Many of the goods we buy here in Australia are made in developing countries.
People as commodities
The products that we buy and use in Australia can also have an impact on people in other countries.
Many of the goods we use are made or grown in developing countries. Sometimes these have been made by workers who receive low pay or must work in dangerous conditions, or even by child labourers and people that have been trafficked.
Children as workers
According to the International Labor Organisation (ILO), there are about 218 million children around the world aged 5-17 who work as child labourers. That's one in every six children in the world today.
Children work full-time, sometimes more than 12 hours a day, and there's little or no pay. Their "workplaces" include busy city streets, garbage dumps or factories. These children have little or no opportunity to get any sort of schooling or education.
Many children work on farms but some work in restaurants, in homes as domestic labourers or on mines and building sites.
Often we don't realise child labour is occurring. Late last year a prominent American clothing label was forced to admit that it may have, unknowingly, used child labour in the production of a line of children's clothing in India. Unfortunately, many children in India are involved in some form of child labour.
In 2008, World Vision Youth Ambassadors visited India to look at the issue of child labour. Here is a glimpse of what they saw.
But we are a long way from India. What can we, as Australian consumers, do to make sure we don't contribute to this injustice?
By asking questions of retailers and manufacturers, we can find out if the products we want to purchase are made ethically.
Ethical Consumerism
Ethical consumerism involves buying things made ethically. Put simply, it means buying from companies and using products that do not harm or exploit humans, animals or the environment.
It means really understanding what is behind the label!
Things to keep in mind before making purchases
1. Vote with your money! Your choice makes a difference! Supporting ethical businesses and rejecting unethical businesses is a form of voting. You are saying NO to human, animal and environmental exploitation and YES to good working conditions, fair prices, humane animal conditions and preserving the planet.
Avoid unnecessary consumption by asking yourself, "Do I really need it?"
2. Learn about the issues The decisions we make in Australia can have an effect on the lives of others, often impacting the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. But our connectedness also means that there are simple changes we can make in our own lifestyles that can mean the impact is positive rather than negative. Learn about the issues of human exploitation without getting overwhelmed. Read more at www.donttradelives.com.au
3. Ask Questions! We need to be aware of what we buy and how it gets here. Ask your retailer where their product was made and if they know whether exploited labour was used. Ask questions of industry and if you don't get satisfactory answers, keep asking until you do!
Keep checking the Don't Trade Lives website for more actions you can take to support the fight against human exploitation and human trafficking.
Resources
The Story of Stuff takes a closer look at the cycle of production and consumption from a US perspective. This animated clip will make you think about your consumer habits. Watch The Story of Stuff.
The path of consumer goods can be complex. Follow the path of a pair of humble denim jeans. Read the book Fugitive Demin: A Moving Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of Global Trade.
