Human Rights and the Olympics

Lots of talk going around about boycotting all or part of the Beijing Olympic games.

Given the predicted air quality it might be the most humane thing for the athletes regardless of their position on Tibet.

I hear the Dalia Lama suggesting the games should go on while he threatens to resign if the violence doesn't stop.

I hear the EU considering boycotting the Opening Ceremonies to make a strategic public statement.

I hear the Canadian government say 'its too soon to say'.

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm considering a letter campaign to the VIP's.... politicians, sponsors to encourage them to stay away.... to make a statement with their absence at the games. I'm considering including athletes in the mailing. I'm just not sure yet......

I'd intended already to boycott the games. I already boycott Chinese products for the same reason. Human rights, environmental abuses being enough cause to talk with my money. I extend this commitment to American corporations who use Chinese labour and who build and operate factories in China to avoid environmental protection laws at home.

I don't shop Walmart and try to shame anyone I know or see going to Walmart with a lecture on what their dollars are supporting when the shop at Walmart. Aside from the abuse of labour and environment Walmart is responsible for shipping port insecurity. In the interest of making more money Walmart by-passes container security. No ships containing Walmart goods are checked through any kind of security at the ports when they arrive. At home, in the US and Canada Walmart employees are prevented from unionizing. Women are openly discriminated against for promotions. Walmart has no women managers.

I don't shop at any 'big box' store for the same reasons. Superstore and Zellars may not be as guilty as Walmart..... only because they operate on a small scale. But they stock their shelves with plenty of made in China products. And they will continue so long as consumers buy them. "Stop buying them", I say.

I boycott made in China for another important reason. In our tourist shops now most souvenir products are made in China now. Native arts and crafts are 'knocked-of' in China and then sold back to Canadian retailers. Tourists don't always notice. I have artists friends who were hoodwinked into giving up their artistic rights to a piece of carving for a fraction of its value. Seen later as a molded made in China version. I've yet to find anyone who has received any royalties for the original work. Not even any credit as the original artist is given.

To be honest I think this discussion about China and the Olympics is too late. I think it was wrong for China to get the Olympic games in the first place. Now some 10 years later the time is almost at hand for the games to begin and we have this question hanging over our heads. I think the OOC and China should pay a price for that decision. OOC should be publicly embarrassed for having given the games to China. China should be shunned and stuck with a huge deficit to show them capitalism with values. I think a boycott of American sponsors of the games could have an effect but there will never be the will to make it have much of an impact. But that would be the campaign that I would really get on. Even if it meant giving up my precious Diet Pepsi. My guess is that Coke has that contract locked so this wouldn't be necessary. phew!!!

If people could be rallied to talk on mass with their economic power I think we could change the world in lots of good ways. We remain too apathetic. Just think of that poor woman stuck in the Mexican jail for now 2 years. She is suffering terribly from the effects. Major symptoms of mental illness is weakening her at a rapid rate. She's sat there all this time awaiting trial. Meanwhile thousands of people from Canada fly off to Mexico everyday to vacation on their beaches and drink their tequila. What are their thoughts of this woman? Don't they realize the power they have to help her? Imagine if Canada's took a stand and declared 'no travel to Mexico until she is give the fair trial she deserves. They are violating international human rights standards and still our government won't do anything to push the Mexicans to move it along.

Back to the games..... Can we honestly participate in a games that will benefit a regime that is antithetic to our values? One that adds insult to injury with their plans to take the Olympic torch through Tibet. I don't see how I can condone their blatant statements. Some say the Olympic games can serve to share our values but that's just good PR talking. We all went to Berlin and we stood there watching Hitler show his disdain to Jessy without batting an eye. Yea we convinced ourselves Jessy got the last word but that's the rose coloured version. Just as we now try to convince ourselves that going to China helps us spread the values of democracy, free speech and human rights.

I think.... Olympic games aside.... we all need to speak from our own places of power. We can't allow apathy to numb us. Economic power is the most effective in a capitalist world. Economists are very impressed with China saying things like.... 'for a communist country they sure have mastered the art of capitalism.' They are now the super power of our time. They own the US and indirectly the rest of the world as well.

Raising my awareness of my economic power has been a good change for me. It has given me a voice to express my own values. I have significantly reduced my purchasing of 'new' products when ever possible. Flea markets are great places to find any household or garden tool. No need to buy new. When forced to buy new I buy 'made in Canada' if given the option and think twice about if I need it but find no 'made in Canada' option available. I will go without rather than buy from China.

If I do have to buy something new I leave all the packaging at the store. I make a point of leaving it with the check out person not just dumping it in their garbage myself. If they refuse to take it... and its happened to me.... then I ask for my money back and leave the store.

At the grocery store I don't buy any fruits or veggies from the US that is grown in Canada. Potatoes, apples for example.... sometimes there are only Washington potatoes in the store. Nothing from BC. I always make a point of tracking down the manager and asking him loudly for direction to the BC potatoes, apples etc. I make a point of being heard and seen complaining about the lack of BC products and refusing to buy the US product. I bring used plastic bags back to the store to reuse with my new groceries. If they refuse to use them.... and some stores have because they are awkward to put on their rack.... I walk away with my bags and leave them with my groceries on their turn table and never go back.

I put junk mail that doesn't have my name on it in the send mail box when I collect my mail. I won't be responsible for their garbage. I'm expanding my list every day of things I do to reduce my carbon foot print and to support fairness and equality in my world.

I even write to shows like The View and Oprah when they have 'bargain fashion shows'. I remind them the cost of those off-shore manufactured products. I remind them of the cost to human rights and the environment for their bargain dresses and purses. I remind them of how many manufacturing jobs have been lost to the east. How their 'cheap purchases' trickle down to destabilize our nation's own economies. I don't do it for anyone but me. I know they won't hear me but I need to do my part by putting the facts in their hands and them leaving them responsible for their choices from there.

I watched a fashion show the other day.... all organic cotton.... hemp..... green fashion.... what they forget to factor in are the thousands of miles of spent fuel the fabric represents before it even gets to the factory.... the additional thousands of miles of spent fuel getting the goods to consumer around the world from eastern manufacturers.

I'm working to shrink the radius of where I source goods and services. I shop local first and support my local economy and my local producers. It cost me more so I buy less.

I've learned that as the world gets less and less safe and more and more fragile.... I need to strengthen my circle of control and circles of influence by depending more on my community and less on the multi-nationals of the world.

Individual people change the world.... one day at a time.... that's my sense of my own personal power.