2. What Is The Big Dress?

SPEAK is a network connecting together students and young adults to pray and campaign on issues of global injustice. Through bringing change to situations of injustice, we aim to share our faith in our all loving, all powerful creator: God. SPEAK takes its name from a verse in Proverbs:

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.”
Proverbs 31 v 8-9

SPEAK’s Big Dress is made up of thousands of squares of material upon which people from all over the UK have written, sewn and drawn messages of concern about the lack of regulation of big companies and the exploitation of workers who make the things we buy. Participants have ranged from SPEAK groups and student groups to music fans at the Glastonbury festival and schools.

It is a creative petition – a visual challenge to the Government to respond to SPEAK’s call for multinational companies to be held accountable for how they treat their workers and impact on the places in which they invest.' 1. SPEAK are campaigning as members of the Trade Justice Movement (TJM) and the Corporate Responsibility Coalition (CORE). The Big Dress is the creative symbol of our campaign and connects with our focus on the garment industry as a key area of business which clearly shows the problems of unfair trade rules and the lack of accountability of multinational companies (MNCs).

SPEAK’s Big Dress Campaign has specific goals for changes in the law in the UK, Europe and globally, which would ensure that companies are held legally accountable for their social, environmental and economic impacts both at home and abroad.2

SPEAK believes that God cares about justice, trade and how companies operate because of the repercussions that business has on us, our society, and the world, and that therefore Christians should care about these issues as well. There is much that the Bible has to say on business relationships, local and world trade. Here are some initial ideas for inspiration and reflection.3

We live extraordinary lives in Western Europe, statistically we sit in the richest 1/3 of the world4 and enjoy great influence over international trade and therefore development. Not only this, but we actually have representatives in place to put forward our views at local, national, European and even world level!

So what are we to do with all this worldly wealth and influence we have? What priorities are we allowing people to set on our behalf?

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.”
Luke 16 v10-15

Companies are making huge profits but not taking on all the responsibilities that come along with this. Shell for example, as the case study above shows, are profiting from Nigerian oil whilst causing unnecessary pollution by gas flaring. We’re often guilty of having a similar attitude as individuals. This is a result of the wider human condition that forgets about others and is interested in self-only. When we get caught up in worldly riches, being responsible can be just plain awkward, hard work even. Everyone loves a bargain. It’s just so much easier to shrug off awkward questions like “where did this come from?” and “how did they actually make this so cheaply?”

Jesus doesn’t offer us a get out clause. Justifying ourselves in the eyes of men isn’t good enough, he knows our hearts.

REFLECTION…
Take a moment to reflect on the things God has entrusted to you. How do you currently use those things, those opportunities? Or perhaps a more crucial, exciting question is; what could you do with what God has entrusted to you?

SPEAK’s Big Dress at heart is a creative response to these questions that has already inspired and involved thousands of people. Our Big Dress Campaign gives specific ways to get involved now and to build on the exciting momentum that we already have from speaking up about these issues, as the next sections of this booklet explain.

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