So what happened in Northern India?
It's no surprise that the Oxford dictionary had to add a few new words, subwords and definitions to its pages during 2020. Ashley from Mc Crindle Research Institute suggested that it included coronavirus, lockdown, social distancing, black lives matter, cancel culture and super spreader.
But what did delightfully surprise me is how our makers have faired during this upheaval. An example is Joyn, a business in Northern India seeking to create quality fashion bags ethically. Yes, their staff definitely experienced lockdown, months of it, and many in their community fell ill.😢 Others around them experienced the reality of brands cancelling product orders or demanding less cost for the work done escalating vulnerability, poverty and suffering in India.😡
Yet Joyn's founder Melody has reported that the Joyn was able to keep more people employed then they have ever been able to do! They have not just survived 2020 but as an organisation, thrived. In turn, those in their community who lost employment, had the main income provider fall ill or had their wages reduced had an opportunity to find fair and safe work at Joyn.
Now that's a good news story in these "unprecedented times" (AKA the top phrase that Australians are sick of hearing, including me ). And a story we at for Dignity want to make sure is repeated.
Are you with me?
Heather