Help for Haitian Sweatshops

In the beginning of this semester a tragic earthquake hit Haiti and the effects were tragic. Because this incident was a global matter, we discussed it in class that is set to understand certain issues such as globalization. Since then there has been many efforts in order to restore and help Haiti recover from this disaster that has destroyed the lives of many. One of these ways that the United States has stepped into help was the Haitian Hemispheric opportunity through partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act. This act was created in order to provide flexibility of exporting goods such as garments. In Haiti, garment making is a big part of where Haitians income comes from. A lot of the natives are considered poor and underclass so the jobs are scarce and taking on a rough job in a "sweat shop" tends to be better than nothing. In order to help these horrible conditions, the HOPE Act has not only made garments exported from Haiti duty-free (un-taxed) but they have also coordinated with other organizations to help the working conditions become better for the people of Haiti that work in these garment shops. Along with these efforts to make Haitian garment jobs better, they have also offered technical and financial support to further help with the production of income.

-For more information on Haitian recovery and the HOPE act please visit

http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/2010/01/haitian-recovery-sweatshop-jobs-and-the-role-of-trade-preferences.php


After reading about this act to help Haiti, I wonder why it took such a natural disaster for others to get involved. It again relates to the issues we have talked about in class such as social inequality and sweatshops that leads to globalization. Effects of things such as branding has pushed companies in the U.S. to outsource to poorer countries in order to get more product for their buck. In this process, they pay the hard workers little amounts of money and force them to work long hours away from their family. A large majority of this unfortunate group is young women who are physically and emotionally tortured. As a young women living in the United States its hard not to draw a connect to these poor Haitian women workers. I will admit I have bought brand name garments and I tend not to even think twice. It is such a normality to American consumers to go out and shop and buy clothing. However it is the complete opposite for many in Haiti and I am so saddened by this. Most people can barely afford food and clean water let alone clothing.


After reading this I ask myself and others a few questions on consumerism. It ultimately leads to globalization, however this isn't how it always used to be. What has happened to stir up such cruel treatment for more money? Has it stemmed from the American Dream and pushed its way towards this want for the newest things and fancy items to become labels of class and power? How must our society and culture changes its thinking and ways in order to better the lives less fortunate than ourselves here in America?


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guiyu: city of e-waste

Americans produce tons of electronic waste (e-waste) every year. This includes computers, printers, video games, cell phones, televisions, ect. When new technology comes out or someone’s electronic breaks down they go out and buy newer items to suit their lives. This idea of living a lavish life of expensive and new things leads to consumerism that affects many people in directly. These consumers, like me, don’t realize that buy throwing out our unwanted electronics we are hurting not only our planet but the people living in it. This is a global issue that it caused by massive amounts of consumerism and should be brought to attention. Many people in poorer countries live in electronic filth, perform difficult labor in horrible conditions and ultimately suffer. People in India, Africa, and China don’t have the luxuries or opportunities we have here in the United States for many reasons. Partially because of their poor government and the fact that they are being taken advantage of by companies like ones in the United States that are trying to make money off them.

Although there are laws to help prevent American e-waste into countries like China, this process still continues, and more and more waste is illegally exported into these helpless countries. There is a trading system that is at work that is too difficult to monitor because of the ways in which the waste is processed overseas. People who remove the electronics dump them on the streets and in the water areas of the city. This is a very easy procedure since it is inexpensive; however it is not environmentally safe. Companies continue to act this way because the amount of money, machinery, and labor that it would take to go into disposing of the electronic material in a proper and safe way has a small (what they consider too much) cost. Although they understand of the implications that come from pollution, they believe that it isn’t worth it to pay so much money.


For example, a southern city of China, Guiyu is home to many people who are surrounded by the massive amounts of waste that is being dumped on their land. This city is taken over by the e-waste trade and everyone in the city is involved in the process. In order to make a simple living Guiyu people strip the electronics for usable parts and sell them off to corporate companies, only to make small amounts of money to live on. By doing this they not only pollute their land but they pollute their bodies. Many people of Guiyu, mostly women are forced to work in these harsh conditions because it is their only way to survive and provide for their families. They torch off parts of computers and inhale harmful toxic fumes that can be life threatening to not only themselves but their children as well. Women basically cook circuit boards to salvage the computer chips that can be considered gold. What they don’t know is that they are slowly poising themselves with lead fumes that excrete from the machines. For women, these health hazards affect not only themselves but their children as well. Many pregnant women are forced to work in these poisonous areas, because unlike here in the U.S. they are unable to take time off (maternity leave). This harmfully affects their unborn children. Studies show that it can often affect their development skills with the amounts of dangerous fumes they inhale each day.




For more information on the hazards for pregnant women working with e-waste, please visit…
http://www.eht-forum.org/news.html?targetPage=news/fulltext/news091222051349.html&from=search



With that being said, I like to hope that this blog can make you think the next you buy new electronics. The electronic goods that try to improve our Western lives actually destroy the lives of many in places such as Guiyu. Is it worth it? Can you survive without things such as the newest video game system? Or Flat screen computer? If not, does that mean that you can live with the thought that people are being smothered with our old electronics? It is hard to say, because we Americans are so used to the buying new things without having to deal with the consequences.


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