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Acknowledgements I would like to first thank God for inspiring and speaking to me throughout this project. I also would like to express gratitude to the current ISJC Directors, Colonels Munn, and former ISJC Directors, Lt-Colonels Pallant for their guidance and support for this project. Additionally, I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Laurelle Smith for her expert advice and investment in this project from beginning to end. I also deeply appreciate Morgan Marinelli for providing the illustrations throughout this paper. Thank you to everyone who sent me pictures of your closet; I appreciate your willingness to be transparent. I am grateful for the authors who have gone before me writing about these topics and inspiring me to change habits in my life while also encouraging me to speak out about it. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this project to the people working in the garment industry. Thank you for letting me share your story and may we all pray for a better future for this industry.
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Contents Faith-Based Facilitation ............................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 6 The Journey of a T-Shirt ..................................................................................................................... 6 Step 1 - Mississippi, United States of America........................................................................... 6 Step 2 - Indonesia ............................................................................................................................. 7 Step 3 – Bangladesh .......................................................................................................................... 7 Step 4 – Bangladesh or Colombia .................................................................................................. 7 Step 5 – The Ocean ........................................................................................................................... 7 Step 6 – United States of America ................................................................................................ 7 Valleys and Mountains ......................................................................................................................... 8 Let’s Learn Some Terms ..................................................................................................................... 9 Clearly, there is a Problem ................................................................................................................ 9 William Booth’s Vision ....................................................................................................................... 10 Get Up and Walk ................................................................................................................................. 11 I.
Issue .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Injustices in the Workplace .............................................................................................................. 12 Rana Plaza Factory Collapse Tragedy ........................................................................................ 13 An Industry Rife with Labour Exploitation ............................................................................... 14 A Threat to Our Environment ...................................................................................................... 15 A Materialistic Culture ....................................................................................................................... 16 Living in Excess ................................................................................................................................... 17
II.
Describe and Analyse ....................................................................................................................... 18 Let’s Uncover the Truth ................................................................................................................... 18 ‘Throwaway Culture’ ......................................................................................................................... 18 Beware of Greenwashing .................................................................................................................. 20 Lacking Proper Safety Nets .............................................................................................................. 21 Sin is a Social Activity ........................................................................................................................ 22 Porter’s Five Forces ........................................................................................................................... 22 Sustainable Development Goals Explained ................................................................................... 24
III. Reflect and Evaluate ......................................................................................................................... 25 From Awareness to Paralysis ........................................................................................................... 25 Unlikely Heroes: God’s Image Bearers .......................................................................................... 26 2
Surrendering Power ........................................................................................................................... 28 All You Need is Love .......................................................................................................................... 29 From Saul to Paul................................................................................................................................ 30 Contentment is Only Found Through Christ ................................................................................ 31 IV. Decide and Plan.................................................................................................................................. 33 How Then Shall We Live? .................................................................................................................. 33 ‘Pursuing Less and Living More’ ...................................................................................................... 34 V. Act.......................................................................................................................................................... 38 So What’s in the Closet?.................................................................................................................... 38 No Simple Answers ............................................................................................................................. 40
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Hi there! I’m so glad you decided to pick this up. I admire your curiosity and desire to learn. What you are about to read will be enlightening but also, my hope is that the person you are right now will be different after reading this. I hope that doesn’t scare you! Before you read anything else, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Stephanie. I am a twenty-something American young adult living in New York City. I am an intern at The Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission (ISJC). I feel as though this research project was somewhat divinely appointed. I have been working on this for fifteen months and there has not been a single moment where I doubted this was what I should be researching. As I learned more about this problem, my passion grew. Our society is in dire need of a shift in culture regarding our attitude toward consumption. Throughout the process of creating this project, I have become an advocate for ethical consumerism. Though I’m not perfect, I have made major changes in my shopping habits. God has convicted me that I can no longer be apathetic. I must act. My actions make a difference. The world needs more passionate and compassionate people! My hope and prayer is that this project would fall into the hands of the right people and more people would become agents of change. By reading this project from cover to cover, I hope to take you on the same journey I’ve been on throughout this year. Please enjoy and please be challenged! Philippians 4:11-13 says, 11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Love, Stephanie
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Faith-Based Facilitation By following The Salvation Army’s Faith-Based Facilitation (FBF), this project seeks to help readers learn how to love our neighbours better through our consumption of goods. FBF can be described as ‘a way of helping people think, talk, explore, and respond to their issues in light of faith’ (Building Deeper Relationships). We often have thoughts and opinions that are difficult to express and FBF aims to give individuals an opportunity to express these thoughts and opinions clearly. By using FBF for this project, it allows us to examine this injustice from all angles. In following the FBF model, the analysis of this issue will be organised into five steps. The five steps can be seen in the graphic included here from the resource, Building Deeper Relationships:
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Introduction The Journey of a T-Shirt Have you ever thought about the journey of the shirt you are wearing right now? Do you remember where you got it? Do you know where it was made? The journey of your t-shirt might surprise you. You may think the process of making a t-shirt only happens in the country the tag says it was made in. You may think the company that sells you the t-shirt is the only company involved in the process of producing the shirt. You may not even think about how a t-shirt is made at all. However, the production of a tshirt is like a rollercoaster filled with amazing innovation and fascinating technologies, but also atrocious exploitation of land and people. Every tshirt on a rack in any store has an entire story that we never see. Up until this year, I never thought about where my clothing came from. Often, the garment industry not only lacks transparency, but it is also deceitful. Even though your shirt says, ‘Made in France’, that tag only describes the last border crossed or port entered before reaching its final destination. So that means your shirt could have only had the little logo on the front actually sewn in France. National Public Radio (NPR) published a story in 2013 outlining the steps it takes to produce a t-shirt and the results were shocking. The following process is only one of the many ways the t-shirt might have travelled but it is extremely effective in demonstrating the lengthy process that every t-shirt goes through. Please come with me on a journey to learn about the stories and faces behind our clothing.
Step 1 - Mississippi, United States of America: Most likely the journey of a t-shirt began on a cotton farm in Mississippi, USA. The USA is such a large producer of cotton due to the
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relaxed laws for genetically modified crops. During this step, the cotton that will be used in the t-shirt is picked and giant machines remove the seeds.
Step 2 - Indonesia: The cotton travels by boat to a factory in Indonesia where giant machines spin the cotton until it reaches the desired consistency. The consistency of the yarn is the factor that makes every company’s t-shirt unique and it determines how the t-shirt feels.
Step 3 – Bangladesh: The yarn is shipped to Bangladesh by boat to be woven into fabric, washed, and dyed by giant machines.
Step 4 – Bangladesh or Colombia: Once the fabric is ready to be sewn into a t-shirt, it most likely falls into the hands of a female garment worker in Bangladesh or Colombia. The garment worker is underpaid but the presence of the garment industry in these countries has allowed the worker to move out of her hometown and contribute to society.
Step 5 – The Ocean: Next, one of the most innovative marvels of modern technology is used to ship the t-shirt to the United States for printing. Shipping containers have changed the global economy and it is now the standard for moving goods around the world. By packing goods into uniform containers and stacking them onto giant boats, it is cheaper than ever to send products across the world.
Step 6 – United States of America: Once the t-shirts have arrived in the United States, the shipping containers are loaded on trucks and trains to be printed and then distributed to retail locations. The injustices in this story of the journey of a t-shirt might not be obvious to the customer picking up a t-shirt from the rack in Wal-Mart but that is exactly what makes injustices such as these so pervasive and dangerous. As consumers, we often unknowingly 7
perpetuate injustices. As Christians, we must be intentional in loving our neighbour through our actions. Every time we complete a purchase - whether we realise it or not - we are making a choice and taking a stance. We need to start thinking differently about what loving our neighbour looks like – it can look like taking time to learn about how our products are made.
Valleys and Mountains In 2018, Gabriel Salguero, a speaker at the Formed for Justice conference with Redeemer church, talked about how in understanding the fight for justice, it is helpful to imagine valleys and mountains. The goal should not only be to raise the valleys, it should also be about teaching the mountains to use their land to fill the valleys. This means that those of us who are on the mountains must be willing to make sacrifices. It is not possible to fight for justice without changing some of our ‘mountain habits’. When we are willing to come down from the mountains, we can allow for room for those in the valleys to come to level ground also. Imagining levelling mountains and valleys is a visible depiction of justice. This imagery is borrowed beautifully from Isaiah, ‘Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain’ (Isaiah 40:4). A simple way of putting this concept into practice is learning about where our products come from with the goal of consuming more ethically. Choosing a life of ethical consumption will require many sacrifices.
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Let’s Learn Some Terms Before getting too far into this topic, it would be helpful to define a few terms that I will continue to use throughout the paper. Ethical consumerism is a type of consumer activism that includes practicing ‘positive buying’ and ‘moral boycotting’. Positive buying can be defined as favouring products that were produced ethically. Moral boycotting is defined as the opposite, avoiding products and companies that manufacture products unethically or less transparently. It is important to note that companies can be ethical in various ways, depending on its geographic location and industry. For example, one company might be vegan, or fair trade certified, or another one could manufacture backpacks out of material made out of water bottles. Categorising a company as ‘ethical’ has flaws. It is subjective and not very specific but for the purpose of this project it will be the main descriptor for a company that is taking action to make a positive difference in the world. Vowing to become an ethical consumer will require sacrifices to be made along with believing that an individual’s actions can make a difference.
Clearly, there is a Problem There is a severe lack of awareness of how our actions affect others and the world we live in. As we explore this issue throughout this analysis on consumerism, one of the questions that might come up is to ask, ‘what is the root cause of this issue?’ or ‘how did we get to this point?’ The reality is that the problem we are facing today is extremely complex and there is not one main cause to blame everything on. One way to summarise the issue is that the maltreatment of the planet and individuals in relation to the garment industry is a result of injustice after injustice piling on top of each other. As the clothing that I buy piles up in my closet, the injustices are also piling up. Collectively, society is lacking a sense of responsibility to take action regarding these injustices. Our world operates in a way where there is no incentive to speak up on behalf of other people. In a society with a paradigm that
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constantly says you will never have enough, it is really easy to make choices without weighing the consequences of that decision and how it might affect our neighbour – near or far.
William Booth’s Vision In A Vision of the Lost1 by William Booth he writes about a violent ocean tossing individuals around as other humans sit, saved and content on a rock. He writes that even though those sitting on the rock were once rescued from the violent ocean, they do not feel compelled to help the ones still suffering. The people sitting on the rock are doing unimportant and mundane things like office jobs, painting, or organising themselves by socioeconomic status. He takes the metaphor even further by writing that the people on the safe rock inch closer to the rock and call for God to come close to help them through problems they are facing – all the while they are blind to the fact that Christ is in the violent ocean, suffering with those who are suffering. He reveals that this was a metaphor for
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Hope For All, by artist Rachel Potter, is a partial reinterpretation of an 1890 illustration from William Booth's seminal work In Darkest England And The Way Out, which visualised The Salvation Army's scheme to redeem or save the different aspects of people's lives. 10
evangelism. There are people who do not know Christ and Christians are allowing these individuals to pass by them in their suffering state without realising that by doing this, they are missing God. This metaphor is extremely powerful, and it can also apply to the physical lack of love and compassion for our neighbour that has struck society today. There is so much pain in the world and yet so many people do not feel the need to do anything about it. Because of this, the main issue we find ourselves looking to overcome is that members of society lack compassion for their neighbour. The purpose of this paper is not to shame or discourage anyone. In fact, the purpose is quite the opposite.
Get Up and Walk The first step to take in fighting against these injustices is to learn about gravity of the situation. Maybe you can identify with the people on the rock. You live a life of safety and you are not even aware of those around you who are lacking physical and spiritual sustenance. If this is you, then you can take time to familiarise yourself with some statistics about the world in which we live. Some important statistics will be included in this paper. Some of these numbers are disturbing but I would encourage you not to stop reading this paper only because you are uncomfortable or disturbed. Gary Haugen, President of International Justice Mission, writes in The Good News About Injustice very eloquently about the typical reaction when we begin to educate ourselves on certain issues: ‘Don’t despair, take heart! In a matter of seconds, we can go from knowing next to nothing about children in India to knowing that fifteen million of them are enslaved in short, brutal, dead-end lives of bonded servitude. Now what? …The very information that should move us is so overwhelming that it actually paralyses… the overwhelming injustice in our world makes us feel numb… This is when we need to listen to the voice of Jesus, the Jesus who encouraged the paralytic to ‘take heart!’ (Matthew 9:22). When their spirits are crippled by the 11
sheer weight of the world’s injustice, Jesus tells his disciples, ‘Take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). He makes this declaration, however, not that we might sit cheerfully in our paralysis but that we might actually get up and walk’ (Haugen 45). The purpose of this paper is to empower and encourage everyone to get up and walk. If we overcome the apathetic attitude toward the wellbeing of our neighbour, we can actually take the time to learn about the injustices that are embedded in society. It will then become necessary to come up with an action plan of how we can build a more just world.
I.
Issue
Does anything seem unethical in the journey of a t-shirt yet? Let us revisit some details.
Injustices in the Workplace In the first step of the journey of a t-shirt, the American farmers most likely earn the United States minimum wage of $7.25 USD per hour in 2019. That is approximately $1,160 USD per month after working 40 hours per week, the amount of hours an employee can work before being compensated for ‘overtime’ in the United States (U.S. Department of Labor). Although the cost of living differs from country to country, this amount seems like a fortune compared to the average $278.76 USD per month that a worker earns in Indonesia and $267.91 USD per month that a worker earns in Colombia after working 50-60 hours per week in 2019 (‘Provincial Minimum Wage in DKI Jakarta’, ‘Presidente Duque Expidió Decretos…’). All these workers make much more than the seamstress in Bangladesh who just received a raise in December of 2018. The Bangladeshi garment worker is also working well over 60 hours per week earning a minimum wage of $95 per month and probably sending most of her wage to her family in a village (Paul). Despite the differences in cost of living2, it can be
2
The Cost of Living Index displayed in the graph above is an imperfect calculation based on aggregating data from hundreds and thousands of individuals. The number is calculated based on a basket of goods that determines the cost
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determined that these wages are far too low for someone working six out of seven days per week. The comparison between the Cost of Living and monthly Minimum Wage by country shows that the poverty experienced in Bangladesh is much more severe. Let’s focus on only Colombia and Bangladesh for a moment. Not only are the wages lower in Bangladesh, but the Cost of Living is higher (‘Cost of Living Index by Country’). Since things cost more in Bangladesh, they not only earn less money, but the money that they earn does not go as far. It is important to analyse minimum wages holistically because the issue is much more complicated than just the amount that the government sets to be the minimum wage.
Rana Plaza Factory Collapse Tragedy 70
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2019 Minimum Wage Compared to Cost of Living Index
Cost of Living Index
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Monthly Minimum Wage
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In addition to the low wages, the working conditions in many of these factories around the world are horrendously unsafe. An example that demonstrates these extremely poor conditions is the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse. In
of living compared to other countries and cities. The aggregators decided to make the Cost of Living Index for New York City 100, so if the Cost of Living in Japan is 85, that means it will generally cost 15 percent less to live in Japan compared to New York City. For more information about how this is calculated, please visit this website: https://www.numbeo.com/common/motivation_and_methodology.jsp
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Bangladesh, March 2013, over 1,000 people died and 2,500 people were injured in this tragic event. Most of the people affected were female garment workers making clothes for Western retailers such as Primark and Wal-Mart (Yardly). The collapse was a result of negligence and prioritising profit over safety. Rana Plaza is not an isolated event. Bangladesh has suffered an alarming number of disasters like these killing dozens and even hundreds of people in other factory collapses and fires. Since the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, a few agreements have been made among companies however no significant changes have come to fruition. By cheaply constructing the buildings and paying the garment workers extremely low wages, companies are able to sell products at such a low price. The worst part‌ We, as consumers, love those low prices so much that we find prices any higher as unacceptable. Have you ever wondered how you bought that sweater for only $8?
An Industry Rife with Labour Exploitation There is an added layer of dangers that garment workers face in the industry globally because of the abundance of labour trafficking. Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is hidden and extremely pervasive in the garment industry. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports in 2016, 40.3 Million people were victims of modern slavery and forced marriage. (24.9 million are in forced labour; 15.4 million are forced to marry). Out of these 40.3 million people, 71 per cent of the people affected are girls and women and 25 per cent of the people affected are children (‘Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking’). In 2014, the ILO also reported that forced labour generates annual profits of $150 Billion USD (de Cock and Woode). This injustice is affecting millions of people and rarely makes the news headlines. From farming to sewing, it is extremely likely that the garment industry is guilty of labour exploitation in nearly every step of the process. Do you think about trafficking when you go shopping?
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A Threat to Our Environment The garment industry is not only taking advantage of human beings during the production process. The earth’s natural resources are also exploited. The garment industry has become quite reckless with the usage of the earth’s resources. To give an idea, it takes approximately 2,700 litres of water to make one t-shirt. (‘The Impact of a Cotton T-Shirt’). From growing the cotton to washing and dying the fabric, water is a big part of the production process of clothing. Our water consumption is not usually associated with how many pieces of clothing we buy.3 Many find this statistic shocking and the reason is because there is a mental disconnect between everything that happens to the clothing before we see it in the store, beautifully displayed on the racks. We are also neglecting to think about what happens to the clothing we no longer want. In 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency reported that 84 per cent of discarded clothing went to the landfill or incinerator (‘Textiles: Material-Specific Data.’). As consumers, we are unaware of the repercussions of our actions unless we have the awareness to do our own research on the products we buy. Clothes require a lot of resources to produce, require a lot of resources to discard, and require many years to decompose. If we recycle, conserve our water consumption, minimise our use of plastic, but we still do not change our clothing consumption habits, we are missing a big piece of striving to protect the environment. Do we treasure our clothing as much as we should? Or do we discard it as if it were something disposable?
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If you are interested in educating yourself further on reducing your water consumption, you can calculate your water footprint at www.watercalculator.org 15
A Materialistic Culture Injustices in far off countries aren’t the only thing rapidly growing and expanding without our approval or knowledge. The gap between those with means and those without means is getting wider and wider. As a society with so much wealth, we are collecting more things, bigger things, and spending more money on things that provide only temporary happiness. Since these changes in society happened gradually, we have quietly and inconspicuously become quite possibly the most materialistic civilisation the world has ever seen. It is shocking to compare our lifestyle today to how society lived only 70 to 90 years ago. According to Juliet Schor in The Overworked American, the American home has nearly tripled in size since the 1950s (Schor 111, 112). Since our homes are growing larger, we are accumulating more things to fill up the space‌ Or perhaps we are looking for larger homes because we continue accumulating more things. Whichever came first, there is clearly a problem. We continue to believe the lie that we do not have enough. The average American woman owns 30 outfits, one for every day of the month. In 1930, that number was 9 outfits (Johnson). Additionally, it is normal today to believe that we cannot be seen in the same outfit more than once. A trend that is occurring in our materialistic society is that people will buy outfits only for taking pictures only for the purpose of posting on social media. The actual utility and practicality of the clothing is not important. Remembering the long journey of a t-shirt, multiplied by all the outfits we only wear once or not at all, is it possible that our priorities could be misaligned? We are exploiting land and people for more likes on Instagram.
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Living in Excess With fast fashion on the rise, there is a growing need to figure out what to do with the excess of clothes being produced. Since fashion is changing so rapidly from season to season, consumers are buying more, this leads companies to produce more and this practice is not sustainable. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes data each year about the consumption habits of people in the United States and the results are surprising. In the 1910s, Americans spent approximately 16.6 per cent of their annual income on clothing and shoes (Chao & Utgoff). In 2018, Americans spent 3 per cent of their annual income on apparel and services (‘Consumer Expenditures – 2018’). Even though we spend a much smaller percentage of our income on clothing and shoes, we end up with a lot more of it because of the low cost of clothing. Since we are learning about the negative effects of our consumption of clothing, we must also be aware of this cultural shift happening of an increased consumption of clothing. After what seemed like a natural progression of society, numerous problems have arisen, and we desperately need to re-evaluate how we are acting. For a while we could continue to operate with the belief that we did not know the consequences of our actions, but we are far beyond that point and change is necessary.
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II.
Describe and Analyse
Let’s Uncover the Truth In a store, companies hide the reality behind the production of a single t-shirt from us. You might be asking yourself, is it really all the company’s fault? Let’s think again about the journey of a t-shirt… What kinds of sacrifices were made for that t-shirt to be produced? Maybe a child in Bangladesh sewed the hem of that t-shirt instead of going to school. Maybe it was washed and dyed in Indonesia with water that could have been purified for drinking. If clothing were advertised by describing the details of production, sales would certainly decline dramatically. However, we are also reluctant to make any effort to uncover whatever truth is being hidden from us. By being passive consumers of media and advertising, we are allowing ourselves to be deceived. As we become more aware of this long journey our clothing takes before enticing us on the racks, I would like to bring to your attention that the average woman in the United Kingdom has 22 unworn clothing items in her closet (Sims). These sacrifices are being made in other parts of the world for clothes that we are not even wearing. As you are reading, you might be finding yourself to be a part of a problem that you did not even know existed. It is true; most of us have been passively perpetuating the injustice as we fall into the trap of consumerism.
‘Throwaway Culture’ As the production process has become more streamlined and globalisation has been on the rise, the garment industry has taken off and this has led to the monetary cost of clothing to be as low as ever. This has led to many unforeseen circumstances. Since many companies
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have decided that it is not necessary to pay its workers a living wage4, it is extremely cheap to produce clothing. As a result, it costs consumers so little to purchase clothing items, however, it costs garment workers so much. One of the repercussions of the low cost of clothing has led members of society to become extremely unattached to their belongings. For example, The Daily Mail reports that women in the U.K. buy half of their body weight in clothes each year (Sims). Since consumers continue to buy, companies continue to produce, and that leads consumers to discard clothing more quickly, which has a detrimental effect on the environment. The Economist reports, ‘consumers keep almost every type of apparel only half as long as they did 15 years ago’ and yet ‘global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014’ (M.S.L.J.). We have become what author and blogger Haley Stewart describes as a ‘Throwaway Culture’, meaning that it is so common in our culture to treat our belongings as if they can just be thrown away and easily replaced. In his book, Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire, author and theologian William Cavanaugh describes the problem as being distant from the production, product, and producer. Before the industrial revolution, the home was a place of production. Families would spend time cooking, sewing clothes, writing letters, building furniture, taking care of a garden or taking care of livestock. Today, the home is a place of consumption. We live in a culture of instant meals, instant communication, television, Internet and the emergence of an industry that is rapidly producing clothing to be purchased and discarded. The purpose of the fast fashion business model is to shorten the life span of the clothes we own so that we buy more. Having our homes as places of consumption has changed our relationship with our belongings. We don’t take care of our things because they are easily replaceable. This change
4
Initially developed in 2004 by MIT Professor, Dr. Amy K. Glassmeir, Living Wage is a model that measures the basic needs of a family based on geographic location and family size, while considering costs like childcare and healthcare. 19
in attitude has a detrimental, unforeseen effect on the environment and people involved in the production process because they are forgotten in the process.
Beware of Greenwashing As ethical consumerism grows in popularity, companies have latched on to this concept. There are now extensive marketing campaigns to convince consumers that they are doing something good for the environment by buying a pair of shorts. This practice has been named ‘Greenwashing’. According to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, greenwashing is ‘the act of misleading customers and potential customers into believing that a product or service is environmentally friendly’ (‘Greenwashing’). We need to be aware that the act of greenwashing is a marketing tactic. It is a slight improvement that the cute shorts you are thinking about buying are made with 30 per cent recycled material but it would be even better for the environment to buy shorts from a thrift store, swap shorts with a friend, or not buy any shorts at all. It is not possible for companies in the fast-fashion industry to reverse the harm they are causing by having you to buy more of their products. Programs that involve recycling old pairs of jeans or shoes for a special discount in the store is only a way to get you to buy something new. Although it is commendable to allocate resources to these new technologies, we must ask questions when information is presented to us from a company. The technology is not advanced enough to recycle the large volumes of clothing that these companies receive from these programs. It is also necessary to mention that often these greenwashed products are not fair trade certified. That means even though these products are marginally better for the environment, people are still being exploited throughout the production process. A product can be marketed as ‘harmless’ or ‘clean’ but that could be far from the reality. As I am writing this, I am reminded of the verse from Matthew 10:16 that says, ‘Be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves’. Meaning that we should be careful
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which messages we are absorbing. In order to be an ethical consumer, this requires research and careful consideration. We live in a world that wants to deceive us.
Lacking Proper Safety Nets Consumers are not the only ones at fault; the garment industry severely lacks accountability and transparency. The structure of the industry has set companies up for failure for making sure that their company is following ethical practices. Since many companies outsource the various steps in the production process, it allows for the company to deny responsibility and choose the path of ignorance towards the problem. Without specific safety nets in place, vulnerable people will be exploited and suffer. It must be mentioned that there is a difference between perpetuating an injustice and being responsible for starting an injustice. Many of us are guilty of perpetuating injustices. The root cause of any injustice can be described as one person with more power abusing his or her power to negatively affect someone else with less power. It is an extremely human characteristic to have our initial reaction to abuse any bit of power we can grab, intentionally or unintentionally. Because of this human tendency, we must have proper laws in place to protect garment workers globally. Laws regarding accountability and transparency for companies can help them remain ethical and stop all of us from perpetuating injustices. As consumers, even though we can ignite change by being mindful about the things we buy, we must remember that we are fighting against behemoth companies. To get these companies’ attention, we can push for change by advocating for laws that would protect garment workers. We think that we are not capable of doing horrible things but the horrible injustices that certain people face today proves that theory incorrect. Being a part of an injustice is a slippery slope. When human beings are in a situation of grave need, we can stoop to low places. It is important that we continue to hold companies responsible for their actions along
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with keeping our behaviours in check so that, as a society, we don’t spiral downwards to the darkness.
Sin is a Social Activity In Book 2 of Confessions, by Augustine, he writes about how there is a social aspect to sin. He shares an anecdote about how when he was a teenager, his friends convinced him to steal an entire cart of pears from an orchard. He admits that he did not want pears nor was he motivated by any self-interest. The act of stealing pears was enjoyable because it was wrong, and he was with his friends. In a way, this can relate to the modern issue of consumerism. Stealing pears was a social and empty action. Augustine would not have stolen the pears if he were alone. In my culture, I am likely to buy more because it feels like everyone else is doing the same thing. I consider shopping for clothing as a hobby or typical Sunday activity with my mom. The idea of exploitation happening at some point during the production process, unfortunately, seems normal. Just like Augustine only felt momentary happiness after stealing the cart of pears, the happiness from buying an unnecessary item of clothing is also fleeting. Marketing tells us that all our problems will be solved if we buy that one thing, but this is a lie. Perhaps I owe the readers of this project an apology. I say this because after becoming more aware of the world’s injustices related to the garment industry, I might have ruined shopping for you. In the store when you buy something that you don’t need, with the knowledge that it was produced unethically, it does not even give you momentary happiness. Most likely, you can live without that item you think you just cannot live without.
Porter’s Five Forces To continue analysing the nature of how and why businesses run successfully, this next section is meant to be a helpful method to analyse the many different powers that influence the success of a product. This tool is taught in many business schools and it is called Porter’s
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Five Forces.5 A Harvard Business School professor, Michael Porter, created it to describe and analyse the intensity of competition and how attractive and profitable a company will be. The Five Forces include Bargaining Power of Suppliers, Bargaining Power of Buyers, Threat of Substitutes, Threat of New Entrants, and these four forces affect the Competitive Rivalry within the industry6. Each force varies in strength, depending on the nature of the product and industry. For this project, since we are looking at things from the perspective of consumers, the most relevant of the Five Forces would be Buyer Power. Buyer Power is defined as the ability consumers possess to affect the price and manufacturing process of products. In the garment industry, since individual consumers are very small compared to the large companies that make the decisions, there is a very small amount of direct Buying Power. However, in the garment industry, since we have many options when it comes to buying clothing, there is a high Threat of Substitutes. This means that even though we do not much direct Buying Power, consumers have a large amount of indirect Buying Power with the high Threat of Substitutes. By recognising that we have a significant amount of indirect Buying Power, we are able to believe that where we shop makes a difference. Let us leverage this power, now that we are aware of the power we possess in the high Threat of Substitutes.
5
For more information on Porter’s Five Forces, please visit the Harvard Business School Website: https://www.isc.hbs.edu/strategy/business-strategy/Pages/the-five-forces.aspx 6
The above image comes from: https://thecimastudent.com/2016/10/14/cima-e2-portersfive-forces/ 23
Sustainable Development Goals Explained In 2015 the United Nations announced seventeen goals to achieve by 2030. They are called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 193 countries committed to achieve these together. According to the website, the goals ‘provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future’ (‘Sustainable Development Goals: About’). These goals are different from the Millennium Development Goals because they apply to all countries – developed and developing. When the goals were created, there was a focus on sustainability. The United Nations is striving to make lasting changes. When individuals and organisations are working to make the world a better place, it is important that the changes are sustainable. Some examples of the goals are ‘No Poverty’, ‘Zero Hunger’, ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’, ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’, and ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’. These are all noble goals but there is no use in making changes if they are not implemented sustainably. As we consider what kind of action we can take to consume more responsibly, it is important to focus on making small lifestyle changes because changing one habit at a time is more sustainable than adopting an entirely new lifestyle. The SDGs are useful because we can gather ideas and research from information published by United Nations. The SDGs are a way to measure progress across different sectors and countries. It is important to remember that the information gathered by the United Nations is meaningless if learning about these goals does not change how we live and if we do not hold governments accountable to changing their actions as well.
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III. Reflect and Evaluate From Awareness to Paralysis As this project continued throughout the year, the term ‘ethical consumer’ seemed more and more like a paradox. When stepping into a store, my brain is now flooded with questions: •
Is it possible to consume anything without negatively impacting a single person?
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What if I found a company that is ethical, but their shoes are not fashionable or their sweater costs $800?
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What if the CEO was accused of sexual assault?
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This product is labelled as Fair Trade, but I see it is wrapped in plastic - which is bad for the environment - is it wise to buy this?
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What if these unethically produced orthopaedic shoes are the only pair that helps my grandma?
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What if someone gave me a gift from a company I don’t support?
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Will my actions even change anything?
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Am I even advocating for the right changes?
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How are we supposed to love our neighbours if we cannot see them? These thoughts can lead someone with good intentions into paralysis. There is no
straightforward answer to these questions. This is when we need to look at God’s word. How can we apply biblical principles to consumerism in the 21st century?
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Unlikely Heroes: God’s Image Bearers Whether we realise it or not, purchasing anything is an exercise of power. Humans are called to be stewards of a unique power. Genesis 1:26 displays how God entrusted us with this unique type of power on earth. ‘Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ When He did this, God had a unique purpose for humans. It is important to realise that even if we each have a small sphere of influence, everyone has the power to influence because God can use all of us for His will to be done on earth. The power of Christ is a perfect kind of power. The same kind of power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives inside each one of us. Do you know that? I think it is worth repeating: The same kind of power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives inside each one of us. Once we come to this realisation, there should be a significant change in how we act and treat each other. Clearly, the power entrusted to us is not an earthly type of power. Earthly power gains traction when humans take matters into their own hands and shift power among themselves. Power is shifted and exchanged through the decisions any individual makes. Governments, weapons, money, and corporations are all forms of earthly power. Power is not innately good nor evil. The power that each one of us possesses is God-given, as His image-bearers, and it can be misused terribly. This is the same power that brought Jesus to earth as an infant and the same power that enacted the resurrection. This power is unpredictable, upside down, and unexpected.
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God used Moses, a man with a stammer, to lead a nation. God used young David, a shepherd, to defeat Goliath with only one slingshot. God used Esther, a woman and minority, to save an entire group of people. The Bible is full of unlikely heroes and these amazing acts were done by people with willing hearts. Stories like these are found throughout the Bible and are great examples of how God works very differently than the world. God tends to use the weak and humble to build His Kingdom on earth. Justice happens when humans use their power for redemptive purposes rather than using power destructively. Jesus says in Matthew 19:26 ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Once we decide to fully rely on God, this opens the possibility for God to work in incredible ways. All our power comes from God and yet we are so prone to abusing it or using it for our own glory (as demonstrated in the problems that have struck the world, highlighted throughout this paper). By studying the Bible, we can learn how to use power wisely and how we can avoid becoming corrupt. Since the fall of humanity, we have been abusing power, grasping onto power in its earthly form. From the judges and kings in the Old Testament to disciples and apostles in the New Testament, there are countless examples of abuse of power in the Bible. There are also examples of power used wisely and we can continue to look at the ways God reveals parts of His character to us.
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Surrendering Power As we examine this idea more closely, we can learn that a significant characteristic of God, who is the most powerful, is to give up His power. Looking back at Genesis 1 when God voluntarily gives humans unique power on earth, we can see clearly that this is a part of His nature. Surrendering power seems counterintuitive when we are thinking about all the ways we can fight against injustice. We are prone to using force when we are faced with a wrong that needs to be made right. Let us take a moment and think about what it might look like to surrender our power in the process of fighting for justice. Maybe we don’t always need to be the loudest voice. One of the most stunning examples of surrendering power is our Saviour, Jesus Christ. The picture of Jesus suffering on the cross is the perfect symbol of power being made perfect in weakness. His complete surrender of power is the most powerful thing I can imagine. It is also the most beautiful thing I can imagine. Jesus, who is truly and properly God, underwent excruciating pain and shame in our place. He was blameless. Jesus paid our debt. He suffered so that we don’t have to. Jesus was the person who was least deserving of suffering and yet he took on all our burdens. Let’s ask ourselves, in what ways can we surrender our power? We must remember that surrendering our power is still a way of using power. Surrendering power does not equal indifference nor inaction. When we are thinking of ways to surrender our power, we must focus on how our actions affect others. When our actions don’t change once we know that we are responsible for the earth running out of natural resources or we are responsible for garment workers facing dangerous conditions, we should reassess how we are using our power. Cultural and societal change starts with our individual actions. We can be the catalyst for change. Learning how to repair a hole in a garment or sew on a button could be an example of surrendering the power we possess because we are choosing not to buy something new. Deciding to not buy a new item of clothing – even if you can afford it – is a way of surrendering power. Let’s start thinking about our lives from a sacrificial lens, the same lens as Jesus’. 28
All You Need is Love As we continue to explore different aspects of God’s character, we can see that the Bible is filled with countless examples of God caring for the vulnerable and oppressed. Many times, He specifically mentions the importance of caring for the poor, orphan, widow, or foreigner. God even gave Moses specific laws for the Israelites that included instructions regarding agriculture that would allow the foreigner or widow to glean. Gleaning is the practice of gathering the grains left behind after the crops have been harvested. God instructed the workers in the field to leave behind grains so that those who could not afford food could collect the left-over crops. This is demonstrated throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.7 Along with gleaning, the general idea of lifting the poor and destitute is a common theme throughout the scriptures. God calls us to clothe ourselves with compassion (Colossians 3:12) and to love our neighbour (Matthew 22:39). We can see this demonstrated through the life of Jesus. This is something we will continue to learn about throughout our entire lives.8 Let us recall the journey of a t-shirt. Who would be the person creating that t-shirt? Maybe she is living in poverty, working long hours trying to make ends meet. Maybe she was orphaned after losing her parents at a young age. Maybe she lost her husband or has no husband. Maybe she immigrated to a new country to find work. These situations are exactly where God’s heart aches. Have we failed in following after God’s heart by neglecting the wellbeing of our sisters and brothers? Are we going against God’s commands when we buy a $5 t-shirt? We must ask God how we can better love vulnerable groups of people.
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Read the book of Ruth if you would like to see gleaning represented in a cultural context For more examples from the Bible that reveals God’s heart for the vulnerable and oppressed look up Zechariah 7:10, 1 Samuel 2:8, Psalm 146:7-9, and Micah 3:9-12. 8
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From Saul to Paul As you are reading this, if you are relating more to the oppressor than the oppressed, please know that God can transform and use you, too! Along with stories of unlikely heroes, there are also stories of complete transformation. Look at Saul, for example. When Saul experienced his conversion on the way to Damascus, in Acts 9:1 the Bible says, ‘He was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.’ God completely transformed Saul’s life while Saul was actively persecuting Christians. Even though Saul was persecuting God’s people, God had compassion on him and completely turned his life upside down. This is a testament to God’s radical love and radical compassion, but it is also a testament to God’s great power. If God was able to convert Saul into the apostle Paul, then he can transform our willing hearts. As we think about different ways we can surrender our lives to God, it is helpful to know that The Salvation Army International Positional Statement defines power as ‘the possession of command, control, or influence over others… It is a means by which they achieve some of the world’s most positive goods and some of the world’s most horrifying evils.’ This is an important thing to mention because God leaves it up to us in how we decide to use power. As a man with adequate social status, Saul used his power to achieve some horrifying evils. The story of Paul’s conversion demonstrates the two extremes that power can be used to achieve. Once Paul was converted, he was able to be influential from a prison cell. God can use any of us; we just need to turn
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to Him. Are you making yourself available to God? Maybe you could be one of these unlikely heroes.
Contentment is Only Found Through Christ We can also gain motivation to change our habits when we look at the simple, perfect life of Jesus. We know that Jesus was born into a family that was not wealthy. In Luke 2:2224, when Mary and Joseph went to the temple for Jesus’ circumcision, they brought two pigeons as a sacrifice for Mary’s purification. In Leviticus 12:7-8, the law says that for this ceremony it is typical to sacrifice a lamb but ‘if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons.’ Mary and Joseph were too poor for the customary lamb. As Jesus grew up, the son of God continued to live a simple lifestyle. Having so little was a way that Jesus went about doing his ministry. Jesus preached on borrowed boats, he multiplied borrowed food, and rode on a borrowed colt. Many miracles or conversations would not have happened if Jesus was a man of earthly riches. As we grow in contentment and seek to simplify our lives, we become more like Jesus. Not only did Jesus live on very little, he also instructed others to have less. In Matthew 19:21, when a wealthy man asked Jesus what he must do to enter the Kingdom of God, Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ It is possible that Jesus was trying to make a point by giving an extreme response, but it is clear what Jesus valued. If we were to ask Jesus what must we do to enter the Kingdom of God, and he gave us a similar answer, how would we react? This is worth considering. Do our values line up with Jesus’ values? If not, what changes can we make today to align ourselves with Kingdom values? As we begin to see how we can use our power in a way that pleases God and lines up with Kingdom values, it is up to us to make changes in our lives. Part of our power should be used to resist the pressure of buying and consuming new things every week. When we neglect 31
to stand up to consumerism, our happiness only hinges on temporary things. Standing up to these temptations is not an easy task. We can begin to resist the pressures of consumerism by reflecting on how we are filling ourselves. Are we filling ourselves with items that will only provide momentary happiness like Augustine and stealing the cart of pears? Modern day marketing tactics aim to tell us that we will feel fully content when we fill ourselves with material things. The Bible tells us that true contentment can only come from Christ. This is a radical, countercultural statement. You might be thinking, ‘I feel pretty content when I watch that new show on Netflix or when I buy a pair of skinny jeans to be trendy.’ Both things might make us feel happy, but this is momentary happiness. Unfortunately, this is the tricky part. Avoiding consumerism will require us to turn away from sparkly new products. It will seem like everyone owns these gadgets except you. But remember this: shows on Netflix will end, and trends will fade, but we serve an unchanging, living, breathing God - full of power and love for each one of us. By making the decision to serve this living, breathing God, we can help build His Kingdom on earth. Scholar and theologian, N.T. Wright, talks about how what we do on earth matters: “The point of the resurrection…is that the present bodily life is not valueless just because it will die…What you do with your body in the present matters because God has a great future in store for it…What you do in the present—by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbour as yourself—will last into God's future. These activities are not simply ways of making the present life a little less beastly, a little more bearable, until the day when we leave it behind altogether (as the hymn so mistakenly puts it…). They are part of what we may call building for God's kingdom” (Wright 193). 32
Once we align ourselves with God’s purpose for our life and submit ourselves to building God’s Kingdom here on earth, we become a part of the restoration story. Looking back at the life of Paul, analysing his conversion story and later looking to his time in jail, we can see that he knew what it meant to be content, sitting in jail he wrote these words: “11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
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I know what it is to be in need, and I
know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
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I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians
4:11-13). Once we begin to understand God’s goodness, nothing else is nearly as good. The fullness that we feel from Christ is unmatched. The challenge of facing temptations becomes achievable when we know that our strength comes from Christ. We did not do anything special for God’s desire to collaborate with us in doing His will on earth. We received it through the radical compassion of Jesus Christ. This gift is so precious, and it is up to us to use it for God’s glory and to work to build God’s kingdom on earth.
IV. Decide and Plan How Then Shall We Live? There is a good chance that the clothes you’re wearing, the food you’re eating, and even the bricks used to construct your home were all produced unethically. Life on earth is flawed. We are flawed. Even when we try to act ethically, we fail. Even if we know about all the ways land and humans are exploited, there is a good chance we are still doing something that is indirectly harming someone or something else. It takes a radical amount of compassion and empathy to consider how every single action impacts others. That type of compassion and empathy can only be learned through Jesus Christ and friendship with the Holy Spirit. The 33
task at hand may seem daunting but rather than focusing on what is out of our control, this is an opportunity to harness what is in our control. One of the ways we can do this is by asking ourselves what do we truly need? Instead of going through an ‘ethical checklist’ on every product we consider buying, we should reflect on if we really need that product. It is okay to ask God to help you throughout this process. As crazy as it sounds, we can shop prayerfully. Remember that it is only through Christ that we can truly feel content. It is helpful when you are in the store to picture your closet or drawer and think, do I have room for this new item? Another helpful question to ask is will my life be significantly different or better after buying this? Many times, we buy something, and we forget about it. The girl who sewed it instead of going to school probably did not forget about it. God’s heart aches for that girl. God loves that girl as much as you and me. What if instead of perpetuating these injustices, we shifted our energy to raising awareness of the abuse that is inflicted on garment workers and the negative effects on the environment? A radical approach to shopping could be to commit to only buying things when a current article of clothing no longer fits or gets damaged. Resisting consumer culture is challenging but we can do this through Christ.
‘Pursuing Less and Living More’ For further reading on the topic of battling consumer culture, I recommend reading author and blogger Haley Stewart’s book called The Grace of Enough. She writes about her family’s journey of ‘pursuing less and living more in a throwaway culture’. In the book she talks about how her husband was working all the time, their house was accumulating clutter, they were not spending quality time together as a family, and for what, to be happy? They certainly were not achieving happiness. The Stewart family felt tired and stuck. After prayer and many conversations, Haley and her family made the decision to live on a farm in Texas
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for two years and the experience was extremely transformational. The time on the farm allowed her family to take time to clearly see what matters to them. As a family, they were eating nearly every meal together and the small living quarters brought the family closer (physically but also emotionally and spiritually). Life on a farm allowed Haley’s family to appreciate all forms of God’s creation with a garden and all the animals. The Stewart family was able to see God’s purpose for their lives through becoming a part of a little community of like-minded people on the farm with the other farmers and animals. She points out that their lifestyle change doesn’t have to look like your lifestyle change. This is something every individual needs to think and pray about. When we ask God for guidance, he gives us answers. For someone else, pursuing less and living more could mean moving into a tiny apartment in a city and being extremely intentional in getting to know her neighbours or selling her car and commuting to work by bike. Brandon Vogt writes the forward of the book, and he says, the most important things to pursue in life are ‘family, holiness, community and creation’ (Stewart xiii). This would look different for everyone, but Vogt does not say the important things to pursue in life are ‘iPhones, designer purses, expensive vacations or high paying jobs’. For these lifestyle changes to stick, they must penetrate our thoughts and conversations. Take note of the accounts you are following on social media. Take note of what kinds of shows you are watching on television. We must be careful what messages we are absorbing because these messages affect our outlook on the world. Instead of worrying about things like the latest trends and technologies, we can keep learning things like the 35
journey of a t-shirt and spending time in God’s word. Knowing about the journey of a t-shirt has provided us with a lot of insights about the world. Understanding this extensive process that a simple garment of clothing goes through and the people involved can lead us into a new way of thinking. Once we understand the consequences to our actions, we have a responsibility to change our habits. In The Grace of Enough, Haley Stewart writes about what we should do when we don’t feel like changing: I often lose perspective… and see these actions as merely tiny inconveniences. Do I really want to clean out that peanut butter jar so that it can be recycled? Is it really worthwhile to keep the house warmer in the summer and colder in the winter than is comfortable? Isn’t it all just a drop in the bucket? Will my actions actually affect anything at all? But if I can remember that these little sacrifices are of great value to God because they show him that I love him enough to love the world he made and my fellow man, the inconveniences can become something beautiful and I am able to be more faithful. I’m encouraged by this quote (often attributed to St. Teresa of Calcutta): ‘Wash the plate not because its dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next’ (Stewart 41). It is important to note that these are countercultural ideas. As soon as you put this paper down you will be bombarded with messages telling you that you don’t have enough and your happiness hinges on the purchase of that one pair of shoes or that one sweater. Since achieving contentment through Christ is so countercultural, it is important to come up with a 36
plan after reading this because everything you are reading will immediately be challenged. One thing you can start today is pray for people who are perpetuating injustices. Prayer is a way to take a leap of faith and believe in the power of God. As we pray, God will show us how we can treat one another better. Another thing you can start today is spend time reflecting and praying about what you value and see if you are doing things every day that line up with your values. Maybe you love cooking, but you haven’t been preparing and enjoying meals together with your family as often as you would like. It is important that we are living our lives intentionally and purposefully. Lastly, we can remember the truth from Haley Stewart that making these small, intentional changes in our lives is an act of worship. Maybe I really want a shirt that I saw in the window of a store where I know it was definitely not ethically produced. It helps to say no if I am saying yes to following Christ and loving my neighbour better. I can get discouraged by thinking that my changes won’t make any difference, but it is comforting to know that it delights God when I choose to worship Him by making small sacrifices. Will you join me?
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V. Act So What’s in the Closet? As I was writing this, I was interested to hear from you. I was aware of my struggles as a consumer, but I wanted to know if this was a problem globally. I asked people like me, around the world to send me pictures of their closets. These photos came from female’s closets in the age range of 18-35 years old. I heard from people in the Philippines, Kenya, England, Australia and many other places. Asking for pictures of closets was an interesting experience for multiple reasons. First, it was interesting to see the variety. From the small sample that I got, there was no common thread that showed if you were a certain age, your closet would have fewer clothes or if you were from a particular continent, you had more clothes. In general, we all have a lot. Second, the conversations about people’s closets were different from what I expected. Whether the person who I asked for photos had a jam-packed closet or very few items, there was a little bit of shame tied to showing me what their closet looked like. This surprised me because I knew that I had some shame tied to showing people my closet, but I didn’t know other people felt that way also. I began to wonder why this shame existed. I especially thought about the people with an excessive amount of clothing. We feel shame without really even understanding the consequences of our actions. Consumerism is a word that we all associate as being something negative but most of us do not know exactly why or how it is so bad. Instead of connecting the unknown with shame, I encourage you to seek answers. It’s so easy to hide behind shame and if we let this happen, it creates distance between all of us. My hope is that we can be honest with our struggles and ask each other to hold us accountable. If we take the time to educate ourselves and help each other, then real, significant change is possible.
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No Simple Answers I’m not sure if you were hoping I would have some secret answers for you by the end of this but unfortunately, I do not have simple answers. I do not have a magical checklist to follow where you can suddenly become an ethical consumer. After learning about the nature of the industry, I have discovered that there is no simple solution. The mistreatment of workers and the exploitation of land in the garment industry is extremely complicated and multifaceted – but it is time for Christians to make some lifestyle changes. Whenever we are making a purchase, there are many forces competing for our attention, and it is pretty easy to talk yourself into buying anything. As I was working on this project and I would tell people what I am studying, it was always interesting what types of questions I would receive. I had a moment of realisation when someone asked me one question that I will always remember. She asked me, ‘Which one is worse, shopping at Wal-Mart or Target?’ The moment she asked me that question my project took a major shift. I realised that I was focusing my research in the wrong area. In fact, a lot of us are focusing on the wrong thing. Instead of ending bad habits, I was focusing on how I could slightly adapt or shift my habits in a way that would automatically make me ‘ethical’ – or at least feel ‘ethical’. I was not looking for a lifestyle change, I was looking for a quick fix. I was looking for a way to be able to continue to buy things, but I wanted a way to not feel guilty about it. Unfortunately, many of us fall into this trap. ‘Stationary made from recycled material.’ ‘SOLD.’ ‘A pair of shoes will be donated to Africa when I buy a pair.’ ‘SOLD.’ ‘A pretty reusable water bottle, even though I already have one.’ ‘SOLD.’ These may not sound like bad ways to spend money and that is exactly the danger behind this pervasive problem. My suggestions for ways to change are not going to look cool on Instagram. It won’t even be something interesting enough that you will want to brag about to your friends. Learning about the horrors of the garment industry has been eye
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opening and I would like to commit to making some lifestyle changes. In order for our world to experience any significant change, we need millions of people imperfectly trying to consume ethically and messing up, rather than one person living as a perfect, ethical, no waste consumer. Please know that this is a journey and since we are human, we will mess up. The purpose of this is to aim to be a better neighbour today than we were yesterday. Feel free to join me on this journey. Below are a few suggestions to begin transforming our lives: 1. Prayer: This journey of transforming our hearts should begin with prayer. Ask God if there is a specific injustice related to the garment industry that speaks to your heart. Does your heart ache to know that children are working in factories instead of going to school? Maybe you are concerned about our dwindling water supply. Maybe you really want workers to be paid fair wages for their craft. God gives each of us some divinely appointed passions and it is up to us to let God use them. There might not be a specific injustice that jumps out at us and that is fine. We must make prayer a priority and we can watch God transform hearts. If all of us were to commit to praying for a specific injustice, what a powerful witness that would be! 2. Simplicity: One of the key takeaways I have learned in this process is that our culture has a problem with excess. We live in a culture that values novelty and individualism. We believe false narratives from the world about what it means to be happy. This can lead us down a dangerous path of chasing things we do not have instead of appreciating what is right in front of us. An extremely simple and clear way to become 41
more ethical is to accept God’s calling for us to be content and consume less. Richard J. Foster points out that by vowing to live a simpler life, we can experience contentment and trust (Foster 72). This could look like buying less, reusing more, sharing more etc… However, just because this is a clear and simple method this does not mean it is easy in any way. Simplifying our lives in a world of instant gratification and a constant stream of new trends seems nearly impossible. This task seems much more achievable when we realise that by simplifying our lives we are learning to love our neighbour better, we are working to bring God’s Kingdom to earth and we are learning how to become more like Christ. 3. Community: It is important that you don’t seek to make lifestyle changes alone. Invite friends to join you. To be honest, having these conversations with my friends makes me nervous because I am always worried that I will come across as judgmental towards someone who really enjoys fashion and shopping. To get your friends on board, start the conversation by asking them to hold you accountable. Lead by example. Trust God that your actions will speak louder than your words. If they ask you to go shopping, tag along but ask them to not let you buy anything impulsively. Ask to borrow things that you think you will only need once. (For example: camping equipment, a costume for a themed party9 or a dress for a special occasion) If your friend asks you why you want to borrow it, use it as an opportunity to explain that you are trying to reduce your consumption. Another way to include people on your ethical consumption journey could be to host a clothing swap party. These are fun because everyone ends up with new things in their closets without going to the store. If we have a humble attitude when we present the problems behind fast fashion to our friends, people are interested and usually want to change. We are deeply affected by our culture and we
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i.e. Ugly Christmas Sweater party, Decades themed parties, Vacation Bible School, etc… 42
have the power to influence the people we spend the most time with. We are much more likely to experience true transformation if people join us on this journey. So now you have the facts and pathways of transformation. It is up to you what you do with this new information. We have learned about the stories behind our clothes and now it is time to act. This does not start tomorrow; I challenge you to make one change in your life today. Stop. Pray. Ask God to help you think about something you could change right now, today. Tell someone about that change. Ask them to join you or help you. Let’s do a better job loving our things and more importantly, loving each other.
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