Victims of Fashion: Ending Sweat-Shop Exploitation

By  Chris Bourne

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Some of you might have been horrified by the recent sweat shop factory collapse in Bangladesh which claimed the lives of more than 1100 people. I wonder if that had happened in the West, what a furor would have taken place in response? That’s almost a third of the people that died in 911 for example.

Sweat shops are used by many of the major brands to produce the cheap clothing and vast array of other consumerables we take for granted in the developed nations. It’s exploitation of the people who produce them, and also of the planet. We can stop this happening. How?

Punishing Work for a Pittance

Of course the problem with sweat shops is that although the conditions are punishing and the rewards puny, the workers are lured by the prospect of a slice of the capitalistic pie.

I’m not denying in any way the challenging conditions that many of the people find themselves living in. I can totally understand why people, even young children, would feel compelled to work for a pittance. It would seem many have no alternative.

Yet, the only reason that capitalist countries seem so economically successful is that they’re stealing resource from the future. It’s all about cheap oil. Right now, because of cheap oil and its merciless exploitation, for every commodity that is produced, the energy required to produce it is ten times the energy of the product itself.

Of course the corporations couldn’t care less. As long as they can keep making short term profit, western economies will continue to be underpinned by this raping of resource and cheap labour.

The problem is we’re all living beyond our means. Sadly, many poor populations crave the apparent comfort of the so-called developed nations.

But it’s an illusion. The very matrix we’ve created may seem cosy and supportive, but it’s dehumanising people at every twist and turn. The commodities and infrastructure that support society are so awash with excito-toxins and electrosmog,  the soul  is becoming increasingly fragmented and buried within the confusion. So ‘developed’ societies are really nothing of the kind at all.

What Can We Do About It?

Well it’s all a part of the  Realignment on Earth  that we can each be a part of. The universe will simply not allow such inequity, injustice and disharmony to persist. It cannot. Because everything is consciousness, such build up of energy generates a ‘pressure cooker’ in consciousness and at some point, the lid will surely burst. That’s exactly what happened in Bangladesh and it’s happening now in Cambodia (in a different way).

It’s a wider warning to the developed nations.
The lid will soon blow off if you keep ramping the resistant pressure.
There needs instead to be a surrendering to the flow.

Conscious Consumers

You and I can help ease the pressure by becoming conscious consumers.

Conscious consumerism means in particular these four things:

1. Only buying when you absolutely need something and you know you are ‘sanctioned’ by benevolence because you feel it in your heart.
2. Being clear about where the goods came from and how they were made – buying ethical and fair trade goods instead.
3. Becoming increasingly resourceful with the goods we already have. Producing and repairing as much as we can ourselves.
4. Finding inner completeness and discovering that having less material wealth actually feels like having more spiritual wealth.

Non Compliance

Gandhi was a great proponent of this approach, which he called “Non-compliance”. It may seem simple, almost ineffectual against the rising tide of exploitation, but way back then, it brought down an empire.

I’m sure we can do it again.
Let’s not be victimised any longer.
Let your very beingness become an act of rebellion.

Chris

Previous articles by Chris Bourne

• The Importance of Deep Consciousness Bodywork for Ascension
• Activating the Power of Higher Mind
• Importance of the Feedback Loop for Energy Workers
• Understanding The Moment – Are You Being Fooled By The Present?
• Deception on the Spiritual Path
• Crucifying the Ego
• Chemtrails: Why in the World are They Spraying? When Will They Learn?

About the author

At the age of 40 Chris was involved in a life threatening car crash in which he thought he would certainly die. This precipitated total inner surrender and a rapid reconnection with the conscious life force through all things. He found himself suddenly able to experience and contemplate through multiple dimensions of reality to see the deeper purpose of life itself. He began to remember his true reason for being here.

He explains… “During the crash, time seemed to slow right down and I was guided back through key moments of my life. I was realising that every moment in our lives has but one underlying purpose – to reveal an aspect of truth about ourselves to ourselves. I was beginning to dissolve every belief and value our society had conditioned within me.”

“This was my initial awakening to the magical unifying consciousness of the soul. Over the eight years that followed, I was guided through four other inner ‘Gateways’ of consciousness. I have since come to know the process as the five key expansions on our journey of Enlightenment and ultimate Ascension into multi dimensional living – our divine birthright”.

Prior to the crash, Chris had a rich an varied professional career in industry, in teaching, as an Officer in the Army and finally as a web development entrepreneur before being initiated on his spiritual path. With a Masters Degree in Natural Sciences from Oxford University, participants in the work are finding his integration of grounded scientific understanding and profound spiritual realisation deeply engaging and transformative.

Openhand Foundation, Catalysing our Spiritual Evolution
openhandweb.org