‘MAKE IT HAPPEN – CHOOSE FAIRTRADE’
is the theme for this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight which will highlight the continued growth in Fairtrade sales and support in Ireland.
It's not just about chocolate, coffee or bananas, the textile industry is coming under scrutiny for the exploitation of its workers, and for the pollution caused in mass -production. Although the emphasis is usuallly on cotton, we hope people will take this opportunity to look at all kinds of fibre and textiles and wonder where it is coming from, who is making it and how it is produced.
Or visit Re-Dress - a fantastic Irish website with information on all things fashionable, ethical, sustainable and beautiful
www.fairtrade.ie
www.fairtextiletrade.org
www.soilassociation.org
Especially distressing is the continued use of child labour in the textile industry. A few years ago, I read the the story Iqbal by Francesco D'adamo. A story based around the life of Iqbal Masih, a young Pakistani boy who was forced into bonded labour in a carpet factory at the age of five, who then escaped and became an international figurehead for the Bonded Labour Liberation Front at the age of 10. He was shot in the backat the age of 13.
A harrowing tale, but an exceptional boy who deserves to be remembered. So, for this Fairtrade Fortnight, think about the children, their future and their right to grow into adults, into a better world.
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