Introduction to Social Action Project

The cycle of electronics is an atrocious topic that isn't very popular. To start, it is typically done with slave or almost slave labor and is finished with hazardous waste. One topic that has really caught my attention is the conflict minerals in the Congo. I have briefly gone over this topic in one of my previous posts and it's really bothered me since. Pondering what the slave labors go through on a daily basis is really heart breaking. These workers are held at gun point and forced to work in awful conditions like the mines. Electronic companies are supplying war lords money for these precious metals which is then used for weaponry. This weaponry spreads fear through citizens of the Congo. What's even more heart breaking is that there are companies like Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Ltd. that will do this mining; slave labor free. The citizens will then support these electronic companies by buying new electronics. The cycle then starts again. On the other side of things is the disposal of these electronics. They produce hazardous waste that impacts the environment and workers. The whole process of creating and disposing electronics is corrupt. The scariest part is that no one is aware of the ugly side of things. Citizens are brainwashed to think that new electronics are "eco-friendly" or are "recycled of properly" and have no urge to stand up against it. No one in modern society questions anything done and I think it's time to stand up for what is right. My social action project is to raise awareness through culture jamming. I feel culture jamming can be done effectively without destruction. We as a group can raise awareness by targeting peoples emotions; specifically anger and self-blame. The article "1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who’s to Blame?" by Joel Johnson really brings to life the emotion of self-blame. At the end of the article he blames us, the consumer, as the main culprit to suicides at Foxconn. How do we raise awareness in an oblivious society? Simple! Put it where they have to see it. There are tons of websites trying to raise awareness on the topic, but you actually have to look up "conflict metals" before you see it. Placing QR codes, links, or informational flyers at certain locations can cause people to scratch their heads and wonder. If someone gave you a flyer before walking into Verizon describing the horrors of the electronic world, would you wonder? Would you ponder the thought?  Just pondering the topic may be enough to cause a spark. A spark is all you need to start a wildfire that can burn so bright. Let's educate the people on companies like Apple, Samsung, and Nokia. Let's start making these companies pay for proper production and disposal processes. It won't be easy, but lets raise some hell and see if we can save some lives as well as the beautiful Earth we live on.