ETHICAL CONSUMERISM

ETHICAL CONSUMERISM CAN BALANCE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION.

Globalisation seems to be part of everyone’s life these days. And we often tend to be thankful of the many gifts it has given to us such us immediate communication, better technology to communicate, netbooks, cellular phones, etc. Why do we talk of the negative effects of globalisation then?
Some investigations carried out by daring journalists have uncovered some information about one of the best known clothing companies and how it hires people to work for it. This has shown that one of the most ancient enemies of human rights is still among us, even in the XXI century, that is slavery.

So, what does it have to do with ethical consumerism? Everything. Once common people get to know how these companies make their workers work for them, the hostile conditions in which they have to work and the ones they are given to live, consumers should take action. But how? Well, perhaps a good way would be avoiding buying those expensive products that are made with less than seven dollars.

It may be hard to fight against those companies, and many people may not even believe or refuse to believe what is shown in some T.V. news about their human resources policies and their working conditions until they see what those journalist who dared carring on a research working for CBS /CNN have done. But once you are aware of what happens in those companies’ factories , it is difficult to turn a blind eye on this, it is difficult to look at one of this famous brands and forget how those products are made. So that is what ethical consumerism is about, it is a way out for those people who are working behind the brand firm by preventing it from developing and earning more money. Many people might say that those products are the best of the market because of their quality and the price is worthwhile (and perhaps they are right), but there is something else behind good quality in this case, and that is ethics, human rights, the rights of those people who are being forced to work in harsh conditions and are badly paid.

From my point of view, people who, knowing about this fact, buy these products are as guilty as the heads of the companies and are promoting slavery in our globalised world.