We’ve already covered a few types of organic clothing here on Green Prophet – from organic baby clothes to organic designer clothes for women and even organic cotton tailored suits for men.
But this is something entirely different.
Because although we believe that shared concern about the environment can lead to greater peace in the Middle Eastern region, this message has never been brought to organic clothing. Let alone an organic t-shirt.
Organic t-shirts bearing peaceful messages are the initiative of Jewish-American entrepreneur, Adam Nieman, who is the former owner of a Boston roofing business. That all changed in 2001 when he sold his business and started No Sweat Apparel – a label that is produced entirely in union shops with organic cotton.
Since 2006, No Sweat Apparel has been producing organic t-shirts in a factory on Virgin Mary Street in Bethlehem – an endeavor that both promotes the use of environmentally friendly clothing production practices and provides jobs in an area where many are unemployed.
To take a look inside the Bethlehem factory and see an interview with Adam Niemen, check out the video below (courtesy of Al-Jazeera):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5YaQ9MZ4WE[/youtube]
Jobless men with guns is recipe for violence
When asked what motivated him to expand his production to Bethlehem, Niemen said “because young men with guns, and without jobs is a recipe for violence. And while economic development isn’t a substitute for a diplomatic solution, no diplomatic solution can be sustained without a sustainable Palestinian economy.”
Sustainable political solutions + sustainable cotton growing practices = No Sweat Apparel’s “Made in Bethlehem” line.
The “Made in Bethlehem” organic t-shirts either come blank or with a Japanese proverb stating that: “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
Read more about different kinds of environmental activism on Green Prophet
Environmental Activism… in a Friendly Way
No Ifs, Ands, or Cigarette Butts: Israeli Campaign Against Cigarette Butts
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
to yberry:
http://www.NoSweat.co.il seems to be “coming soon” 🙂
I found out about “no sweat” about a year ago, but so far have not managed to figure out how I can buy shirts without having them travel all the way to the US only to be shipped back to the Middle East. Any local Israeli vendors?