Setting things in motion.

Last night I was feeling pretty bleak about the size of the impact out little "revolt" is having on the planet :) As I was falling asleep, Brian (my beloved) walked in and said : "hey, watch this" - So, I watched an amazing vimeo clip last night that spoke of setting things in motion. It made me stop and  consider that the conversations and the change that is happening in me, and us as we go on this journey, sets in motion things that are larger than our worlds. The mindfulness and humility needed to make these changes in our habits and inner worlds will effect everything we do, and not just the clothes we wear. Hopefully it will result in practical things that effect other people's day to day existence from colleagues and friends to the person who makes our shoes.


I have been so encouraged by the comments on our facebook page. It is so exciting having friends and family join the journey as we struggle together and share tips and thoughts. Our little contributions and efforts to spend wisely and be thoughtful maybe do make a difference - in us and around us. Lets keep spreading the word :)

Guilt trip

“I got some new boots…. they told me they were made ‘ethically.’”

“Great,” I say, wondering to myself how I became the confessional priest of all things fairtrade.

It’s a funny thing when you get into the whole fairtrade thing. It seems to conjure up guilt and the need to justify everything even by the most stoic of souls.

The other day I was wandering past the clearance racks and my first thought was ‘I hope that no one sees me.’ This is a new experience for me as I normally relish end of financial year sales. 

I’m finding it a fine line between wanting to tell people about the value and importance of fairtrade in a burst of enthusiasm; or alternatively worried to tell people the value and importance of fairtrade in fear that they will type-cast me as the moral compass of all things ethical and distance me out of guilt.

Going fairtrade is actually a real journey.

Fairtrade Party

Just had a Fairtrade party at my house tonight. Feels a bit different from sitting around buying plastic bowls that’s for sure. A young guy called Jesse of Little Tree Shop ran the night. He has sourced both certified Fairtrade clothes & goods as well as ‘fairly traded’ products from charity organisations. He ran a DVD for us to watch and I was shocked back into motivation. A feeling of ‘this is why it’s important’ swept over me. Watching women in India who had been sex workers from teenagers who were given training and working, earning fair wages to support themselves and their loved ones. The interviews with these women send a spear into my weak conscience. All I have to do is buy their products (which by the way were well made and beautiful) and I can make an actual, tangible difference. I’d like to plug this idea and recommend having a ‘party’ because this young guy has taken it upon himself to do something about Fairtrade and coordinated an amazing enterprise where people can get a glimpse at Fairtrade and have a chance to buy goods from handbags to chocolate.

http://www.littletreeshop.com.au/

Where do we draw the line between buying locally and buying Fairtrade?

Do we decide to buy Australian and support Australian manufacturers not knowing where their fabrics have been sourced and under what conditions?

Or do we abandon our countrymen in pursuit of all that is Fairtrade?

I struggle with this because I want to support Australian companies and Australian workers. I value humans and their need for fair treatment wherever they live. Be that the third world or the first.

However, my need to make my money make a difference to those who need it the most (those suffering in the third world) has a greater pull.

Is there a way combine these?

I’ve come across a company that does both. Definitely worthy of an internet troll – the clothes aren’t bad either.

The company is Daksha an Australian cottage industry whose “focus has always been on providing funky clothing made from completely natural, fair trade and sustainable fibres for all of Australia."

http://www.daksha.com.au/

This is the model I find the most exciting because it is working for everyone. It satisfies my desire to support local industry and workers while still allowing us to do fair-trading.

x Keshena

• 
• 
• 

Taking the Oath

I feel strongly about Fair Trade. Thinking about underprivileged people getting underpaid and overworked grates on my moral fiber. I volunteered to undertake the Pledge to only buy Fair Trade clothing and/ or wear recycled clothing and/or made under ethical circumstances. 

However, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to a twinge of loss. I do love to shop and troll the cheap strips with 2 for $10 racks. I was the one who would head down to Bridge Road early on my first day of holidays and go to Boxing Day sales in the pouring rain. So to pledge that I would only buy ethically was a genuine and calculated oath with actual feelings of sacrifice. 

I realize that this sound largely perverse that I am talking about a feeling of loss when we are talking about real people, real suffering and real loss. But if I am to enter this dialogue it has to be real. So here goes the beginning of my journey. To fair trade and beyond.  

xKeshena

The journey starts here

Hi! If you've found us we're guessing you're probably interested in fair trade. The issues are so large and vast and there are so many things to say but this seems as good a place as any to start.  What do we do with the information that we have. We have heard the stories of Slavery, of children chained to sewing machines and we've seen documentaries on where our stuff comes from. The hard part is, what do we do with this knowledge? How do we balance this with modern life and the pace that we live at? Where do find information and suppliers that enable us to consume ethically. We (two people on a journey together) have decided to start this blog in a an attempt to consolidate some of those resources and create a forum for honest sharing (because lets be honest - it's flipping challenging!) .


So - Our beginnings start here. We have taken on the ethical Clothing Pledge as  a launch pad for this blog and we encourage anyone reading this to consider it too. Below is what it's all about. We are following on from Isis who created the pledge last year in September.                                                


                                                              

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T H E _ E T H I C A L _ C L O T H I N G _ P L E D G E

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I pledge to only wear clothing that is one or more of the following:
1. Pre-loved
2. Handmade (preferably by me)
3. Reconstructed
4. Made with ethical / environmentally friendly materials
5. Made by a company with strong ethical policy & workers' rights

* Companies with environmentally friendly practices (such as cutting down on waste/energy/water) get brownie points
* If I get one little inkling of sweatshop labour, I'm outta there!
* Above all though, I think the most important thing  is reducing the amount of things we use in the first place. Not purchasing ANOTHER piece of clothing just for the sake of it is the biggest statement we can make.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So where to from here? We'll let you know how we are going with the pledge and if you want, you can join in and let us know about your journey. We have launched a website that has heaps of info on fair trade fashion and all that goes with that. So go check it out at the link in the side column and enjoy the journey.  

Hope this is helpful:)

 Tigs and Keshena