Recently I have been rethinking my stance on boycotting. I'm no longer as black and white as I used to be on the issue. Perhaps without the concerted effort of others, if it remains a personal mission that no1 else is aware of, I am only denying income to those who need it when I choose not to buy unethical products that have no ethical alternative. But I don't know. Still, there is at least one company that I can't stomach.
Below are some of the reasons I boycott Coke. You can find out more at www.killercoke.org, a worldwide movement started by a man named Ray Rogers, Director of Corporate Campaign Inc.
• Between 1989 and 2002, eight union leaders from their factories in Colombia were killed after protesting the company's labor practices. Hundreds of other workers who have joined or considered joining the Colombian union SINALTRAINAL have been kidnapped, tortured, and detained by paramilitaries who intimidate workers to prevent them from unionizing.
• In Turkey, 14 truck drivers and their families were beaten severely by Turkish police hired by Coca-Cola, while protesting a layoff of 1,000 workers from a local factory in 2005.
• In India, Coca-Cola destroys local agriculture by privatizing the country's water resources.
• In Plachimada, Kerala, Coca-Cola extracted 1.5 million liters of deep well water to use in their products. The groundwater was severely depleted, affecting thousands of communities with water shortages and destroying agricultural activity. As a result, the remaining water became contaminated with high chloride and bacteria levels, leading to scabs, eye problems, and stomach aches in the local population.
• Coca-Cola has caused Water shortages in Varanasi, Thane, and Tamil Nadu.
• Coca-Cola is guilty of reselling its plants' industrial waste to farmers as fertilizers, despite its containing hazardous lead and cadmium.
• Coca-Cola is one of the most discriminatory employers in the world. In the year 2000, 2,000 African-American employees in the U.S. sued the company for race-based disparities in pay and promotions. In México, it fired a senior bottling manager for being gay.
• By regularly denying health insurance to employees and their families, Coca-Cola has failed to help stop the spread of AIDS in Africa. The company is one of the continent's largest private employers, yet only partially covers expensive medicines, while not covering generic medicines at all.
The goes on and on and on, but i'll stop here. As I mentioned, i'm not dogmatic on boycotting everything unethical. My stance is more that I want to be constantly seeking ethical alternatives, as well as cutting down on my rampant consumption habits, to live a simpler and conscientious lifestyle. Thoughts and comments are welcome :)
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