In an attempt to educate students and raise public awareness, Amnesty International, a worldwide club which combats human rights violations, is taking an active stand against the dehumanizing treatment and poor wages imposed upon sweatshop workers around the world.

Amnesty International held a meeting on Dec.17. They discussed how, as individuals, members can successfully reduce the exploitation of sweatshop workers by cooperations like GAP and Nike in third-world countries.

These businesses have been accused of inhumane practices in their overseas factories, which enabled them to make millions of dollars on overprized items.

Attendees were given the opportunity to express their views on the issue through an open-ended debate.

“Hopefully, we can use the solutions our peers come up with concerning this global issue to communicate with corporations that are exploiting the laborers,” says senior Roya Rahmanpour, co-president.

During the meeting, students became so interested in the topic that regular agenda items, which usually consist of writing letters had to be postponed to Jan. 14, the first Wednesday after the winter vacation break.

Members will write letters to five big corporations that support the use of sweatshops or refuse to acknowledge their dispossessed conditions.

“Companies do not want to pay maternity leave to female workers,” said senior Diana Zamora, Amnesty International co-president about the inhumane treatment of workers.

“They force many others to take birth control and abortion shots.”

After watching a griping video on the reality and hidden secrets about sweatshops in Richard Takagaki’s AP Government class, Zamora and Rahmanpour were deeply inspired to further explore the issue.

“We plan to enlighten our fellow students about the inhumane conditions sweatshop workers endure,” exclaimed Rahmanpour.

Female sweatshop workers in Indonesia suffer from lead poisoning, which causes cancer, hair loss and premature death.

The workers’ wages cannot buy any medical treatment or proper food for their families.

“We wanted to help the laborers and knew Amnesty was the perfect tool for getting our voice out to the people,” said Zamora

Students interested in helping Amnesty fight against abuse in sweatshops may attend their next meeting to be held Wednesday, Jan. 14 in room 385.