Craftivism manifesto

CRAFTIVISM MANIFESTO

A craftivist is anyone who uses their craft to help the greater good. Your craft is your voice. Craftivism is about raising consciousness, creating a better world stitch by stitch, and things made by hand, by a person. It's also about sharing ideas with others in a way that is welcoming, not dividing, and celebrating traditional skills in new ways. As well as remembering and respecting the makers that came before us, adding to the dialogue and leaving something for the next generations of craftivists. Craftivism is about creating wider conversations about uncomfortable social issues. A craftivist is anyone who uses their craft to help the greater good or in resistance to a greater societal ill. A single individual crafting can make a difference. Or they can craft together and benefit from the fellowship of other crafters. Craftivists open minds and hearts. It's about connecting through and with craft and creating a more compassionate community. Craftivists are makers, hackers, menders and modifiers of material things. My craftivism can be different from your craftivism and that's okay. Craftivism encourages people to challenge injustice and find creative solutions to conflict. Craftivism does not expect you to come with skills but with willingness. Craft is often seen as a benign, passive and (predominantly female) domestic pastime. By taking these stereotypes and subverting them, craftivists are making craft a useful tool of peaceful, proactive and political protest. Craftivism is a way to make big issues tangible, so that we can build a better world together. Craftivism is about reclaiming the slow process of creating by hand, with thought, with purpose and with love. Because activism, whether through craft or any other means, is done by individuals, not machines. Craftivism is a tool to instantly create a small part of the warmer, friendlier and more colorful world we hope to see in the future.

This manifesto was written by Mary Callahan Baumstark, Ele Carpenter, Joanna Davies, Tamara Goo derham, Betsy Greer, Bridget Harvey, Rebecca Marsh, Manna Marvel, Ari Miller, Iris Nectar, Abi Niel sen, Elin Poppelin and Cat Varvis. 

Craftivism Project 

#FastFashionRebellion 
#FastFashionRebel 
#SlowFashionMovement 
#CraftivismCanada 
#VisibleMending 
Fast fashion refers to low-priced clothing made overseas using substandard materials intended to make consumers buy frequently.  Essentially, disposable clothing.

It's hard to resist that $5 t-shirt -- especially while living on a budget.  
The problem is that the billion dollar fashion industry misleads us about the true cost of that $5 t-shirt. 
The negative impact on our ecosystem has already caught up to us by polluting water, air, and soil. Synthetic materials are by-products of petroleum and are non-biodegradable. Synthetic products take a long time to decompose, creating long-term pollution + accumulate in landfills.  Natural fibers, like cotton, are grown using pesticides harming pollinating insects.  Fast fashion displaces animals by over-using + polluting their water + food sources. 
Overseas manufacturers employ mostly women who pay the price by working in poor working conditions at subpar wages.  
The fast fashion industry literally killed people in 2013 with the collapse of the Dhaka Garment Factory.  1,134 people lost their lives.
What can you do?

• Avoid buying fast fashion clothing as much as possible. Consider buying secondhand clothes. Often the quality is better than fast fashion garments + you get value for the money.
• Support local clothing designers + makers by purchasing and / or sharing their websites with friends + family. 
• Take proper care of your garments so that they last longer.   
• Repair garments -- create a trend by repairing your clothing with interesting embroidery stitches + patches.  #VisibleMending 
• Instead of tossing unwanted clothes in the bin, consider selling or donating them. Recycling programs can be misleading and should be the last resort.  Repair, Reuse, Repurpose before Recycle. 
• USE YOUR VOICE + spread the word about fast fashion.