Amnesty online masterclass ‘(un)fair fashion & human rights’

Worldwide, 47 million clothing workers work under poor conditions. This became painfully clear when the Rana Plaza garment factory building in Bangladesh collapsed in 2013, which left more than 1,100 workers dead and many more injured. The disaster was a highly shocking example of business-related human rights abuse, and the images of dead workers in the debris of the collapsed factory have become powerful symbols of the pursuit of profit at the expense of people. But also on the edge of Europe this is a major issue that is related to the ‘refugee crisis’.

Thousands of Syrians who have fled their war-torn home country are working in Turkey’s apparel factories. Most of them do not have work permits and are desperate to earn an income, which makes them highly vulnerable to exploitation by employers. Many Syrians in the Turkish garment sector are getting paid below the minimum wage, even though they work long hours in unhealthy and dangerous conditions. On top of that, the textile and garment sector is known for employing Syrian and Iraqi children as workers.

What is extra concerning is that the corona pandemic poses an additional threat to the safety of people working in these textile factories and that their rights are again not respected. In April the Clean Clothes Campaign global network reported that several workers in the Akar Textile factory (Izmir, Turkey) tried to make use of their legal right to deny unsafe work when colleagues were diagnosed with the virus and as a consequence got attacked by guards. In the immense and complex fashion industry, one is inclined to overlook the individuals affected by the negative aspects of this industry. Luckily, there are activists who are brave enough to attempt to make a difference, Like Fawwaz an activist working as a volunteer for the Ngo Rainbow in Gaziantep, Turkey.

In the online masterclass for students ‘(Un)fair fashion & human rights’ we will discuss human rights abuses related to the garment industry. This session is hosted by Amnesty International with contributions by the Clean Clothes Campaign, the ASN Bank, students from the Master Fashion Strategy (ArtEZ Arnhem) and Fawwaz (Rainbow NGO).

What: Online masterclass for students
When: 09-06-20
What time: 11:00 till 13:00 (CEST)
Where: Online via Zoom

After you sign up, you will get a link to the online Zoom meeting

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