Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka - M.A.D.E. : Human Rights Arts and Film Festival - Oct, Nov 2013

Australia's newest museum - M.A.D.E - launched 4 May!

M.A.D.E for Movies M.A.D.E and the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival present four award winning and thought provoking documentaries.   PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL  (72 minutes) FRI 25th OCT 7.30pm SUN 27th OCT 11.30am SUN 3rd NOV 2pm Director: Gini Reticker/ USA / 2008 / Documentary Tribeca Film Festival ‐ Best Documentary Feature    Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honours the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations. Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uon9CcoHgwA WORDS OF WITNESS (68 minutes) SAT 26th OCT 7.30pm (one screening only) We are pleased to announce this session will be introduction by Ella McNeill - Director of Human Rights Arts and Film Festival.  Director: Mai Iskander / Egypt and USA / 2012 / English and Arabic with English subtitles / Documentary Berlinale, 2012, One World Film Festival, 2012 – Best of the Festival Jury Award During the Egyptian uprising, social media was the weapon of choice for a new generation. In Words of Witness, filmmaker Mai Iskander follows Heba Afify, a budding online journalist reporting from the frontline of the revolution. Heba's attempts to report are continually compromised by the restrictions she faces as a young woman in Egyptian society – in particular, by her mother's incessant reminders that, whilst a journalist, she is above all 'a girl'. Exploring the personal and political in equal measure, Words of Witness is a timely glimpse into post-­revolution Egypt today.           Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjgin_7xpb8   TAXI SISTER + RED WEDDING - 2 Documentaries combined as one session (1hr 45 including 15minute intermission) SUN 27th OCT 1.30pm SUN 27th OCT 5.00pm FRI 1st NOV 7.30pm TAXI SISTER (30 minutes)   Director: Theresa Traore Dahlberg / Senegal / 2011 / Wolof and French with English subtitles / Documentary There are 15,000 taxi drivers in Senegal; only 15 of them are women. Taxi Sister follows one of them. As Boury speeds around Dakar transporting tourists and locals to their destinations, she must defend herself against the social taboos that define driving as a male profession. An energetic peek into urban West Africa, Taxi Sister revels in the solidarity of a small group of women as they accelerate change. Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGf6pVRRui0 RED WEDDING (58 minutes) Directors: Lida Chan & Guillaume Suon / Cambodia and France / 2012 / Khmer with English subtitles / Documentary IDFA, 2012 – Winner Best Mid-­Length Documentary Thirty years have passed, and on the eve of her son’s wedding, Sochan Pen is finally ready to break her silence. At the age of 16, she was forced to marry a soldier as part of Cambodia's genetic engineering. Juxtaposing haunting archival and present day footage as Sochan confronts the people responsible for her rape and torture, Red Wedding is a land mark exposition of forced marriages under the Khmer Rouge.  Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBnePP31c04   Bookings Essential - 1800 287 113 or http://made.org/WhatsOn/Events.aspx Tickets $10 or Conc. $7 per session M.A.D.E (Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka) 102 Stawell St South, Ballarat Phone: 1800 287 113 info@made.org http://www.made.org Share Tweet Forward to Friend Facebook Twitter Website

Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E) is Australia's newest museum. It is located on the site of the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, western Victoria. With the evocative 159-year-old Eureka Flag as its centrepiece, M.A.D.E’s interactive and immersive exhibitions will explore the evolution and the future of democracy – looking at culture, civics, history and citizenship. For more information, visit our website www.made.org

Will Australians make demands on retailers using sweatshop/deathshop labour? Write now. Campaign now.

We have all heard about the Bangladesh factory fire of 24 April, 2013 which killed 400 people.  This is nothing new. Bangladesh (and those international retailers who commission goods from factories there) have form.  The picture above is from a 2012 fire which killed 112 people.  For information about the prosecution of the factory owner, please go here.

Michele O'Neil of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia reports:

Kmart, Target, Big W and Cotton On have all not signed on to the global agreement and those companies have no excuse not to be part of this. This is an effective way of actually dealing with a huge tragedy.

It is clear that only consumer activism, complaints, and demands for retailers to supply clear labelling and listing of supply chains will change anything and keep our retailing corporations honest, active and responsive to human rights. I have linked below contact forms and pages for the three major retailers mentioned on The World Today by Michele O'Neil.

Kmart contact form
BigW contact page
Cotton On contact form

Bangladesh has the lowest minimum wage in the world at $38 month.  Cambodia has the second lowest minimum wage in the world at $66 a month, so reports CorpWatch.  And, Australian consumers, if you are tempted to say that costs of living are cheaper in both countries then that doesn't wash.  These are people whose incomes barely put food in their mouths.  Their incomes don't buy four bedroom houses with bathroom, ensuite and plasma TV.  

The fact is that Australian greed, First World greed, 

is exploiting Third World need.

As Alecia Simmonds says - 

Western consumers must take some responsibility 

for the Bangladesh factory deaths.

One thing you can do that is only a Like away:

Facebook site for

The Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity

I have written to-day to Kelvin Thomson, Parliamentary Secretary for Trade as follows:

Dear Kelvin Thomson,

I write to express my concerns about the recent Bangladesh factory fire which has horrified the world.

It is clear that watchfulness on the part of the consuming public is the only way to keep governments, manufacturers and retailers open and honest about their supply chains and the way workers are treated and how and how much they are paid.

I write to ask you, as Minister for Trade, what the Australian Government - and in particular the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - is doing to assist in:

1. Making Australian businesses compile supply chain details in relation to the products they sell and supply them on request to their customers.
2. Advising Australian businesses in relation to their responsibilities in relation to human rights when sourcing goods and products from countries with low-wage, non-unionised sweatshops and deathshops.
3. Keeping watch on countries with low-wage, non-unionised sweatshops and deathshops.
4. Keeping watch on governments of countries with low-wage, non-unionised sweatshops and deathshops.
5. Developing Australian Government responses to countries and governments which allow low-wage, non-unionised sweatshops and deathshops.

I plan to follow up to-day by writing to the following retailing organisations:

Australian Retailers Association

Australian National Retailers Association

Council of Small Business Australia

Below, more links are provided to expand your knowledge on this topic.

Firstly, previous posts on The Network on the 2013 Bangladesh factory fire at Rana Plaza:

Will things really change or merely salve western middle-class consciences?

Free trade comes first in Australian politics.

Supply chains enchaining low cost labour. Consumers need to question.

###

Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity

International Labor Rights Forum - Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity

Walmart creates its own Bangladesh factory safety program

Clean Clothes Campaign

Clean Clothes site

Clean Clothes Campaign - Facebook site

Fairwear Australia
Asia Floor Wage
Living Wage as a fundamental right of Cambodian Garment Workers
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh

ADDED - Tuesday 25 June 2013
Wondering what you can do after last night's 4 Corners program
Lots of stuff below - from writing letters, to giving money, to action
and all based on great information

AID, ADVOCACY, RESOURCES

ActionAid: The Rana Plaza

Benefit for Bangladesh | Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia

The Clean Clothes Campaign | Oxfam UK

Ethical Clothing Australia

Fair Wear

Garment Workers' Appeal | ActionAid Australia | @ActionAid_aus

International Labor Rights Forum

Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights

Oxfam Australia Campaign: Support The Bangladesh Factory Workers

Sweatshops in Bangladesh | War on Want

The Worker Rights Consortium

Australian retailers Rivers, Coles, Target, Kmart linked to Bangladesh factory worker abuse

Fashion victims with Background Information

The above link provides links under the following headings

Email addresses you can write to about their unethical behaviour:

amardirossian@ woolworths.com.au

jcoates@bigw.com.au

q@rivaus.com.au

customerservice@btr.com.au

just group@jjh.com.au

Clothing retailers respond

The following retailers respond: Coles, Forever New, KMart Australia, Big W, Mango Clothing, Cotton On, Benetton, Mango

Reports and Company Audits

How sustainable are Australian retailers' new sourcing strategies? | AMP | Jul 2012 

See Nothing, Know Nothing, Do Nothing | Inst. for Global Labour and Human Rights | May 2012 -

Chinese Sweatshop in Bangladesh | Inst. for Global Labour and Human Rights | 8 Mar 2012 

Bangladesh's ready-made garments landscape | McKinsey & Co | 2011

2011 Sustainability Report | MANGO

Ethical Code of Conduct | Forever New Clothing Pty Ltd

Labour Practices in our global supply chain | Woolworths Limited

The Cotton On Group Vendor Code of Conduct 

World News Coverage

Dreams of Bangladesh garment workers often go unrealized, or become nightmares for families | Star Tribune | Jun 2013 

LISTEN: Fashion's Victims: An Artist's Focus On Garment Workers | NPR | 19 Jun 2013

Bangladesh Factories' Safety Issues Run Deep: Survey | The Irrawaddy | 17 Jun 2013

Most US Retailers Choose Not to Sign Bangladesh Factory Accord | Voice of America | 17 Jun 2013

Uncertain future for Rana Plaza survivors | Dhaka Tribune | 11 Jun 2013

'Rana deserves life term' | The Bangladesh Chronicle | 22 May 2013

The Cost of Making Factories in Bangladesh Safer: Ten Cents | The New Yorker | 16 May 2013

LISTEN: Australian retailers snub Bangladesh factory safety accord | ABC PM | 16 May 2013

Death Mill | Foreign Policy | 9 May 2013 - How the ready-made garment industry captured the Bangladeshi state.

Bangladesh: Tragedy Shows Urgency of Worker Protections | HRW | 25 Apr 2013 

Information on Ethical Garment Manufacturing

Accredited Brands | Ethical Clothing Australia

The Culprits - Who is to Blame? | FairWear Australia

Find Ethical Australian Products | Ethical Clothing Australia 

Retailers | Ethical Clothing Australia

Supply Chains in the Clothing Industry | FairWear Australia

The Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord | International Labor Rights Forum | May 2012 

AID, ADVOCACY, RESOURCES

ActionAid: The Rana Plaza

Benefit for Bangladesh | Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia

The Clean Clothes Campaign | Oxfam UK

Ethical Clothing Australia

Fair Wear

Garment Workers' Appeal | ActionAid Australia | @ActionAid_aus

International Labor Rights Forum

Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights

Oxfam Australia Campaign: Support The Bangladesh Factory Workers

Sweatshops in Bangladesh | War on Want

The Worker Rights Consortium

 Added -  Wednesday 18 December 2013

Wesfarmers to disclose factories

by Inside Retail on December 17, 2013

Kmart and Target are set to become the first major Australian retailers to fully disclose their Bangladeshi supply lines.

The Wesfarmers-owned discount department stores have been joined in their pledge by Pacific Brands, which owns Bonds.

The move follows a tumultuous year for apparel-based global retail, following the tragic collapse of a Bangladeshi factory in April.

The Rana Plaza disaster claimed more than 1100 lives and implicated international fast fashion brands Primark, Benetton, and Mango.

To continue the article, please go here.

Gender Matters - a new development from the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA)

International Women's Development Agency - Gender Matters Issue #1 Research for change Welcome to IWDA's newest publication—Gender Matters. Gender Matters is a mechanism for IWDA to share emerging ideas and new research. It will come out twice a year and provide insights into gender and development issues from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. IWDA has created a separate email list for Gender Matters and other research news. If you would like to receive future editions of Gender Matters, please subscribe to IWDA's Gender Matters email list. Gender Matters Issue #1: Gender Synchronisation This inaugural issue of Gender Matters addresses "gender synchronisation", or working with both men and women in an intentionally coordinated way to address gender inequalities. Case studies of IWDA's work with partners explore gender synchronisation in practice in Cambodia and Melanesia. Written by Isadora Quay and Joanne Crawford, with contributions from Dr Michael Flood and Dr Patrick Kilby. • Read the inaugural issue of Gender Matters at the IWDA website • Subscribe to the IWDA Gender Matters email list INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (IWDA) IWDA is the only Australian development organisation entirely focused on women's rights and gender equality. IWDA's vision is for a just, equitable and sustainable world where women have a powerful voice in economic, cultural, civil and political life. IWDA is secular, not-for-profit and works in partnership to create positive change across Asia and the Pacific. Read more on our website.

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