Podcasts

Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) in Washington DC, gave Ecotextile Talks a hard-hitting interview questioning the reliability of social compliance audits in China’s textile sector.

He explaines how the WRC first began investigating the use of forced labour in Xinjiang when it emerged that US brand Badger Sports was sourcing university garments from a factory inside an internment camp in the region.

“In the course of our research, we learned that the Uyghur region, where all of these abuses were being carried out, including mass forced labour, was the source of a fifth of the cotton supply for the world’s leading apparel brands and retailers,” he said.

That led the WRC to help form a coalition of about 400 organisations, including trade unions, human rights organisations and faith-based bodies, to demand that global brands and retailers stop sourcing from the region.

Speaking about fashion industry stakeholders, he says: “I'm sure there are some that are actually claiming that they can conclusively demonstrate the absence of forced labour in the region, but no auditor should be working there. It’s incredibly disreputable.”

He also questions whether it’s possible to conduct a methodologically credible audit in China, and alleges that by operating there, sourcing teams are “enhancing the ability of the Chinese government to keep doing what it is doing to the Uyghur people.”

Nova and host Philip Berman discussed the impact of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, in stopping goods made using forced labour coming into the US with Nova emphasising that “to our knowledge, nobody has overcome that rebuttable presumption,” that goods coming from that region were not made with forced labour.

André Rosario (aka HydroponicTrash) joins us this week on the podcast to tell Ariel all about dual power - what it is, how it fits in with solarpunk, and how people can mobilize it in their daily lives. Their conversation ranges from the history of the term dual power, to examples from André’s own life, to the concept of mutual aid, the importance of imagining a better world, how to build relationships as an introvert, and even includes a discussion of human nature.

https://soundcloud.com/user-752167240

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

The people behind The Intercept’s fearless reporting and incisive commentary discuss the crucial issues of our time: national security, civil liberties, foreign policy, and criminal justice.

https://anarchistnews.org/content/anews-podcast-special

Bonnetta Adeeb, founder & President of STEAM ONWARD, Inc, a Non-profit 501(c3) organization in Southern Maryland, as well as the projects: Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA) and Ujamaa Seeds. UCFA is a collective of emergent and seasoned growers who cultivate heirloom seeds and grow culturally relevant plants for food, healing, and textiles. Ujamaa recognizes the need for increased diversity in farming and the seed industry, and the need to provide more opportunities and support for growers from historically oppressed and marginalized communities. To this end the UCFA is working to bridge the gap between prospective growers and seed companies. In addition, she works with the Cooperative Gardens Commission to distribute free heirloom seeds to communities in need serving 300 seed hubs nationally. January 12 [2023], saw the launch of a new Black Indigenous led project. Ujamaa Seeds is and online store cultivating and distributing culturally important seeds to increase diversity in the seed industry. Learn more about Bonnetta and her work at https://ujamaafarms.com and https://ujamaaseeds.com.

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