Activist fasting for lent

Discussion in 'Activism' started by brreitsma, Nov 9, 2010.

  1. brreitsma

    brreitsma Member

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    Didn't know if this should be Bible or General chat. One passage in the Bible can't remember which right now, speaks of fasting to give to those in need.

    I thought what would the impact be if say people of faith obstained or drastically cut back on say coffee and chocolate for the 40 days of lent. Both products include exploitation and outright slave labor in the production process. If after lent we pooled the money and used it to give 0% interest loans for coffee and cocoa workers to be able to buy producing land and be cooperativly the owner operators? What would the impact of our short sacrifice be?

    Garment workers the world over barely subsist and live in horrible conditions. In Bangladesh a worker working 14+ hours per day, 7 days a week can't feed a family one adequate meal a day. Studies have found when garment workers gained ownership they lived fairly well for their areas and workplace health and safety was better. What would be the effect if people would not buy a single article of clothing for the 40 days and then pool the money and help all the garment workers possible gain ownership of their work places?

    How about if we didn't buy any imported goods and then took that to help set up manufacturing again in the U.S. that wouldn't be tied to stoks and profits for share holders but owned for and by the worker. Our manufacturing jobs would not have been off shored if they were in the hands of the workers. By refusing to do business with companies that shipped call center jobs abroad we could help friends and family who are former call center operators get together and set up and get contracts to be back to work again.

    There are many more examples but fasting from consumption and after that time taking the amount saved and using it to help the needy would have a huge global and national impact. Not as a hand out as stated earlier but 0% interest loans with the money going back out to help others as soon as it came back in.

    Give your thoughts and insights.
     
  2. TheMadcapSyd

    TheMadcapSyd Titanic's captain, yo!

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    Lent is supposed to be something personal, it shouldn't be linked to a cause.
     

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