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| Thomas Grabka www.grabka-fotografie.de |
After writing my Previous Blog: Human Sweatshops will END in Equal Money Capitalism - Day 275, I have Realized that there is Much that I don't know and I must Slow down and Investigate ALL points in terms of understanding every little segment that form a part of the Extensive Problem of this Current World System.
Thus, I decided to investigate the Cotton Industry and I discovered shocking a disturbing things regarding the Cotton Industry in terms of Human Slavery, Environmental Catastrophes and the Consequences such as Fatal Diseases on a DNA level.
I will walk this point in several Blogs to come where in Each Blog, I will show One Segment of what I've discovered within my Research and within that, Present the Problem by utilizing Previous research, documentaries and articles that were already done by professionals and expertise around the world; I will Present the Solution to the Problem and the Rewards, both at the Individual Level and on the Global Level once a Solution is implemented.
The Problem:
Uzbekistan - Child labour in a System of Totalitarian control
For further Context, I suggest Reading:
Uzbekistan: US Report Fails Child Labor Victims (Human Rights Watch - 20 June 2012)
Uzbek government breaks promise to end child labor in cotton fields (The Washington times - 24 September 2012)
And watching:
Cotton is all around, as you sit and read this blog, there are 99.9% chances that you wear Cotton however, there is 0.01% that you are absolutely aware of where the Cotton is coming from and who were involved with the manufacture of the cotton you are wearing. I can Honestly say that I had no idea and it never crossed my mind to question the clothes that I'm wearing and whether or not, I'm directly Responsible for the abuse, exploitation and harm of others in this world.
Here are some Disturbing statements written by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in their Report - 'White Gold' - The True Cost of Cotton 2005:
1. "During the autumn months of harvest, government officials shut down schools and transport tens of thousands of students and children to makeshift camps where children as young as seven pick cotton.
They can miss up to 3 months education as schools are closed and they are despatched to the cotton fields where the ‘luckiest’ amongst them can earn a meagre 3 cents for each kilo of cotton they pick" (P.20)
2. "During the Soviet era, crop-spraying machines and aircraft were used, and around 50% of the harvest was mechanised, but fuel and maintenance costs have left local officials ever more reliant on children…" "...Today, 90% of cotton is harvested by hand and children have been drafted in to make up the labour shortfall" (P.21)
3. "An Estimated 200,000 children are conscripted in the Ferghana region each year." (P.4)
4. "Local children are able to return home in the evening but older children and those conscripted to work in remoter areas are forced to stay in dormitories, on farms, or, ironically, in classrooms, with poor living conditions, at times drinking irrigation water and with insufficient or poor quality food to eat". (P.22)
The EJF Reveals that Child labour in the global cotton trade: (P.23)
Across the globe some 250 million children are compelled to work: many are employed in agriculture, where they are at risk: from exposure to pesticides and other chemicals, machinery and arduous labour – a clear contravention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. The international trade in cotton – along with many other commodities sold to western corporates and consumers – is supported by the widespread use of child labour.
From West Africa to Egypt, India to Turkmenistan, children are employed in a variety of tasks from cottonseed production, to pesticide spraying and the annual cotton harvest.
Children as young as seven are forced to assist with the harvest in all five Central Asian states.
In 2004, almost 40% of Tajikistan’s cotton was harvested by children.
In Turkmenistan, despite a Presidential announcement against child labour 200,000 children were thought to have been engaged in the cotton harvest in 2004. Government officials continue to ‘strongly encourage’ children to work in the cotton fields and children as young as 10 have been recorded harvesting cotton.
Cotton production in Benin is fuelling the trafficking of children from Burkina Faso.
In Egypt a 2001 report estimated that one million children aged between seven and 12 were employed in controlling cotton pests.
Abuses include exposure to pesticides, beatings from foremen and overwork.
In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh alone, over 240,000 children work in cottonseed production.
Reports of what children can earn for their labour vary greatly – some children claim that they
receive US$5 for five days work whilst others report that they are paid only 180 sums (US 15
cents) for a five-day period. In 2001, the Uzbek NGO, Tahlil estimated that payment for 1 kg
of cotton ranged from 22 sum (1.5 US cents) at the beginning of the season to 15 sum at the
end.
In 2004 children in Ferghana reported that an average day’s harvest of 10kg of cotton can earn them 400 sums (US 38 cents).
Child labour is undeniably cheap and immensely profitable: a child may be paid at best a miniscule
40 sums (3-4 cents) per kilo for a product that is worth around US$1.15 on the global marketplace.
The Solution:
As I was mentioning in my Previous blog - ALL slavery will END with Equal Money Capitalism and thus, within this specific case, the solution would be Profit Share and Machinery along with Extensive Education Process of us, the Consumers, in Understanding the Consequences and the Harm both of Individuals and of the Earth's Resources because only through World Wide Education Process of What is really involved with our Automated Preference as for instance, the Clothes we buy without any real and substantial necessity, for the sake of Social Status and Self Interest.
Our awareness as Consumers is Lacking and that was done intentionally and Deliberately by those who have the Power and the Control; If we were all aware of the Processes that are involved with the Products that we buy, we may have stood up a long time ago and wouldn't allow the Abuse and Suffering that we ignorantly responsible for.
There are Extensive documentaries that reveal the Secrets behind our Decision Making. We will utilize the Research and Documentaries that were done to Correct and Undo that Harm that was caused by public relations and propaganda specialists, which from there, we could Develop Educational Programs to Educate the Consumers and correct our Consumption Behaviours and Transform our Behaviour to stand in alignment to a Principle 'that which is best for all Lives'
For those who are interested to start their Process of Re-Education with regards to this point, I invite you to study the 'Century of the Self' by Adam Curtis
Here is the Solution I presented in my Previous Blog:
Profit Share:
"...
WHAT IS PROFIT-SHARE?
Currently profit is the money a company makes after they have covered their costs, including paying out wages. In an EMC - profit comprises of all the added value that is placed on resources - which is your labour. Therefore - within the price, the percentage share must be included of each one that was part of the creation of the product in such a way that each one ends up with an equal share of the company's profits, so - there will be no need for wages - as the profit becomes your wage.
EQUALIZING WAGES – COOPERATION AMONG CORPORATIONS
If a company at any time makes more money than they need to provide each one with their equal share of the profit as well as covering their costs - those monies will go into a fund that is responsible for assisting companies that are not making sufficient to cover their costs and provide each one with their fair share. That way a balancing effect takes place so that all companies are not only cooperatives in how they cooperate internally - but all cooperate with each other as well…." (Day 163: Equal Money Capitalism - Redefining Profit)
Thus, Within the Equal Money Capitalism System, the Profit will be Equally shared with whomever is involved in the Manufacture of a product and therefor, Slavery will be nonexistent. Within this, it won’t matter which activity you participate in within the production/manufacture of the clothing industry, you will be equally supported as your work is Valued according to the fact that you contributed regardless the specific type of contribution in the entire production/manufacture processes.
Machinery:
We have the Technology and the Resources to STOP the Slavery of many and to Replace these types of Jobs like for instance in a sweatshop with Machines that would do the very same work. At the moment, it is cheaper to exploit the labour of those who Live under 2$ per day than implement Machinery. Meaning, for each and every stitch a human is doing, we'll have to design specific machine to do just that. Within that context, we as a group of humanity would have to decide whether such mass production is necessary in consideration of the amount of the Earth’s Resources that would be used with such Machinery work.
The whole idea that people must have many clothes to choose from is part of the Consumerism Brainwash and therefore, we must reconsider the tendency we have to wear new and fancy clothes and its relationship to the Abuse of the Earth’s Resources.
Rewards:
At an Individual level -
As we become aware of the Exploitation and Suffering that is involved with our Cotton Made clothes, we would defiantly feel uncomfortable in our 'Comfortable' Cotton Clothes as we now aware that for me to feel Comfortable, Children had to be Enslaved, tutored and Abused.
In Equal Money Capitalism, when Slavery will no longer Exists and All Children would have a Life of Expansion, Empowerment and Worth, the Guilt and Shame we would normally Feel as our awareness expanding would cease to Exists as we would know, that we were the ones that made sure that no Child would ever be exploited, harmed, abused and sabotaged again.
Once our Consumer Habits are changed and in alignment to the Principle of 'What is Best for all Lives', we would consume much Less than what we would normally Consume in this very moment. That would result with much Less stress on Earth's Resources which would allow us to Produce what we require, from the Best Quality Raw Materials which Means that our Cotton Clothes would last longer, would support our Body and would be Enjoyable and Comfortable.
On a Global Scale -
The most important Reward is the End of Child Slavery. Children would be Effectively Educated all over the world, regardless their Religion, Culture, Skin Colour and etc. These Children may Become the next Genius that would invent Technology that would Support and Improve our Life as a whole. Who Knows what may Emerge from Humanity where all are fully Educated? I defiantly would like to see it for myself.
As I continue walking the 'Cotton Industry' blog Series, You'll see how Important it is to Correct the Current Cotton Industry on Global scale as it is influence our existence as a whole. So bear in mind that there are more Rewards to Come which I will Reveal, blog by blog.
