Second-hand Clothes and World Debt

February 12, 2007

PIcture yourself, trodding down a dusty road. The trees are full and green, the dust is thick and coats your sandals as you kick it into the atmosohere. You’re in the middle of southern africa, Zambia. Some children skip by on their way to the well to fill up their jugs of water. But wait, is that little girl sporting a dirty Simba night gown? It just doesn’t seem to fit in with the scenery.
The story begins in a copper mine in Zambia. For 75 years Zambia had been under British colonial rule. The economy heavily relied on copper, cobalt and zinc mining which employed almost half the workforce and accounted for 80 percent of Zambia’s export earnings. The story takes a shift in 1964 as Zambia is declared independant. The president nationalizes the mines and all the earnings from the copper mines begins to get redirected back into their own country and the possibilities seem endless. The president begins to develop the country; jobs are created, free hospitals are built in every province and all the Zambian children are in classrooms. But things heated up as oil prices climbed and the copper market plumitted leaving them high and dry. Furthur development was going to be pricey. Weighing their options, the goverment of Zambia looked towards the IMF/World Bank to take out a loan. They took the bait. But here’s the hook: high interest and many years of struggle to keep their head above ground, the government finds themsleves digging a pit of debt. So the World Bank (aka the richest countries in the world…aka US of A) drops them some hints to help them get out of debt (based on research completely irrelevant to african economy) that they like to call “structural adjustment lending”. This included implementing “user fees” for health and education, eliminating government subsities to farmers and cutting tarrifs on imports, thus opening up a free market. All of the sudden second-hand clothes from the US came pouring into the country, completely obliterating the Zambian textile industry. They couldn’t compete with cheap imports being sold in local markets by africans who once had aspirations of getting into business. I don’t think they had this kind of business in mind. Think about it: 95% of the clothes we give to good will get sold to african importers and they sell it to local sellers at 300-400% above cost. First of all, I didn’t really think this was part of the deal when i gave clothes to good will. Second of all, how did they think these requirements for reducing debt would actually help anybody, except them.
This really makes me re-think the emphasis we should be putting on debt-cancellation. It’s impossible for Africans to get on their feet when every extra cent they get is going towards paying back the IMF/World Bank instead of making sure their people get education and medicine and food. What we get is a whole generation of african people unable to step up and lead their country because they haven’t been given the same opportunities to learn how.
We’ve managed to overcome political colonization but what about economic colonialism? We’re dumping our garbage in Africa for profit and exploiting Africans in the worst way possible: depriving them of basic needs: food, healthcare (which they need the most right now with HIV/AIDS on the rise), a decent education and an opportunity to hold on to their dignity.
My plan of action: Urge my government to cancel debt (one of many things they can do to step up to the plate: go to www.globalcitizensforchange.ca), make every effort to only buy second-hand clothing (if 95% of it is being exported, there must be some sort of consumer excess in textiles), give as many people as possible the opportunity to watch “T-Shirt Travels”, the documentary from which i gathered the info for this article. Check out http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/tshirttravels/film.html to find out more about African debt and second-hand clothes. Remember that information=obligation. Start to become more aware of where your waste eventually ends up (it doesn’t just go to the dump in the sky). That new tank top from GAP could end up on a little girl running down a dirt road in Africa. Trends are okay but this is not one i would like to support. Ignorance, in a shopping mall full of colorful, fresh pressed threads, is bliss.

Post ID Posted at 12:40 PM EST | Comments (4)

it’s really winter

January 18, 2007

yup, winter made it around to my neck of the woods. I’ve been thinking about my days in Spain more these days as the temperature dips farther and farther below zero. it’s been a while since I’ve written. Life has been pretty hectic and transient. I recently planted myself in a purple house where i live with four roommates (it’s nostalgic for me, growing up in a big household). I also changed positions from full time coffee slinger to part-time baker, full-time musician. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and a lot of time to interact with the lovely people God has put in my life. At times also having opportunity to share my faith and hope in Jesus. But, at the same time I’m trying to answer these questions and doubts people have about God, I discover tucked away down deep inside of me, questions and doubts that have remained unanswered. I know in my heart that God is just. It’s an aspect of His character that He’s proven to me time and time again. But it’s proof that lacks the language to explain to questioning friends. If i could just plug their brain into mine, it would be easier. But alas, I am limited to the english language as we know it. The people i talk to are really searching for something real and tangible inside of them to grab a hold of. How do I answer the question: Why does God allow innocent children to suffer?. I can and have pulled out the “free will” claim. But if we were to believe that God is All-Powerful, than it’s not logical to believe that He couldn’t just step in with His big foot and stop all the injustice. This whole issue is something my mind can’t seem to wrap around. My heart and spirit seem to be okay with some answer they were given in the past. It’s my mind that struggles. I know God suffers to His children hurting because I’ve felt this as I’ve gazed through glazed eyes at the ratty haired children and held their skinny bodies in my arms. I know this is the reason why He sent his Son Jesus, to give us all the chance to choose Life again.
It’s undeniable, I am born into a flawed existance.
There’s a part of you and me that’s always putting up resistance.
Why does it take a conscience thought to show kindness to a stranger?
With all the safe tings that I’ve bought, I still feel like I’m in danger.
As I continue on this path I’ve choosen and am continually being guided down, I come to find that mysteries lerk in the trees. Sometimes they show their face, other times all I can do is keep my eyes on the One that holds the Truth. It’s a struggle for me not to feel apathetic when i come to this point. But my Hope, Faith and Love remains. What more could one ask for?

Post ID Posted at 09:36 PM EST | Comments (1)

Some real life tid-bits

November 14, 2006

All poetry aside, I wanted to let you know what’s going on in life as I know it. The church I attend here in Halifax called “The Agora” has been becoming more and more actively involved in social justice issues. Many of our members are passionate about these issues. As a community, we just spent the month of October fasting, praying and seeking direction with the question in mind, “what can one small church do to aid in the HIV/AIDS pandemic?” The first Sunday of October we held a “dessert and discernment” night. We hosted a ‘community brainstorming’ about what God had been showing us in the past month, and ended with some delicious desserts (it kept people there for its entirety). The night was filled with very valuable perspectives and ideas. Some things we discovered were:
The importance for us to:
Unite with other local churches to combine efforts
Keep love at the centre of our intentions
Educate ourselves about the HIV/AIDS issues so we can make informed decisions
Just to name a few.
We also must realize we need to address real problems of AIDS education in Africa, for example, and not forget the connection between AIDS and poverty. They are both a part of the endless cycle; disease preventing them from being able to work, not having the income to pay for medication etc. there’s so much to do and get involved in if we simply get our heads out of the sand. One important thing I realized is that AIDS and poverty a lot of times are symptoms of deeper spiritual disease and darkness. If we want to heal their bodies, we also need to heal their souls. And that’s something only God can do. But like Jesus, we can walk the streets they walk and let the hand of God reach through us and touch them, making them whole in body and soul.
The cool thing about the “dessert and discernment” was to see everybody involved. As a young passionate person in the church, sometimes you feel like no one else is getting it like you are. Boy was I wrong. It’s so exciting to see the prospect of working together as a community to make an impact, however big or small. We will all play different roles. Some will be the brains, some will be the heart, some will be the hands and some will be the feet. No part is more or less important than the other. We must work this out together if we want to see our dreams become reality.
I want to encourage you churchgoers to bring up a subject like this in your congregation and opt to have a time of prayer for all those who wish to be involved in some way. The number of people that show up or show interest may surprise you.
Our brainstorming session was only the first step. Now we must press forward with the inspiration we’ve gathered and make it reality. Now it’s up to each of us to seek out where we fit in. I see myself as the feet, as one who goes and treads on the same ground the orphans and widows tread on.
Where do you fit in to the solution?

Post ID Posted at 02:48 PM EST | Comments (1)

The Face

I’ve been asking myself the question, “what can I do”. There’s a pandemic, I’m painfully aware, and I feel hopeless to do anything to change that. After all, it’s happening way over there and I’m way over here. The only things that are there to even remind me is the photographs that pass through my head and the white band on my wrist.
I need to give Africa a face. A face that’s three dimensional, flesh and blood. I need to remember that real people are dying and not just another photo that lacks a soul.
I see this beginning to take shape in my life. A woman who has been living in West Africa for many years came to our small church congregation to tell us stories of hope and perseverance in the face of poverty and death. A woman, an AIDS worker, from Swaziland also came to speak to us about HIV/AIDS in her country. She told us the first people to help them out were a local Mennonite church. I met a man from Sudan who cooks me traditional African food and tells me stories of growing up in an African village. All the joy and pain, music, poverty and richness of life in a culture and society so completely different from the one I’m surrounded (bombarded) by.
All of the sudden this face is beginning to take shape in my mind’s eye. One with deep, longing eyes, round cheeks and a smile on its face. The language that comes forth from it’s mouth is teaching me how I can help. It’s telling me I can do something. It’s pushing me forward into an unknown world of dirt roads, mud huts, crowded market places, beautiful people and needy hands reaching out for a touch of Love. But this voice also tells me to look around. It says to me, “Open your heart where you are right now. Don’t wait until you’re with me. I tell you the truth, anything you do for even the least of my people where you are, you also do for me.”

Post ID Posted at 01:32 PM EST | Comments (1)