Do you know where your jeans come from?

Take a moment and check, read the labels in your clothing.  You might be surprised at some of the places your jeans and t-shirts have been. 

Over the past few weeks, there have been two major fires in Bangladesh resulting in 123 deaths.  U.S. Retailers like the Gap, Wal-Mart and even high-end fashion like Tommy Hilfiger make clothing there.

           

The experts say we don’t care.  We don’t care enough to pay more.  A teenage Bangladesh girl named Lovely is hoping that we do.

It was February 23, 2006,  Lovely was 11 years old and working in a garment factory in Bangladesh, when her life changed forever. The factory where she was packing socks caught fire. There was never a fire drill.  Exits were locked. Panic and chaos spread with the fire and 63 workers died and 150 were injured.  Lovely was left with injuries and can no longer work, a burden to her family, with not enough to eat.

But hey, that was a great deal you got on Black Friday.        

Lovely has found the courage to speak out and has started a petition online.  She’s petitoning H&M, Wal-Mart and Gap to commit to a real fire safety program that will save the lives of the Bangladeshis who sew the clothing that we wear. You’ll find the petition www.change.org, search for Lovely from Bangladesh.

Guilty Of Going To School Pakistan’s Daughter, Malala Yousafz

It’s been over a month since Malala Yousafzai was shot on her way home from school.  Two of her classmates were also wounded that day.  The girls were guilty of going to school. 

Malala is an activist for girl’s education in the Taliban ruled area in Pakistan who blogged for the BBC about the fear of living under the Taliban. Her blogs became a rallying cry for girl’s education.

On October 9^th the Taliban boarded her school bus, found her and shot her in the head.  The nation of Pakistan was stunned along with the world.  The prayers of a nation were for the future of this young girl. 

Malala was nominated to receive the Children’s Peace Prize and was awarded the National Peace Prize by the Pakistani Government. Currently there is a campaign to have her nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, visit www.change.org and take a stand with Malala.

Malala is recovering from her injuries in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, in the UK.  It is not known yet if she will fully recover. 

“One defiant ‘NO’ can break the silence of fear,” Malala Yousafzai

Wake up!

Dear Friends,

I have decided to wakeup Graceful Planet Living again.  I just completed two articles for two different classes I am taking that I feel good about and that fit with the theme of this blog.  I have been thinking about Graceful Planet Living lately and what that means and plan to post here more often.

Breathing in, breathe out...