Join the Rana Plaza global day of action
How can you join our action to make sure the brands Pay Up?
There are three sections to this menu: actions to take as an individual; actions to take in a small group; actions to take as a larger group or organisation. Many of the actions you might take as an individual you can also take as a group, such as solidarity pictures. These are suggestions, and the list is certainly not exhaustive. Feel free to get creative with your activism and show your solidarity.
Please make sure to post pictures of your actions to the Global Day of Action page on facebook, and tag the Clean Clothes Campaign
1. ACTIONS TO TAKE AS AN INDIVIDUAL
Post solidarity messages
Do not underestimate the power of this quick and simple action. Solidarity is the glue which unites us and through which we can demand change. On and around April 24th, post solidarity messages on facebook, twitter, on your blog, or whatever communication channels you have available to you. Consider making your messages visual, through taking a picture of yourself holding a solidarity sign.
Suggested messages to post:
Remember #Ranaplaza. #Neveragain.
Remember #RanaPlaza. I stand united with garment workers. #Solidarity
I’m standing up for the people who make my clothes. Remember #RanaPlaza. #Solidarity
No one should die for the price of cheap t-shirt. Remember #RanaPlaza.
Cheap Ts cost lives. Remember #RanaPlaza. #Solidarity
Tweet protest messages to companies
Below are some sample tweets:
.@benetton @Walmart @childrensplace and all brands Remember #RanaPlaza. #PayUp full compensation to the victims NOW.
.@hm and all brands remember #RanaPlaza. Protect the human rights of garment workers. Pay a #livingwage .
Remember #RanaPlaza! Brands must be transparent about their supply chains, and carry out due diligence to protect human rights.
.@Conservatives @LibDems Remember #RanaPlaza. Hold companies to account for their actions oversees. Victims need #justice. What will you do?
Companies increasingly depend on social media to boost their brand image and profile. They also rely on social media to engage with consumers. Social media is an effective way to voice your protest about company practices. Two years after Rana Plaza, the victims are still waiting for full compensation. The Brands with direct links to Rana Plaza earn a collective profit of over $25 billion, and yet still can't find $30 million between them to ensure full compensation. This is completely unacceptable. We need to voice our outrage.
Demand that all brands linked to Rana Plaza pay full and fair compensation to the Rana Plaza victims. Tell your favourite brands that you expect them to be transparent about their supply chains, carrying out due diligence to ensure that human rights are respected and protected. Tell your government that you expect them to prioritise corporate accountability through legislation, providing victims access to justice regardless of where the corporate abuse occurs. We must speak out together.
Chalk outside stores, and post pictures of your street art
Write solidarity messages in chalk, including the date of the Rana Plaza collapse (24th April 2013), in front of major high street stores. Target stores that were directly linked to the Rana Plaza building, such as Benetton, Primark, Mango, Walmart, and Inditex (Zara). While the chalk will eventually wash away, this is an ideal way to publicly remember the victims of this tragedy. Take inspiration from the public art used to remember the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911.
Suggested messages to chalk:
April 24, 2013. Remember #RanaPlaza. I stand united with garment workers. #Solidarity
I’m standing up for the people who make my clothes. Remember #RanaPlaza. April 24, 2013. #Solidarity
No one should die for the price of cheap t-shirt. Remember #RanaPlaza. April 24, 2013.
Cheap Ts cost lives. April 24, 2013. Remember #RanaPlaza. #Solidarity
2. ACTIONS TO TAKE IN A SMALL GROUP
Take a group picture with a solidarity message
Just as you can post solidarity messages and pictures by yourself, include your friends and family in this action by taking a group picture, enhancing its power. Hold a sign as a group, using any of the solidarity messages listed above in your photo. Or invite each person to hold their own message on a piece of paper.
Chalk outside stores
This action, as described above, can be even more fun when done with a group, and you can cover more ground ensuring that our public memorial to Rana Plaza reaches near and far.
Host a film night
Watching a short film with friends and/or family can be an excellent and informative way to collectively mark the anniversary of the disaster. Invite people to share thoughts and reflections after the film and consider incorporating a solidarity action as well. Please see the list of recommended films under resources below.
3. ACTIONS TO TAKE IN A LARGE GROUP OR ORGANISATION
Organise a film screening and discussion
Take your film night to the next level by organising a formal event at a local venue such as a pub or bookshop. You might want to include speakers to discuss the issues, such as a Clean Clothes Campaign representative or someone from a local union. Create a facebook event, which will easily allow you to share the event with loads of people. Please see the list of recommended films under resources below.
Organise a demonstration
Unfortunately, since the Rana Plaza tragedy there have been few formalised attempts to address the systemic failings throughout the garment industry. The unequal power structures remain, with garment workers at the bottom of the pile. Demonstrations are an important, effective and necessary tool for us to express our desire and need for change. Demonstrations can take numerous forms and can be held in various locations such as in front of shops or corporate offices, or in a public park. Consider any of the following:
A die-in: people lie on the ground symbolically representing the people who died in the disaster;
A human chain: form a chain around or in front of a store by linking arms;
A vigil: bring candles, and join together for a somber gathering of remembrance
A protest: invite people to join you in a collective demand for change, with signs, slogans, chants, and speakers.
TIPS AND RESOURCES
Some useful tips when you are planning your action:
Whether you post solidarity messages, solidarity pictures, protest tweets, or pictures from your event, please include the hashtag #RanaPlaza. Other other hashtags you might want to include: #Solidarity #Justice #whomademyclothes
Please make sure to post pictures of your actions to the Global Day of Action page on facebook, and tag the Clean Clothes Campaign
Many of the actions described can be scaled up or down depending on how many people are participating. If you would like to plan a larger event, this can easily be done through finding a formal venue such as a pub, café, bookshop, or park, and inviting speakers and organisations to get involved. Similarly, many of the actions can be done in a more informal setting with a small group of friends gathering as someone’s home. It’s up to you, so do what works best for you.
If you are planning a demonstration, please check out your local city laws. For example, some places require you to give notice to the local police by filling out a short form.
If you are planning an event, regardless of size, please post it to the Global event map. You will be able to mark whether your event is private or open to the public. Your event can be on or around April 24th, and does not have to happen on the exact date. The important thing is that there is a surge of action in the weeks leading up to and following April 24th.
Some useful resources when planning your action:
Helpful links for more information about the Rana Plaza disaster, the compensation fund, and which brands to need to pay up:
www.cleanclothes.org/ranaplaza
https://payup.cleanclothes.org/
www.ranaplaza-arrangement.org/
Recommended films and programmes for events:
Tears in the Fabric
Clothes to Die For
Fashion Victims
The Deadly Cost of Fashion
Victim of Bangladesh factory collapse shares story
List of possible actions you can take:
198 Methods of Nonviolent action
Questions? Please contact the Clean Clothes Campaign partner in your country:
www.cleanclothes.org/about/contact