Many of you reading this will have heard over the weekend about the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, where Major Nidal Malik Hassan, an Amry psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people in what appears to be a random act of violence.
Federal investigators are point blank refusing to release information on the details of the shooting to the public, fuelling reports that the shooting may have been carried out by multiple attackers and raising questions about why it took officials several hours to confirm to the media that Major Hassan had been shot and injured.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas, said Army officials were trying to determine "if there is something more than just one deranged person involved here... That is a question still to be asked."
Aside from the fact that the person interviewed was a Republican, I feel I need not point out what this article goes on to suggest are the motives behind the shooting.
Evidence retrieved from ballistic tests showed that there was only one gunman but of course it would be easier to write off this act of violence as terrorism because the shooter was not only of Palestinian descent, but a practising Muslim. To quote 'The New York Times';
In Washington, a law enforcement official said an early search of Major Hasan’s computer did not indicate any direct exchanges with known terrorists. The official said investigators did not have a complete record of Major Hasan’s Internet use, as he had multiple e-mail accounts and used computers in several locations.
The fact that Major Hassan is also an American citizen by birth (born and reared in Virginia) and voluntarily joined the American military is overlooked. The fact that his immigrant parents, both deceased, were described by those who knew them as kindly restaurant owners who "always had a warm meal for someone who otherwise would not have anything to eat that evening" is also overlooked. The terrible answers to the reasons behind Major Hassan's shooting spree could be something much more complex than simply an act of jihad, as much of American media has already labelled the shooting as.
Major Hassan was a highly educated American, troubled by many of his patients' stories having counselled "scores" of them upon their return from Iraq or Afghanistan. The truth that is emerging about the reasons behind his awful acts of violence is truly too complicated to label merely as terrorism. His cousin, Nader Hassan has said, "He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy [to Iraq or Afghanistan]," after hearing first hand the realities of war. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there." Unverified reports have also suggested that Major Hassan complained of harrassment from fellow soldiers for being Muslim, and that he was trying to get out of deployment to Afghanistan on November 23rd.
Locals who prayed with Major Hassan at his mosque; The Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, have expressed shock and betrayal by Major Hassan's actions. A mosque leader, Doctor Manzoor Farooqi, when asked if he feared retribution for the shootings, said he hoped good relations would prevail. He added, "The Islamic community strongly condemns this cowardly attack, which was particularly heinous in that it was directed at the all-volunteer army that protects our nation."
Notably, the repercussions of this shooting on peaceful Muslim communities in America will be huge. Judging by comments made on liberal newspaper 'The New York Times' website, any hope of moving away from 9/11 comparisons have been shattered. Comments range from accusing Major Hassan directly of being a terrorist in league with other terrorists, to labelling him a "racist" and "extremist". Very few media outlets have commented on the prejudiced conclusions people are already making in America, or the fact that this could be the final straw for many other more conservative Americans who were undecided on their beliefs on Islam.
As Obama said after the awful attack, "We don't know all the answers yet," and should refrain from "jumping to conclusions".
My condolences to all the families everywhere affected by this horrible and brutal act of violence, be they Christian, Muslim, Caucausian, African American, or Asian. Grief, does after all, transcend race.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Disney 'Up' on social comment
As a kid, Disney films were magical. Every frame hand drawn, and the subtlest differences were not picked up on until you watch The Little Mermaid for the two hundredth time (as an adult) and see that Ariel's hair moves differently in each frame as it blows in the wind when she's pining away for Prince Eric.
Pixar of course, has come a long way. I watched Up at the cinema tonight wearing 3D glasses styled like Ray Ban's Wayfarers. The experience was unbelievable, and yes, I did reach out a few times to do the "grabby thing" because it was so surreal. Imagine watching Cinderella in 3D when the carriage turns back into a pumpkin!
Ok, my point is, that Disney has indeed come a long way from Walt's animations, and even the storyline's are stronger. Fairytale princesses falling in love with long lost princes are no longer enough to capture a child's imagination. The classics I grew up with told me that beauty is only skin deep and if you grow beautiful on the inside, you will always find true love... Or that being born with riches means nothing if you are a prisoner of said riches... Or simply, always expect your step mother to be an evil, cackling mistress.
Finding Nemo was about dreaming big and never losing hope and that being little is OK. The Incredibles, one of my all time favourites, teaches us the importance of family values, and again, that being different is actually kinda cool.
Now we have Up, the happy/sad tale about a bitter old man, but we get to see why he's bitter, unlike many other Disney characters who turn out like him. Carl, the 78 year old protagonist in Up is a symbol of tradition in a time where modernity and development find tradition decrepid and outdated. He is to the very core, the American Dream; the Willy Loman of Disney if you will. He is a family man, a doting husband, and at the beginning at least, a failed dreamer. He dreams big, but his dreams never seem to materialise.
*Look away now if you haven't seen the film, and I INSIST you see it!*
Until the Men in Suits threaten to destroy everything he has spent his lifetime building. The Men in Suits who offer Carl "double" the amount they offered "last time" for the little plot of land his house rests on, represent everything that is new, shiny, modern and scary to America. They are the multi-national corporations who brought America's economy to it's knees back in 2008. They are the American Dream gone wrong through greed. When the camera zooms in on Carl sitting on a bench gripping the slip of paper which reads "Court Summons", he looks like a fragile old man who has lost his fight with the world. Yet another comment on how the big guy takes what he can from the little guy, because the next scene is of Carl being dropped off in a police car outside his home. He is handed a leaflet for a nursing home by the police officer, who drives off leaving Carl on his doorstep, alone.
Another poignant moment is when Carl and Ellie's savings jar for their "Adventure" keeps getting broken into for various repairs around the house or for other day to day necessities such as the replacing the car tyre. Disney does not gloss over the fact that these days especially, money is hard to come by. As a member of the audience you so wish for Carl to break the jar for the last time for household repairs, but the jar-breaking is a metaphor for the couple's heartbreak each time the hammer smashes into the glass.
Disney really got the story right again. In all of four minutes, Carl's life story is summarised at the beginning, ensuring your heart goes out to this lonely and closed-off character. He could easily come off as aloof, miserable and plain mean at times, but the four minutes which director Peter Docter allows for the audience to connect with Carl and Ellie are precious and intimate. As always, the story is about following your dreams and never to give up on them because The Spirit of Adventure within us never dies.
So go and see it, but don't expect it to be as carefree and jolly as Disney's other animations, this is a long way from Toy Story or Monsters Inc. Up is in my opinion Disney's first animation aimed mainly at adults. Dug the Dog and Kevin may provide the laughs, not to mention heart-of-gold and cute-as-a-button eight year old Russell, but Carl's life story is really the centerpiece of this film, and just like in real life, Carl goes through hard times.
Oh... one last thing - did I mention that Russell is Disney's first animated and non-typecast Asian character? Thank you Disney!
Pixar of course, has come a long way. I watched Up at the cinema tonight wearing 3D glasses styled like Ray Ban's Wayfarers. The experience was unbelievable, and yes, I did reach out a few times to do the "grabby thing" because it was so surreal. Imagine watching Cinderella in 3D when the carriage turns back into a pumpkin!
Ok, my point is, that Disney has indeed come a long way from Walt's animations, and even the storyline's are stronger. Fairytale princesses falling in love with long lost princes are no longer enough to capture a child's imagination. The classics I grew up with told me that beauty is only skin deep and if you grow beautiful on the inside, you will always find true love... Or that being born with riches means nothing if you are a prisoner of said riches... Or simply, always expect your step mother to be an evil, cackling mistress.
Finding Nemo was about dreaming big and never losing hope and that being little is OK. The Incredibles, one of my all time favourites, teaches us the importance of family values, and again, that being different is actually kinda cool.
Now we have Up, the happy/sad tale about a bitter old man, but we get to see why he's bitter, unlike many other Disney characters who turn out like him. Carl, the 78 year old protagonist in Up is a symbol of tradition in a time where modernity and development find tradition decrepid and outdated. He is to the very core, the American Dream; the Willy Loman of Disney if you will. He is a family man, a doting husband, and at the beginning at least, a failed dreamer. He dreams big, but his dreams never seem to materialise.
*Look away now if you haven't seen the film, and I INSIST you see it!*
Until the Men in Suits threaten to destroy everything he has spent his lifetime building. The Men in Suits who offer Carl "double" the amount they offered "last time" for the little plot of land his house rests on, represent everything that is new, shiny, modern and scary to America. They are the multi-national corporations who brought America's economy to it's knees back in 2008. They are the American Dream gone wrong through greed. When the camera zooms in on Carl sitting on a bench gripping the slip of paper which reads "Court Summons", he looks like a fragile old man who has lost his fight with the world. Yet another comment on how the big guy takes what he can from the little guy, because the next scene is of Carl being dropped off in a police car outside his home. He is handed a leaflet for a nursing home by the police officer, who drives off leaving Carl on his doorstep, alone.
Another poignant moment is when Carl and Ellie's savings jar for their "Adventure" keeps getting broken into for various repairs around the house or for other day to day necessities such as the replacing the car tyre. Disney does not gloss over the fact that these days especially, money is hard to come by. As a member of the audience you so wish for Carl to break the jar for the last time for household repairs, but the jar-breaking is a metaphor for the couple's heartbreak each time the hammer smashes into the glass.
Disney really got the story right again. In all of four minutes, Carl's life story is summarised at the beginning, ensuring your heart goes out to this lonely and closed-off character. He could easily come off as aloof, miserable and plain mean at times, but the four minutes which director Peter Docter allows for the audience to connect with Carl and Ellie are precious and intimate. As always, the story is about following your dreams and never to give up on them because The Spirit of Adventure within us never dies.
So go and see it, but don't expect it to be as carefree and jolly as Disney's other animations, this is a long way from Toy Story or Monsters Inc. Up is in my opinion Disney's first animation aimed mainly at adults. Dug the Dog and Kevin may provide the laughs, not to mention heart-of-gold and cute-as-a-button eight year old Russell, but Carl's life story is really the centerpiece of this film, and just like in real life, Carl goes through hard times.
Oh... one last thing - did I mention that Russell is Disney's first animated and non-typecast Asian character? Thank you Disney!
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Education, Education, Recession?
Many a friend and I have sat and discussed the recession with a roll of the eyes and a "They saw it coming but did nothing" attitude to the whole crisis. We ummm at the latest economist's helpful statement that we are in a "U" shaped economic slump and the upturn is coming, they promise; and ahhh at Brown and Obama's rehearsed promises to join forces with powerful figures and "get us out of this mess".
But a guilty pleasure which we also indulge in every so often is the discussion of how we're all privately pleased that there has been a Great Depression in our lifetimes, and how society has changed as a result of these "bad times".
For a start, instead of mumbling something incoherant about the weather when we see our neighbours shopping in the supermarket, we can now engage in conversations smugly pretending the recession has exclusively affected only our two families.
"Cutting back on the shopping this week Barbara?"
"Yes, well you know how it is, money's tighter these days. Our John's had his hours cut down, just like your Ben."
Or in my case, "Oh you shopping with your mum today Sarah?"
"Yeah, sometimes I can convince her I need a new skirt for work but work haven't paid me yet, and she'll buy me it," laughs "Sarah", and off I go to try my hand at that very same trick. Yes, we certainly know how to clutch at those small pleasures during this recession.
On another note, universities declared this year that they have been inundated with the largest number of applicants to date. Economists and journalists have statistically backed up their argument that this is due to students no longer having the option of going straight into employment after A-Levels because the job market is shrinking rapidly. Parents and students (after all we don't really believe all 17/18 year olds make their own choices do we?) are also hoping that by the time they graduate, the recession will be over. Universities have also seen a sudden influx of mature students and UCAS say particularly an increase in the 21-24 age group by 12.9 percent, and a rise of 12.6 percent from applicants over the age of 24.
On the whole then, the Great British population is getting more educated, and clinging to their "education, education, education". What's the harm in that? Blair would be proud.
Furthermore, gosh, is the credit-card-charging-disposable-fashion-shopper on the decline? The Economist reported this week that it may take impulse shoppers "a quarter [of a financial year] or two" to fully change their shopping habits and cut down on crazy spending, but "surveys reveal a collapse in consumer confidence last winter". Huzzah, as my lovely friend Sarah would say. Less, is definitely, finally, absolutely more. As an avid supporter of quality not quantity when it comes to fashion and buying, I feel like the economic crisis is helping drum into friends (you know who you are) that organic and ethical clothing goes that little bit further if you're going to shop. Most items on the high street don't last because they're poorly made in sweatshop conditions, and oh, almost 100 percent acrylic - not exactly known to keep sheep warm during winter is it? I'll save that argument for another day, but I do feel like I can tone down my fair trade preaching for a while.
What's more, am I seeing more and more multi-national corporations championing, of all things they are known for, "green" ventures? What's that, Shell are using C02 waste to grow flowers? Absurd I hear you say, but you've got to hand it to them for trying.
As Dickens would say, these are hard times we live in, but put all these tiny pleasures into one basket, and you have hope for a better future. The end does not appear nigh, so why not basque in the glory of such simple pleasures while they last? This is the happiest I have seen people in a long time; pessimists have something to complain about and optimists are singing the praises of improved society relations - economic slump? Not a problem.
But a guilty pleasure which we also indulge in every so often is the discussion of how we're all privately pleased that there has been a Great Depression in our lifetimes, and how society has changed as a result of these "bad times".
For a start, instead of mumbling something incoherant about the weather when we see our neighbours shopping in the supermarket, we can now engage in conversations smugly pretending the recession has exclusively affected only our two families.
"Cutting back on the shopping this week Barbara?"
"Yes, well you know how it is, money's tighter these days. Our John's had his hours cut down, just like your Ben."
Or in my case, "Oh you shopping with your mum today Sarah?"
"Yeah, sometimes I can convince her I need a new skirt for work but work haven't paid me yet, and she'll buy me it," laughs "Sarah", and off I go to try my hand at that very same trick. Yes, we certainly know how to clutch at those small pleasures during this recession.
On another note, universities declared this year that they have been inundated with the largest number of applicants to date. Economists and journalists have statistically backed up their argument that this is due to students no longer having the option of going straight into employment after A-Levels because the job market is shrinking rapidly. Parents and students (after all we don't really believe all 17/18 year olds make their own choices do we?) are also hoping that by the time they graduate, the recession will be over. Universities have also seen a sudden influx of mature students and UCAS say particularly an increase in the 21-24 age group by 12.9 percent, and a rise of 12.6 percent from applicants over the age of 24.
On the whole then, the Great British population is getting more educated, and clinging to their "education, education, education". What's the harm in that? Blair would be proud.
Furthermore, gosh, is the credit-card-charging-disposable-fashion-shopper on the decline? The Economist reported this week that it may take impulse shoppers "a quarter [of a financial year] or two" to fully change their shopping habits and cut down on crazy spending, but "surveys reveal a collapse in consumer confidence last winter". Huzzah, as my lovely friend Sarah would say. Less, is definitely, finally, absolutely more. As an avid supporter of quality not quantity when it comes to fashion and buying, I feel like the economic crisis is helping drum into friends (you know who you are) that organic and ethical clothing goes that little bit further if you're going to shop. Most items on the high street don't last because they're poorly made in sweatshop conditions, and oh, almost 100 percent acrylic - not exactly known to keep sheep warm during winter is it? I'll save that argument for another day, but I do feel like I can tone down my fair trade preaching for a while.
What's more, am I seeing more and more multi-national corporations championing, of all things they are known for, "green" ventures? What's that, Shell are using C02 waste to grow flowers? Absurd I hear you say, but you've got to hand it to them for trying.
As Dickens would say, these are hard times we live in, but put all these tiny pleasures into one basket, and you have hope for a better future. The end does not appear nigh, so why not basque in the glory of such simple pleasures while they last? This is the happiest I have seen people in a long time; pessimists have something to complain about and optimists are singing the praises of improved society relations - economic slump? Not a problem.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
UK shine "Spotlight on Africa"
Earlier this month the Ethical Fashion Forum held a seminar and marketplace in London on why Africa is becoming increasingly important in the apparel industry. According to EFF, in Kenya alone 30,000 people are employed in the apparel sector and for each of these jobs, another five are generated. As fashion is labour generated and requires limited capital input to fund, traditional skills such as hand-weaving, hand-embroidering, printing and tailoring offer a high premium.
Trade in fashion products gives important opportunities to small impoverished communities in Africa. The rising demand for sustainable sourcing, coupled with recycling and organic cotton has created a user supply demand for high-quality fashion from Africa which has boosted the trade. In the slums of Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya, fashion for the developed world has driven the premium for a handful of female artisans. In Korogocho 45 percent of the population are in their youth, many who are forced to stay impoverished because they are illiterate and unemployed as a result. Some adolescents only survive by turning to crime.
The handicraft initiative Bega kwa Bega which means “Shoulder to Shoulder” has helped many women from the slums work their way out of poverty. BKB have trained women from the slums of Korogocho and Mukura, which has been made a dumping ground for rubbish, to make handbags, scarves and jewellery. Many of the women have families to bring up and are also single parents caring for their elders. Through loans they have also been able to expand their initiative to cake making during off peak seasons and purchase more sewing machines to employ more women. Ignatius helps run BKB and he sees how giving women in the community employment has helped the economy of Kenya overall. “We export our crafts to Italy, Japan, Canada, [and] America where there are fair trade buyers. Our goal is to reach [as many] people as possible.”
Similar to Kenya, Zambia’s economy has grown steadily since 2003 from foreign investments. It relies heavily on mining, construction and the service sectors, according to the World Trade Organization’s trade policy review for Zambia this year. Since 2004, Zambia has been able to export directly to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, cutting out all third countries, and ensuring the maximum premium is directed back to Zambia. To encourage the industry, the government have also reduced the import duty on imported raw materials for aid of manufacturing clothing and accessories.
Currently, Zambia’s apparel industry only contributes between 10 and 11 percent of gross domestic product. Zambia’s increasing dependency on copper mining, which accounts for 75 percent of Zambia’s total exports, has eroded any progress on diversity in the Zambian economy. The trade policy review also stressed the importance of reducing dependence on such natural resources, stating textile and clothing as an alternative option.
Fairtrade shops in the UK reflected the rising demand and reported a surprising increase in sales over the last month, while the Fairtrade Foundation announced a 22 percent increase in global Fair trade sales despite the financial crisis, in 2008. Global sales of Fairtrade certified cotton products doubled to 94 percent. The good news for the Fairtrade Foundation comes as fair trade sales grew by over 50 percent in seven countries, which include Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The UK and the US are still the strongest consumers of fair trade products as sales increased in the UK by 43 percent and the US experienced an increase of 10 percent.
The increase in sales has opened up doors for a number of new markets in places such as eastern Asia and South Africa. Although cotton is only the fifth most popular Fair trade product behind coffee, bananas, tea and sugar, the increase in sales proves awareness of fair trade fashion has risen.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in the UK are also getting behind fair trade, as they have introduced a product roadmap called the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan in order to monitor the impact of clothing on the environment. Their aim is to “collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders” such as Arcadia Group which includes high street stores Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, “to develop practical and effective actions to address the environmental and social impacts arising across the clothing life cycle”. SCAP’s plans include encouraging high street retailers to move towards more organic and Fair trade clothing production.
Their finding include using alternative pesticide-free fabrics made from jute, banana and pineapple, but also investing in handloom weaving cooperatives which will help communities in developing countries build a fashion-producing infrastructure.
Despite the trade apparel can generate, five percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product is still lost every year due to shrinking trade income, a figure which has been known to supersede the total aid and debt flow to the region.
People Tree, the Fairtrade certified fashion label, say statistics show that only one percent of fair trade cotton accounts for all the cotton sold in the UK, but there was a 99 percent increase in Fairtrade cotton sales last year. Considering that all togethSer 30 million tonnes of natural fibres are farmed every year, and only 2.5 percent of the world’s arable farmland is used to grow cotton, fair trade and ethical fashion still has a long way to go. With the Fairtrade Foundations spending 30.4 percent of their total expenditure on public education and awareness however, fair trade may not have to wait for very long in order to become a staple diet of everyday life.
Trade in fashion products gives important opportunities to small impoverished communities in Africa. The rising demand for sustainable sourcing, coupled with recycling and organic cotton has created a user supply demand for high-quality fashion from Africa which has boosted the trade. In the slums of Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya, fashion for the developed world has driven the premium for a handful of female artisans. In Korogocho 45 percent of the population are in their youth, many who are forced to stay impoverished because they are illiterate and unemployed as a result. Some adolescents only survive by turning to crime.
The handicraft initiative Bega kwa Bega which means “Shoulder to Shoulder” has helped many women from the slums work their way out of poverty. BKB have trained women from the slums of Korogocho and Mukura, which has been made a dumping ground for rubbish, to make handbags, scarves and jewellery. Many of the women have families to bring up and are also single parents caring for their elders. Through loans they have also been able to expand their initiative to cake making during off peak seasons and purchase more sewing machines to employ more women. Ignatius helps run BKB and he sees how giving women in the community employment has helped the economy of Kenya overall. “We export our crafts to Italy, Japan, Canada, [and] America where there are fair trade buyers. Our goal is to reach [as many] people as possible.”
Similar to Kenya, Zambia’s economy has grown steadily since 2003 from foreign investments. It relies heavily on mining, construction and the service sectors, according to the World Trade Organization’s trade policy review for Zambia this year. Since 2004, Zambia has been able to export directly to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, cutting out all third countries, and ensuring the maximum premium is directed back to Zambia. To encourage the industry, the government have also reduced the import duty on imported raw materials for aid of manufacturing clothing and accessories.
Currently, Zambia’s apparel industry only contributes between 10 and 11 percent of gross domestic product. Zambia’s increasing dependency on copper mining, which accounts for 75 percent of Zambia’s total exports, has eroded any progress on diversity in the Zambian economy. The trade policy review also stressed the importance of reducing dependence on such natural resources, stating textile and clothing as an alternative option.
Fairtrade shops in the UK reflected the rising demand and reported a surprising increase in sales over the last month, while the Fairtrade Foundation announced a 22 percent increase in global Fair trade sales despite the financial crisis, in 2008. Global sales of Fairtrade certified cotton products doubled to 94 percent. The good news for the Fairtrade Foundation comes as fair trade sales grew by over 50 percent in seven countries, which include Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The UK and the US are still the strongest consumers of fair trade products as sales increased in the UK by 43 percent and the US experienced an increase of 10 percent.
The increase in sales has opened up doors for a number of new markets in places such as eastern Asia and South Africa. Although cotton is only the fifth most popular Fair trade product behind coffee, bananas, tea and sugar, the increase in sales proves awareness of fair trade fashion has risen.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in the UK are also getting behind fair trade, as they have introduced a product roadmap called the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan in order to monitor the impact of clothing on the environment. Their aim is to “collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders” such as Arcadia Group which includes high street stores Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, “to develop practical and effective actions to address the environmental and social impacts arising across the clothing life cycle”. SCAP’s plans include encouraging high street retailers to move towards more organic and Fair trade clothing production.
Their finding include using alternative pesticide-free fabrics made from jute, banana and pineapple, but also investing in handloom weaving cooperatives which will help communities in developing countries build a fashion-producing infrastructure.
Despite the trade apparel can generate, five percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product is still lost every year due to shrinking trade income, a figure which has been known to supersede the total aid and debt flow to the region.
People Tree, the Fairtrade certified fashion label, say statistics show that only one percent of fair trade cotton accounts for all the cotton sold in the UK, but there was a 99 percent increase in Fairtrade cotton sales last year. Considering that all togethSer 30 million tonnes of natural fibres are farmed every year, and only 2.5 percent of the world’s arable farmland is used to grow cotton, fair trade and ethical fashion still has a long way to go. With the Fairtrade Foundations spending 30.4 percent of their total expenditure on public education and awareness however, fair trade may not have to wait for very long in order to become a staple diet of everyday life.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Africa needs 'trade' not 'aid'
Entrepreneurial aid schemes are believed to be the way to alleviate Africa from poverty, experts say. The argument was discussed in June at this year’s World Economic Forum in Cape Town, when a call to help reduce poverty in developing countries was addressed. As part of their ‘Business Strategies to Enhance Food Value Chains and Empower the Poor’ the WEF’s aim is to expand rural retail networks, help train farmers, and encourage sourcing from local producers.
The Danish government also created The Africa Commission to combat poverty in developing countries, but experts have criticised it for only investing the $3 billion guarantee facility promised into small businesses, ignoring the majority of Africa’s entrepreneurs who are small independent farmers.
A topic which has caused controversy from both sides of the argument, former Goldman Sachs strategist, Dambisa Moyo’s book ‘Dead Aid’ ascertains that western aid keeps African countries in poverty, rather than easing the results of it. Author of award-winning book ‘The Bottom Billion’, Paul Collier also says rather controversially, “Aid is to buy influence rather than have an effect in the country.”
As an alternative, many experts have spoken about the benefits of setting up entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals through private lending, providing them with the money and tools to be able to start their own businesses and repay their loans. Many companies have been established just for this purpose, and distance themselves from “charity” status.
International Development Enterprises is an example of one of the organisations set up for this function. Technically a charity, IDE equips farmers in rural areas of Africa and Asia with cheap and affordable agricultural tools through the private sector. IDE also helps set up business links at regional markets and works closely with local non-governmental organisations to help farmers establish their own trade. Lewis Temple, chief executive of IDE believes this is the best way forward to eradicate poverty amongst farmers in poor countries. “We provide income opportunities for farmers to earn sustainable and long term cash income.” He adds, “[It is] a more dignified approach that enables farmers to use their own skills and enterprise to challenge poverty. A donation of cash is a short term fix that humiliates the farmer and diminishes their abilities to lift themselves out of poverty.”
Shared Interest also plays a big part in financing disadvantaged communities by providing credit when locals cannot get it from banks that choose to help bigger companies, and allowing them to “trade their way out of poverty”. Bega Kwa Bega, meaning “shoulder to shoulder”, a Catholic handicraft group aims to provide the Korogocho slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a means of trading with other countries. Before Shared Interest, their limited resources for handicrafts meant that they could not include any more young women and girls into the group. Shared Interest provided them with a Term Loan to purchase sewing machines and other equipment for production, which resulted in expanding the group to include more young women and girls, and also increased their production for trade.
Ignatius Mayero the Project Co-ordinator for Bega Kwa Bega says, “I think this is the most important step that we have made, with a loan we have managed to purchase sewing machines, [and] we have started a cake making project that will accommodate other girls and also act as a supplementary unit of production beside our work of making handicrafts. This will help our women to continue working as they wait for the orders since there [are] some seasons that we don’t receive orders.” Shared Interest’s loan has also paid for computers, a digital camera, and material for the stock.
Charities have fought back against the rising animosity towards aid, as more and more people comment on where the aid is going. Coco, a charity which focuses on education and healthcare for children in developing countries, specifies that all donations are used to “maximum effect” by co-operating with local community organisations in order to get the most from the donations for the children.
Lucy Philipson, Coco’s Operations Manager thinks that aid has been unfairly dismissed. “Entrepreneurial investment in developing countries is undoubtedly a necessity for growth, poverty alleviation and development. However, whilst investment in trade is important, trade alone cannot fight poverty and aid, both emergency and development, is still needed as long as developing countries exist.”
There are areas where aid is still very much needed whilst trade is heavily promoted. Many countries dubbed “fragile states” such as Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, still rely heavily on aid reaching the right places even within the country, where there is no fear of corruption and government misspending. Charities have been lambasted for not distinguishing between development aid and emergency aid, by people who are critical of whether the aid really reaches the right people.
Ms Philipson believes that it is the minority of charities who give aid a bad name. “It is corrupt governments, unaccountable aid agencies and a general failure to be transparent that gives aid a bad name and not all aid organisations operate without morals or ethics, some of us genuinely work in partnership with communities to alleviate poverty.”
Where aid money is directed is a huge factor to how countries can be improved, and experts are arguing now that the problem lies in a “one size fits all” strategy formed by European governments towards aid for developing countries. Countries such as Tanzania who have a straight forward government who invest heavily on the needs of civilians benefit from aid being transferred directly to the government. In countries such as Zimbabwe, however, when aid is given to the government there is no visible improvement to the infrastructure of the country, and while doctors are being given expensive cars by Mugabe, teachers and civil servants are still being deprived their wages.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported this year that most rich countries still have a long way to go in order to meet their pledges to the developing world before the economic slump. OECD member countries which include the US, Japan, Germany, France and the UK gave on average 0.3 percent of their national income as aid last year, which was still far below the United Nations target of 0.7 percent. China’s “no strings attached” investments have therefore been seen as a form of aid to the countries.
Aid needs to be carefully dispensed, investing in civilians struggling to get by in developing countries is another way to help expand their opportunities and provide them with a business plan.
The Danish government also created The Africa Commission to combat poverty in developing countries, but experts have criticised it for only investing the $3 billion guarantee facility promised into small businesses, ignoring the majority of Africa’s entrepreneurs who are small independent farmers.
A topic which has caused controversy from both sides of the argument, former Goldman Sachs strategist, Dambisa Moyo’s book ‘Dead Aid’ ascertains that western aid keeps African countries in poverty, rather than easing the results of it. Author of award-winning book ‘The Bottom Billion’, Paul Collier also says rather controversially, “Aid is to buy influence rather than have an effect in the country.”
As an alternative, many experts have spoken about the benefits of setting up entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals through private lending, providing them with the money and tools to be able to start their own businesses and repay their loans. Many companies have been established just for this purpose, and distance themselves from “charity” status.
International Development Enterprises is an example of one of the organisations set up for this function. Technically a charity, IDE equips farmers in rural areas of Africa and Asia with cheap and affordable agricultural tools through the private sector. IDE also helps set up business links at regional markets and works closely with local non-governmental organisations to help farmers establish their own trade. Lewis Temple, chief executive of IDE believes this is the best way forward to eradicate poverty amongst farmers in poor countries. “We provide income opportunities for farmers to earn sustainable and long term cash income.” He adds, “[It is] a more dignified approach that enables farmers to use their own skills and enterprise to challenge poverty. A donation of cash is a short term fix that humiliates the farmer and diminishes their abilities to lift themselves out of poverty.”
Shared Interest also plays a big part in financing disadvantaged communities by providing credit when locals cannot get it from banks that choose to help bigger companies, and allowing them to “trade their way out of poverty”. Bega Kwa Bega, meaning “shoulder to shoulder”, a Catholic handicraft group aims to provide the Korogocho slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a means of trading with other countries. Before Shared Interest, their limited resources for handicrafts meant that they could not include any more young women and girls into the group. Shared Interest provided them with a Term Loan to purchase sewing machines and other equipment for production, which resulted in expanding the group to include more young women and girls, and also increased their production for trade.
Ignatius Mayero the Project Co-ordinator for Bega Kwa Bega says, “I think this is the most important step that we have made, with a loan we have managed to purchase sewing machines, [and] we have started a cake making project that will accommodate other girls and also act as a supplementary unit of production beside our work of making handicrafts. This will help our women to continue working as they wait for the orders since there [are] some seasons that we don’t receive orders.” Shared Interest’s loan has also paid for computers, a digital camera, and material for the stock.
Charities have fought back against the rising animosity towards aid, as more and more people comment on where the aid is going. Coco, a charity which focuses on education and healthcare for children in developing countries, specifies that all donations are used to “maximum effect” by co-operating with local community organisations in order to get the most from the donations for the children.
Lucy Philipson, Coco’s Operations Manager thinks that aid has been unfairly dismissed. “Entrepreneurial investment in developing countries is undoubtedly a necessity for growth, poverty alleviation and development. However, whilst investment in trade is important, trade alone cannot fight poverty and aid, both emergency and development, is still needed as long as developing countries exist.”
There are areas where aid is still very much needed whilst trade is heavily promoted. Many countries dubbed “fragile states” such as Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, still rely heavily on aid reaching the right places even within the country, where there is no fear of corruption and government misspending. Charities have been lambasted for not distinguishing between development aid and emergency aid, by people who are critical of whether the aid really reaches the right people.
Ms Philipson believes that it is the minority of charities who give aid a bad name. “It is corrupt governments, unaccountable aid agencies and a general failure to be transparent that gives aid a bad name and not all aid organisations operate without morals or ethics, some of us genuinely work in partnership with communities to alleviate poverty.”
Where aid money is directed is a huge factor to how countries can be improved, and experts are arguing now that the problem lies in a “one size fits all” strategy formed by European governments towards aid for developing countries. Countries such as Tanzania who have a straight forward government who invest heavily on the needs of civilians benefit from aid being transferred directly to the government. In countries such as Zimbabwe, however, when aid is given to the government there is no visible improvement to the infrastructure of the country, and while doctors are being given expensive cars by Mugabe, teachers and civil servants are still being deprived their wages.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported this year that most rich countries still have a long way to go in order to meet their pledges to the developing world before the economic slump. OECD member countries which include the US, Japan, Germany, France and the UK gave on average 0.3 percent of their national income as aid last year, which was still far below the United Nations target of 0.7 percent. China’s “no strings attached” investments have therefore been seen as a form of aid to the countries.
Aid needs to be carefully dispensed, investing in civilians struggling to get by in developing countries is another way to help expand their opportunities and provide them with a business plan.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Blood, Sweat and Takeaways... but seriously where do you think your cheap meat came from?
Ethical clothing. Fair trade. British meat. All words we've heard together and often put in sentences to make us feel guilty about our consumption, but shouldn't we already care? The best part of this is, that the more awareness is raised, the more people are starting to take note. All the information a consumer needs is at their fingertips, quite literally, nowadays with the internet at our dispense.
So why does it take a BBC TV series such as 'Blood, Sweat and Takeways' to raise the plight for Thai rice farmers, sex workers and factory workers? Is there really not enough being done for people to see that absolutely everything we do in the UK has a knock-on effect on someone, somewhere in a developing country?
Take our t-shirts for example. Did you know 22% of ALL pesticides are sprayed on cotton? Or that 20,000 farmers die each year in developing countries from agricultural pesticides?
Or what about your Primark jewellery made by thousands of people every day? Do you know that the person who made your bead necklace eats far less than the recommended 2,000 calories a day? Or that despite the extremely physical 14 hour work days in a sweatshop they get only 3 days off a month?
Yet Fair trade goods, ethically sourced products, and ways to help support and take people out of sweatshop labour is an easier option than it may seem.
People Tree (peopletree.co.uk) are an ethical and organic label who pay all their artisans a fair wage to support their families for making their clothing and handicrafts. They often have online sales too, and their clothing is affordable at the best of times.
Monkee Genes (monkeegenes.co.uk) are an ethical and organic jeans and cords company who produce some of their products in Britain. Their jeans come in fashionable colours and 'supa-skinny' fit. Perfect.
Kenyan handicraft group Bega kwa Bega which means 'shoulder to shoulder' take hundreds of women from the slums of Nairobi each year to teach them trades such as tie dye; scarf making; sewing; and knitting. They ship to as many businesses as possible in the UK.
I know my friends always say to me, 'When you only have a certain amount, how can you stop shopping at cheap places?' Here's how.
Once you start looking, there is a world of opportunity available to you at a fair price, and ensures the maker of your product was entitled an even fairer wage. I used to get paid £6 an hour in a part-time job. Some labourers get paid £6 a week. Really, who's the one losing out?
So here's a friendly tip, just so you know I'm not getting on your case for no reason; ASOS.com often have Fairtrade certified labels on their website, and if you Google 'Fair Trade clothing', 1,620,000 hits come up. American Apparel are ethically sourced and Fairtrade certified. Arcadia Group which includes Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and the notorious Topshop have all signed up to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan to reduce clothing waste, pay fair wages, and stop using pesticides eventually. The Fairtrade Foundation have pledged to increase the volume of Fairtrade cotton products to at least 10 per cent of cotton clothing in the UK by 2012.
Now is the time to stop making excuses, and make a difference. Why? Because it costs you a lot less than it costs them.
So why does it take a BBC TV series such as 'Blood, Sweat and Takeways' to raise the plight for Thai rice farmers, sex workers and factory workers? Is there really not enough being done for people to see that absolutely everything we do in the UK has a knock-on effect on someone, somewhere in a developing country?
Take our t-shirts for example. Did you know 22% of ALL pesticides are sprayed on cotton? Or that 20,000 farmers die each year in developing countries from agricultural pesticides?
Or what about your Primark jewellery made by thousands of people every day? Do you know that the person who made your bead necklace eats far less than the recommended 2,000 calories a day? Or that despite the extremely physical 14 hour work days in a sweatshop they get only 3 days off a month?
Yet Fair trade goods, ethically sourced products, and ways to help support and take people out of sweatshop labour is an easier option than it may seem.
People Tree (peopletree.co.uk) are an ethical and organic label who pay all their artisans a fair wage to support their families for making their clothing and handicrafts. They often have online sales too, and their clothing is affordable at the best of times.
Monkee Genes (monkeegenes.co.uk) are an ethical and organic jeans and cords company who produce some of their products in Britain. Their jeans come in fashionable colours and 'supa-skinny' fit. Perfect.
Kenyan handicraft group Bega kwa Bega which means 'shoulder to shoulder' take hundreds of women from the slums of Nairobi each year to teach them trades such as tie dye; scarf making; sewing; and knitting. They ship to as many businesses as possible in the UK.
I know my friends always say to me, 'When you only have a certain amount, how can you stop shopping at cheap places?' Here's how.
Once you start looking, there is a world of opportunity available to you at a fair price, and ensures the maker of your product was entitled an even fairer wage. I used to get paid £6 an hour in a part-time job. Some labourers get paid £6 a week. Really, who's the one losing out?
So here's a friendly tip, just so you know I'm not getting on your case for no reason; ASOS.com often have Fairtrade certified labels on their website, and if you Google 'Fair Trade clothing', 1,620,000 hits come up. American Apparel are ethically sourced and Fairtrade certified. Arcadia Group which includes Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and the notorious Topshop have all signed up to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan to reduce clothing waste, pay fair wages, and stop using pesticides eventually. The Fairtrade Foundation have pledged to increase the volume of Fairtrade cotton products to at least 10 per cent of cotton clothing in the UK by 2012.
Now is the time to stop making excuses, and make a difference. Why? Because it costs you a lot less than it costs them.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
"How much of a difference do 2 seats make?"
That's what I asked myself as I stood shivering from the cold and anticipation at 4 minutes to 6 on Preston Flag Market on the evening of the 8th of June. As I stared around me at the slowly gathering crowd of demonstrators, I began to think, "With so much hope in the world, do 2 MEP seats given to the BNP really deserve so much media frenzy?"
Curiously, I glanced around at the gathering groups of young adults, professionals, and parent and child combinations, who were smoking, chatting, waiting. What were they waiting for?
Realistically, even the most avid of protesters will admit that demonstrations rarely attract headlines in the media. Why were these people here then? Why did I feel like I belonged to this gathering crowd? And why, after the BNP had won That Seat in Lancashire the day before, did people feel that now was the time to speak up?
I spoke to a few of the protesters looking for answers. "It's about time I showed my distaste," one exotic looking female sat by the war monument replied, blowing a ring of smoke in the air nonchalantly. Right, I replied and shuffled away in search of a more elaborate answer.
I found a friendly bearded and suited chap next, wearing a bright yellow Lib Dem badge slowly taking a drag from his cigarette. "Throughout the campaign, [the BNP] have put themselves forward as the 'none-of-the-above' options. The problem is they are a party of hatred and prejudice, not progress. People in the North West aren't going to see any improvement in their lives [now the BNP have won a seat]. This election has been a step back for millions of people. That is what has brought out people today."
I learned a couple of things from this protest; the first being that if I ever wanted to blend in with liberals I needed to learn to chain-smoke and roll a fag with gusto. The second, was that protesters are, contrary to popular belief, interesting human beings. Anyone who firmly believes that justice and equality are attainable intrigues just for the fact that they have obviously had to research their beliefs as back-up for future arguments. Yes, people can protest against capitalism. Yes people can protest against far-right politics. They can protest against sweatshop labour. But deep inside, there is a tiny little voice that they manage to oppress telling them that protesting isn't really effective. But just being there amongst like-minded people gives them enough strength to faithfully stick to their guns.
Perhaps protesters don't really protest to make a point. They protest to come together. They protest to drag like-minded people out of the woodwork because over that tiny voice telling them that their bigger voice won't be heard is an overweening sense of pride and honour in what they clutch blindly for. Nowadays faith is enough to drive people to make a difference as it embeds itself into the fabric of politics.
To answer the title of this post then, 2 seats make a world of difference. Because while there are people out there who believe in making the world a worse place to live in for some, there are more people, many more, out there who believe they can make the world a better place to live in for everyone.
Curiously, I glanced around at the gathering groups of young adults, professionals, and parent and child combinations, who were smoking, chatting, waiting. What were they waiting for?
Realistically, even the most avid of protesters will admit that demonstrations rarely attract headlines in the media. Why were these people here then? Why did I feel like I belonged to this gathering crowd? And why, after the BNP had won That Seat in Lancashire the day before, did people feel that now was the time to speak up?
I spoke to a few of the protesters looking for answers. "It's about time I showed my distaste," one exotic looking female sat by the war monument replied, blowing a ring of smoke in the air nonchalantly. Right, I replied and shuffled away in search of a more elaborate answer.
I found a friendly bearded and suited chap next, wearing a bright yellow Lib Dem badge slowly taking a drag from his cigarette. "Throughout the campaign, [the BNP] have put themselves forward as the 'none-of-the-above' options. The problem is they are a party of hatred and prejudice, not progress. People in the North West aren't going to see any improvement in their lives [now the BNP have won a seat]. This election has been a step back for millions of people. That is what has brought out people today."
I learned a couple of things from this protest; the first being that if I ever wanted to blend in with liberals I needed to learn to chain-smoke and roll a fag with gusto. The second, was that protesters are, contrary to popular belief, interesting human beings. Anyone who firmly believes that justice and equality are attainable intrigues just for the fact that they have obviously had to research their beliefs as back-up for future arguments. Yes, people can protest against capitalism. Yes people can protest against far-right politics. They can protest against sweatshop labour. But deep inside, there is a tiny little voice that they manage to oppress telling them that protesting isn't really effective. But just being there amongst like-minded people gives them enough strength to faithfully stick to their guns.
Perhaps protesters don't really protest to make a point. They protest to come together. They protest to drag like-minded people out of the woodwork because over that tiny voice telling them that their bigger voice won't be heard is an overweening sense of pride and honour in what they clutch blindly for. Nowadays faith is enough to drive people to make a difference as it embeds itself into the fabric of politics.
To answer the title of this post then, 2 seats make a world of difference. Because while there are people out there who believe in making the world a worse place to live in for some, there are more people, many more, out there who believe they can make the world a better place to live in for everyone.
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