The Ole Miss International Justice Mission hosted visitors yesterday from Alta Gracia Apparel to discuss the impact of ethical business models in practice.
Alta Gracia, based in the Dominican Republic, ensures its workers have a democratic voice and a living wage that is three times the amount of the Free Trade Zone minimum, according to the organization.
Two garment workers who specialize in college apparel, Yenny Perez and Martiza Vargas, were present to discuss the history of Alta Gracia and ways Ole Miss students can also create change.
The company pays what it calls a “family wage” to its workers in order to better their lives by paying enough money to attain education, better health care and provisions for their families.
“As consumers it’s easy to buy something without thinking about how it was produced, but having Alta Gracia here reminds us that what we purchase can have a big impact on other people’s lives,” said Gabrielle Barrientos, president of Ole Miss’ chapter. “It’s important to seek out goods that are ethically produced.”
The Ole Miss International Justice Mission is a student-led organization that works to help others internationally through education and fundraising. At the national level, the mission is a human rights agency that fights for the liberties of victims of human trafficking, slavery and other types of oppression.
“IJM has grown to be more important to me with time, because it keeps me from staying comfortable while others in the world are suffering,” said Buki Alabi, the organization’s secretary. “Women are being sold and men are being forced to work in factories with no rights. It’s a grave injustice. It’s our duty, as people who benefit from their hard work, to help.”
The event provided an opportunity for Ole Miss students to find out more about the production of goods and how consumer actions affect the world.
“If students would be willing to give it a chance, making a change doesn’t have to be an overwhelming thing,” Alabi said. “We can just take steps to better our world and the people in it.”
