At this very moment, millions of Americans are just starting their work day, drinking lattes, reading newspapers, wearing trendy t shirts, eating breakfast, littering, and generally being completely oblivious to anything outside of a ten foot radius.
Spin the metaphorical globe and watch it stop on Africa and we find it drastically different than our peaceful, unchanging lives. Over there, specifically in places such as Sudan and Darfur, life is tumultuous, dangerous, violent, and in plain terms - life is hell.
During the Darfur genocide America and the west turned a blind eye citing it merely as “tribal warfare”; a huge misconception on the part of the west largely because the main groups in conflict (The Hutu and Tootsie) are from the same tribe; the terms merely describe class profession differences (herders and farmers) and both could interchange their jobs at any time.
The distinct between the two groups were solidified by the Belgium monarch at the time that used and abused the native people and forced resentment between the two groups. This resentment flowing deep and inevitable spawning what we commonly refer to as the Darfur Crisis.
Years later, there’s a thin ray of hope. In the newspapers headlines today I saw that apparently the International Criminal Court:
“The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed genocide charges against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, accusing him of masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in Darfur. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir.” (Cnn.com)
This is an exciting turn of events because it’s finally holding a leader accountable for their horrid actions towards a group of people in Africa. But to there needs to be a large base of internal and external support for a subpoena of this magnitude to be issued. Now what’s the best way to show support for anything? Cheap T Shirts.
They don’t cost more than a few dollars; can be produced by the thousands with single color screen printing. Imagine now; single color t shirts with the face of Omar al-Bashir around the world; not only would this be a sign of support, it would also provide needed clothing to an area of the world where supplies from other countries are needed for survival.
Now it’s just a matter of convincing clothing companies to take some of their multi-million dollar profits and do something good with it. But that’s harder said than done. So before you go buy that new eighty dollar polo t shirt from one of your favorite trendy, brand name stores, consider the full effects of your actions and where your money could be going.
Fred McCoy is a ethically conscious content writer and a print designer who strongly suggests R.A.G clothing as a great example of where to get affordable, well made, and ethical clothing in New York City. They have everything from cheap t shirts, plaid shorts and Polo Shirts. For more information about R.A.G, visit - http://www.ragnewyork.com
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