Blog

Human Trafficking: the reality of the ubiquitous phenomenon

June 6, 2008

Ambassador Lagon gave a brief example of a Burmese woman who was
recruited to work in a shrimp factory in a neighboring country together
with 800 other Burmese citizens.  The factory was located in the middle
of a jungle where workers were prevented to leave or call their
families.  On top of the horrendous conditions, she wasn’t getting paid
for her labor.  Workers that tried to escape were hunted down, beaten
and humiliated in front of other workers.  This is just one horrifying
story out of the many forced labor camps around the world.  Many
illnesses of the workers are more often than not left untreated.

My first Wal-Mart Shareholder Meeting Experience in Fayetteville, AR

June 6, 2008

I was escorted to my seat by my "chaperon" Pepe in section 118 of
the Bud Walton Arena on the campus of University of Arkansas at
Fayetteville.  There were 6 of us there to present resolutions ranging
from human rights to fair compensation.  I quickly learned that
whatever I did, Pepe would be right by my side.  All 6 of us had a
special friend for the 4 hours of the meeting. 

Transform the Big Box Industry - Issues United!

June 4, 2008

The document also identifies strategies that governments and
citizens can employ to eliminate incentives for irresponsible corporate
behavior and promote humane business standards. Government strategies
include proper allocation of funding with regards to zoning, research,
economic preservation, and labor rights. Citizen strategies include
organizing to lobby local, state, and federal government to adhere by
fair practices as well as promote education about the rights of
citizens in controlling corporate behavior. The consensus will be
delivered to officials of all major big box retail corporations and
will function as framework to define and guide the broad-based civil
society movement looking to transform the industry.

New Firestone Campaign Video!

May 30, 2008

This video features interviews with two child laborers on a
rubber plantation in Liberia operated by the Firestone tire company.
Workers have to meet a daily production quota which is too high for one
person to achieve or their low wages are halved. As a result, workers
are forced to bring their children to work.

For more information about Firestone and to get involved in the campaign, please visit www.StopFirestone.org -- and most importantly, send an e-mail to Firestone by clicking here!

Tiger Woods and Corporate Abuse

May 29, 2008

Meanwhile, Chevron has been accused of horrific abuses during the
construction of its gas pipeline in Burma, its been sued for allegedly
supplying the Nigerian army with weapons to attack protesters near
their operations there and Chevron is also faced with lawsuits against
their toxic waste dumping in Alaska, Canada, Angola and California.
They have also been sued for polluting the rainforest in Ecuador
which led to an epidemic of cancer in indigenous communities there.

Sweatshop and the City

May 22, 2008

While shopping for the newest
styles, the characters never once stop to think about who made the trendy
products they love or the condition they work under. These four women spend
their days shopping and sitting in fashion shows and their night making the
streets of Manhattan their own runway but they have been chosen to only see the
shiny exterior of the fashion world, never opting to think about the women who
endure 11 hour days sewing their designer outfits.

Earthquake in China, Support for Workers

May 19, 2008

If you want to donate to the relief effort, the following are a few
organizations accepting donations and a few guides to donating:

Red Cross Society of China

http://202.108.59.10/english/

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/xw/t434820.htm

Mercy Corps

http://www.mercycorps.org/chinaearthquake/?source=1062

Oxfam Hong Kong

https://www.oxfam.org.hk/public/donate/donate?donate_id=45

The World Bank, the Food Crisis and Child Labor

May 16, 2008

ILRF did a report a few years ago focusing on the affect of World Bank policies on Cote d'Ivoire.  This country, which used to be the symbol of prosperity in West Africa, started dealing with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in 1989.  As part of accepting loans form the WB and IMF, Cote d'Ivoire had to liberalize the coffee and cocoa sectors, reduce government expenditures on services like schools and health and devaluate its currency. 

Roots of Immigration -- Need a Variety of New Policies

May 16, 2008

There is another dilemma in international migration, and that is, the
frequent assumption that all migrants are poor people, who move to seek
a better economic situation elsewhere. But not all who move are poor,
an example is the contract labor in the Middle East from other
countries, who are often middle-class people, as well the case of
recent immigrants to the United States, which include highly educated
professionals.

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