Human Rights

WATCH// Nadira Lamrad on CSR in China’s Apparel Supply Chain

March 11, 2010
By
WATCH// Nadira Lamrad on CSR in China’s Apparel Supply Chain

SA’s Nadira Lamrad presented her research, “CSR Trends in China’s Apparel Supply Chain,” at the FEI conference on March 2nd. The workshop, titled “New Approaches in Education and Industry,” was chaired by industry consultant Maggie Burns, and speaking alongside Nadira was Dr. Matilda Tham, professor of fashion at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Tham’s presentation was titled “Lucky People Forecast Approach: How can education support engagement with systemic sustainable fashion futures?” The workshop generated some interesting questions and concerns surrounding education in CSR, and we’re hoping we can keep the conversation going here, so be sure to leave...

Read more »

A Message from the NLC

March 5, 2010
By
A Message from the NLC

Yesterday we posted a link on our Facebook Fan Page on the tragic factory fire in Bangladesh on Feb. 25th that killed 21 workers (mostly women) and injured 31 more. Below is a message today from the National Labor Committee (NLC): Urgent Action Alert Please help.  No more needless and tragic deaths! On the night of February 25, a fire broke out at the Garib & Garib sweater factory in Bangladesh, leaving 25 to 30 workers trapped in the pitch darkness on the 6th floor.  The emergency exit was locked and the other staircase was cluttered with bales of...

Read more »

WATCH// Social Alterations @ FEI

March 4, 2010
By
WATCH// Social Alterations @ FEI

Here are just two of the videos we took at the conference. We have more videos to come, so stay tuned for those. The first video is of my Pecha Kucha talk. I’ll be posting the slides and my notes a little later on. Please contact us if you have any questions on the works cited in the presentation. Social Alterations @ FEI from Social Alterations on Vimeo. The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) held the table next to ours during the Market Place on day two of the conference. We asked them what exactly responsible fashion meant to the...

Read more »

Hacking Fashion w/ Otto von Busch

March 2, 2010
By
Hacking Fashion w/ Otto von Busch

One of the headliners at the conference was Otto von Busch (Haute-Couture Heretic – critically hacking and re-forming the operating system of fashion and the industrial modes of production). The presentation “Hacking Fashion” was absolutely fabulous, and when it came time for Otto to close his presentation, nobody wanted it to end! Investigating ‘rituals of fashion,’ Otto discussed the role of fashion in activism and asked: are we still open to invest emotionally in fashion? With fashion week, we celebrate the arrival of spring, and then when the new season comes into play, we ritualistically slaughter off the old...

Read more »

Social Alterations @ FEI

March 2, 2010
By
Social Alterations @ FEI

So here we are in London for the Fashioning an Ethical Industry Conference: Fast Forward. Today, Nadira and I will both be presenting at the conference, and with Katrine in attendance, this will mark the first time the SA team is all together in the same place at the same time!   We will be doing lots of blogging and twitter (ing?) from the event, and will have our presentations uploaded later tonight for you to check out, so be sure to tune in. Follow on twitter via @maryhanlon for that feed. Wish us luck!

Read more »

Take action on Philippines labour rights abuses‏

February 28, 2010
By
Take action on Philippines labour rights abuses‏

A message from Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN): Last fall, a high-level International Labour Organization (ILO) mission went to the Philippines to investigate “serious allegations of the murder of trade unionists, death threats, arrests of trade union leaders in connection with their trade union activities, widespread impunity relating to violence against trade unionists and the militarization of workplaces in export processing zones (EPZs) and special economic zones”. Their report is due to be released next month. Unfortunately, violence and judicial persecution of trade union leaders and activists is continuing. Below, we urge you to support workers’ rights to freedom of...

Read more »

Tracing Trash

February 16, 2010
By
Tracing Trash

Trash of Your Society (T.O.Y.S.), an art project of theSYNdicate, is on tour investigating the after-life-cycle of products, or artefacts (a.k.a. trash). Do you know what happens to your products once you’ve tossed them? Here is part of ‘The Concept’: The footsteps or traces that refuse leaves internationally, are the subject of the art project of theSYNdicate: how countries deal with refuse in different parts of the world; the global cycle of refuse; the dimensions of European refuse in Africa. Transport routes of primary products as well as of finished consumer goods cover long distances, in this globalised world,...

Read more »

Washing Machine + Soccer Ball + Hippo Roller + Storage Unit = ‘Swirl’

February 16, 2010
By
Washing Machine + Soccer Ball + Hippo Roller + Storage Unit = ‘Swirl’

Meet Design Affairs’ ‘Swirl’! Here is the product description: Swirl is a human focused design that simplifies washing in developing countries. The overall design resembles a ball containing a swirled sphere shaped basket and lid, connected to a steel tube handle. Washing is accomplished through the rotation of the “washing ball” – using long distance travelling to and from water supply to wash the clothes. The user can also wash by just rolling it back and forth in slow rotation cycles. At home, after the basket is filled with clothes, the lid should be screwed and the handle locked...

Read more »

CSR Asia Summit 2010

February 14, 2010
By
CSR Asia Summit 2010

In 2009, SA’s Katrine Karlsen reported on CSR Asia’s 7th summit “Sustainable Business as the Road to Recovery” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Click here to read Katrine’s synopsis of last year’s summit. This year’s summit will take place September 14-15 in Hong Kong, and will offer cutting edge workshops on the following topics: -Community investment and cross-cultural engagement -Measuring and reporting your carbon emissions -Business strategies for adapting to a changing climate -Water risks down your supply chain -Asian companies going transnational -What investors are looking for: Environmental, social, governance (ESG) issues -A new agenda for human rights: Engaging...

Read more »

Bamboo// Continued Misconceptions

February 14, 2010
By
Bamboo// Continued Misconceptions

With the current spotlight on ‘green’ fashion over at Vogue U.K. via Livia Firth and the Green Carpet Challenge, we were surprised to see bamboo as designer Linda Loudermilk’s fibre of choice for Colin Firth’s suit at the premier of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” in Paris. Despite the comments out of Loudermilk’s office, we’re not quite convinced it was a responsible choice. Even if we were to believe that this bamboo was in fact not rayon, meaning that it was mechanically processed, not chemically processed, and that such mechanical processing was done without violating any human rights, we...

Read more »