Victims of Fashion

Flickr - Sweatshop - David BoyleChris Bourne, Openhand Contributor
Waking Times

Ending sweat shop exploitation

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 furore 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 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. Find inner completeness and discover 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.

    About the Author

    Chris Bourne – At the age of 40, I was involved in a life threatening car crash in which I thought I would certainly die. This precipitated total inner surrender and a rapid reconnection with the conscious life force through all things.

    I found myself suddenly able to experience and contemplate through multiple dimensions of reality to see the deeper purpose of life itself. It was then I began to fully realise my true reason for being here.

    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.

    My consciousness expansion however did not end there. It continued to blossom and expand. I became acutely aware of a highly evolved, benevolent presence, working through the weave of life since the dawning of time itself. I have come to know this Group of Nine intimately. It guides my life and is the basis of Openhand itself.

    This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

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