap didn't take any immediate action against the supplier that hired the subcontractor in violation of the company's policies.
Gap's internal investigation concluded that at least one child was seen working on its product in an unauthorized factory in New Delhi.
"What happened here was without the knowledge or approval of Gap Inc. or, we believe, of the vendor," the company said in a summary of its investigation's findings. "Nonetheless, we hold ourselves and our vendor fully accountable."
To punish the vendor, Gap imposed a six-month probation that includes a 50 percent reduction in orders placed with the supplier. Gap declined to identify the penalized supplier, one of the company's roughly 200 vendors in India.
Last year, Gap stopped working with 23 factories that didn't live up to the company's standards. The company, which operates more than 3,000 stores under the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic brands, employs 90 full-time inspectors to check out the conditions at more than 2,000 factories around the world.
Get Into It!
You can be a part of a net work group, who meets, plans, and does! stuff around fair trade fortnight 08. Keen? leave a comment here or email me amie_baker@nzf.salvationarmy.org
Its a real learning journey and its hands on stuff too..Its a Rad thing to be a part of!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Pakistan
Pakistan Has just fallen into a State of Emergency after the President decleared military control and the shutting down of the judicial system, media and alike. This is apparently to do with rising opposition and terror movements, however this is extreme action by the president. Its crazy to think we live in such a peaceful country, i doubt we will ever deal with such measures, it makes note about power and how much power we allow those in charge of our resources to have. We get really upset and our captitlst system and perhaps question democracy but is spose the beauty of our system here is that we are able to keep at bay situations sucha s the one in Pakistan. There is a petition abalible to sign, this will urge countries to take action, it is our voice to those who have the power (resource wise) to do something. I also propose we pray. Strage? maybe yes, especially if youre not familar with a higher power. In situations such as this were i feel helpless and things seem hopeless it is possibly another dimension of us that may have to kick in- maybe our spiritual dimension. So we can pray that Leaders of pakistan can unite and resolve this in a peaceful way, that the people of Pakistan make wise choices in protest and that they hold hope for the future. And that leaders and people of the world can contribute to this issue for the betterment of the people of Pakistan. Do you ahve any suggestions or comments? feel free to share.
Monday, November 5, 2007
What kind of Christmas?
Christmas is upon us, well its definatly looming and we are faced with a christmas so consumed by consumerism! I wish we could look at chirstmas differently. like never buys stuff and just focus on each other, on community, on others needs perhaps, and on the real meaning of it all. We would probably find chirstmas a time of revelation and transformation in our lives and others if we really understood and spent time in knowing what chirstmas means! Christmas is a special time on the christian calander, and i believe the meaning is far greater than just a bible story. Christmas is relevant for us today because of the birth of Jesus (and the fullness of what that means) but also celebrates life and what life is about. Perhaps it is about community, each other, quality time, enjoying eachother, supporting eachother, standing along side those who are broken. So alothough gifts of the shopping mall nature are symbolic, we maybe need to shift our focus a bit, to include more of other things. The Salvation army have just put out their gifts of hope(link to brochure), these are alterntive gifts you can buy this christmas, they make a difference for those who dont have a lot (not only at christmas but at all times of the year). This is one way of curving our focus on gift & stuff buying!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Monks on the march again for democracy in Burma
Several weeks after a brutal crackdown on thousands of democracy protesters across Burma, over a hundred Buddhist monks have taken part in the first public demonstration in northern Burma since the government's wave of repression.
In Pakokku the monks marched silently, in a way described by observers as "highly dignified", and issued no slogans.
One protester told the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based short-wave radio station and website run by dissident journalists, that the walk was intended as a continuation of the protests last month.
Analysts say that the march is a sign that the depths of popular dissent and unrest are still present in the country, in spite of the military crackdown.
The monk told the radio station: "We walked around the town and chanted ... we are continuing our protest from last month as we have not yet achieved any of the demands we asked for."
He continued: "Our demands are for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and immediate release of (opposition leader) Aung San Suu Kyi and all the political prisoners."
Democracy protesters and monks are saying that there will be more demonstrations soon, with the emphasis on quiet, sparodic, nonviolent manifestations. The internet and radio are being used to inform the media about what is going on.
The Burmese government has made a concerted attempt to clamp down on the flow of information via the web and other means, but there are still gaps and opportunities, dissidents say.
Around 200,000 people took part in demonstrations in Rangoon several weeks ago. Thousands were arrested and beaten, and some 200 killed, say activists, though the official figures record just ten deaths.
(taken from ekklesia.com)
In Pakokku the monks marched silently, in a way described by observers as "highly dignified", and issued no slogans.
One protester told the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based short-wave radio station and website run by dissident journalists, that the walk was intended as a continuation of the protests last month.
Analysts say that the march is a sign that the depths of popular dissent and unrest are still present in the country, in spite of the military crackdown.
The monk told the radio station: "We walked around the town and chanted ... we are continuing our protest from last month as we have not yet achieved any of the demands we asked for."
He continued: "Our demands are for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and immediate release of (opposition leader) Aung San Suu Kyi and all the political prisoners."
Democracy protesters and monks are saying that there will be more demonstrations soon, with the emphasis on quiet, sparodic, nonviolent manifestations. The internet and radio are being used to inform the media about what is going on.
The Burmese government has made a concerted attempt to clamp down on the flow of information via the web and other means, but there are still gaps and opportunities, dissidents say.
Around 200,000 people took part in demonstrations in Rangoon several weeks ago. Thousands were arrested and beaten, and some 200 killed, say activists, though the official figures record just ten deaths.
(taken from ekklesia.com)
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