It takes a village to make a difference

Wow 3 weeks are over?! We don’t know about you guys but these weeks have flown by. It’s amazing how you can learn so much in such a short space of time. From being curious about where our clothes have come from, to finding out the stories behind them, this course has opened our eyes to the real lives of garment workers. So now we turn to this week, the final stage… DO SOMETHING.

We have been thrilled with everyone’s responses and innovative ideas over the last few weeks – your contributions have made the course what it is. In particular, this week we have been inspired by not only the quality, but also the quantity of the pledges made by you guys! From the course we’ve learnt that no single strategy can improve the lives of the people who make our clothes. Instead, it takes both large and small, individual and collective actions to stand more of a chance for change. This was aptly put by one learner who said, ‘it takes a village to make a difference’. And what a great online village we have!

So, what are our pledges we hear you ask? Well Zahra has pledged to host a ‘True Cost’ movie night, in order to raise awareness of this issue for friends and family. Jemma has pledged to simply love her clothes more… she has vouched to only buy clothes that she will wear for a long time, even when the sales seem enticing with her student budget! Finally, Beth has decided to continue her journey with Fashion Revolution by offering her time voluntarily to the cause. From our pledges alone, it is clear to see that there are so many ways you can help make a difference. You don’t need to sign your life away, give up all your free time, or promise the world. You just need to pick something that you can do, and do well.

For us, Thursdays are the new Friday – it’s Q&A day!! We have had the pleasure of meeting and hearing the expertise of our wonderful panelists each week, and it has really enriched the course. This week we spoke to Joss Whipple and Sarah Ditty from Fashion Revolution, and Kalkidan Legesse from Sanchos in Exeter. The Q&A was all about asking them how to make a difference, and then looking past consumerism to wider policy. It was great to end the course with this panel, as each of them are trailblazers for the sustainable/ethical fashion movement in their own way.

Finally, thank you for everyone’s ongoing participation, it’s been a pleasure. We have loved mentoring on this course as we have got to be a small part of such a growing global movement – and this is just the beginning. Want to continue your journey with Fashion Revolution? Then get in touch with your country coordinator via the Fash Rev website, or have a look for events running in your local area and head down to show your support.

Beth, Zahra and Jemma.