Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy, and fibrous natural fiber obtained from the seedpod of the cotton plant. Cotton is widely used in textile production and is one of the most important cash crops in the world. Cotton has many desirable qualities, such as breathability, durability, and absorbency, which make it suitable for various applications, such as clothing, bedding, and towels. However, cotton production has been linked to environmental and social issues, such as water scarcity, land degradation, and forced labor. Some initiatives have been put in place to address these issues, such as sustainable cotton production practices and fair trade initiatives.

 

UN Report Urges End to Forced US Prison Labor—a ‘Contemporary Form of Slavery’
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UN Report Urges End to Forced US Prison Labor—a ‘Contemporary Form of Slavery’

A report published Thursday by United Nations human rights experts condemns systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system and policing, while describing “appalling” prison conditions and decrying forced unpaid convict labor as a “contemporary form of slavery.” The U.N. International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law…

US prison labor is cruel and pointless legalized slavery. I know first-hand | Dyjuan Tatro
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US prison labor is cruel and pointless legalized slavery. I know first-hand | Dyjuan Tatro

by Dyjuan Tatro I was paid 10 cents an hour to do menial work that taught no skills or life lessons. Without a college-in-prison degree, I’d probably be back in prison today. Almost immediately after I was sent to prison, I was assigned to a “program”, the term American prison officials use for a job. I…

Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery  – Bolts
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Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery  – Bolts

Throughout Abron Arrington’s decades-long incarceration in Colorado, he often found himself in solitary confinement—not because he was causing trouble, but simply because he refused to work. He didn’t see the point given he was paid 13 cents an hour and figured his time could be better spent learning physics. Before Arrington was incarcerated in 1989,…

Free Counter Sex Trafficking Resources for Law Enforcement – Guardian Group
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Free Counter Sex Trafficking Resources for Law Enforcement – Guardian Group

The UN recently did a study and found that 27.6 million victims of trafficking exist across the globe, yet governments across the country only identified 115,324 victims [1]. This is less than half of 1 percent of victims being identified. “Without effective victim identification, governments cannot hold traffickers accountable, and people of goodwill cannot offer tailored,…

The fiber that binds | Newberry Observer
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The fiber that binds | Newberry Observer

Cotton is a popular textile fiber touted as being eco-friendly since it is derived from a sustainable plant. It is widely recognized for its use in the making of fabrics for clothing, sheets and towels. Surprisingly, it is also present in U.S. currency, rope, paper, cooking oil, livestock feed and some fuels. Despite its usefulness,…

The Resurgence of Slavery in Pakistan: Implications of Climate Change
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The Resurgence of Slavery in Pakistan: Implications of Climate Change

The devastating floods that hit Pakistan last summer continue to have a lasting impact on farming families in rural Sindh and the Kacchi Plains of Balochistan. Despite six months passing since the floods, many fields remain underwater, and the soil is too damaged for planting seeds. The small tenant farmers, who are already burdened with…

Tarrant County 5 Stones August 2023 Meeting
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Tarrant County 5 Stones August 2023 Meeting

Here is our recorded meeting link and chat notes for our August 2023 TC 5 Stones meeting! Our 5 Stones meeting this August consisted of some law enforcement updates and a presentation by Sonya Brooks, Unbound Now Director of Youth Prevention, as she discussed implementation of the HTYPE prevention education grant at FWISD. Link to the recorded meeting: https://youtu.be/Q-w6I3RxUgQ Presentation:…

Turkmenistan Mobilizing Thousands of Civilians in Cotton Harvest
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Turkmenistan Mobilizing Thousands of Civilians in Cotton Harvest

It’s still unclear whether Turkmenistan has the political will to root out forced labor from its own cotton fields, Allison Gill, forced labor program director at the Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum, told Sourcing Journal Monday. Gill, whose organization hosts the Cotton Campaign, a multistakeholder initiative that aims to eliminate state-sponsored forced labor in…

Tarrant County 5 Stones July 2023 Meeting
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Tarrant County 5 Stones July 2023 Meeting

Here is our recorded meeting link and chat notes for our July 2023 TC 5 Stones meeting! Our 5 Stones meeting this July consisted of some law enforcement updates and a presentation by Landon Dickeson, MS, LPC, Executive Director of Ranch Hands Rescue as he discussed the trafficking of boys and other overlooked populations. Here is the link…

What is the impact of the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act One Year On? – Anti-Slavery International
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What is the impact of the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act One Year On? – Anti-Slavery International

Last week marked the first anniversary of the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the United States on 21 June. This law takes sweeping measures to address corporate profiteering from Uyghur forced labour, by banning all companies from importing goods tainted with Uyghur forced labour. It has the potential to be…