Reflections...

Although many knock the Uniting Church, I really really dig their strong desire for social justice...

Just recently the Synod have introduced only fair trade coffee to be provided in Uniting Churches throughout South Australia (maybe even Australia).

And as I was checking out the oxfam website today I found a link to and article from the website below, which yet again has been developed by the Uniting Church

http://www.justholyhardware.org.au

So I spose its a challenge to really think about EVERYTHING you buy, and the conditions the "workers" may be in when manufacturing the item
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Barney Zwartz
December 7, 2008

Source: The AGE


“JESUS have mercy on me, I’m dying of exhaustion.” That plaintive cry came from a Chinese teenager who had just finished yet another 19-hour shift producing crucifixes for sale in churches.

Christians in Australia have strongly supported the FairWear campaign for clothing outworkers and fair trade in coffee and tea, but might unwittingly be involved in some of the worst exploitation: workers producing devotional souvenirs, gifts and trinkets.

The Uniting Church in Australia has launched a campaign, Just Holy Hardware, to work with retailers and wholesalers to reduce exploitation and to educate Australian Christians.

“I don’t think many Christians would want to buy a product celebrating their faith made under great exploitation,” said Antony McMullen of the church’s justice and peace unit.

The scandal broke when America’s National Labor Committee bought a cheap crucifix in New York and traced it back to a Chinese factory where workers were labouring in appalling conditions. Investigators found women and girls — such as the 15-year-old quoted above — working up to 19 hours a day, seven days a week for 40 cents an hour, from which money is deducted for accommodation and food. They sleep in filthy dormitories and eat hot water with a few vegetable leaves.