The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been edged out of the U.S. headlines in recent weeks, but the world turns there, too. Today, Israel will reportedly pull out of disputed areas in the northern corner where Israel borders Syria and Lebanon. The prime minister of Israel is being investigated for corruption. A U.S. presidential candidates still throw the occassional nod to support Israel in the face of brazen threats from Iran.
Peace may still seem a far way off. But a grassroots businessman in Boston has an idea for building peace and prosperity in the Middle East, while protecting the environment and defending workers' rights - just by buying a t-shirt.
Ask Adam Nieman what he does for a living, and he'll offer a response that's a little bit... different.
"Well, I make organic cotton t-shirts, at a Palestinian-owned factory, on Virgin Mary Street in Bethlehem," Nieman said.
How did a 51-year-old, Jewish-American, Harvard drop-out find himself peddling organic couture from the West Bank? It all started in 2001, when the longtime Bostonian sold his roofing business, took out a loan against his house, and founded No Sweat Apparel, a company that sells items made in sweatshop-free unionized factories in the United States, and in developing nations like Indonesia, South Africa, Argentina, and Palestine.
The “Made in Bethlehem” t-shirts in No Sweat's stockroom are made of soft-combed, Indian cotton – certified organic by a Dutch NGO -- and come blank, or printed with a Japanese proverb: "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."
Nieman, a lifelong political activist, sees his shirts as a way to promote peace and prosperity in the Middle East, "because young men with guns, and without jobs is a recipe for violence," Nieman said. "And while economic development isn't a substitute for a diplomatic solution, no diplomatic solution can be sustained without a sustainable Palestinian economy."
And right now, that economy is anything but "sustainable." About half of Palestinians are without jobs. The once-thriving textile business is now stagnant. So when Nieman learned about this factory on Virgin Mary Street, where the workers all belonged to the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions, he quickly booked a flight there.
It was July 2006, and the war in Lebanon broke out while his plane was in the air. But Nieman landed safely, and was whisked past the checkpoints to the Arja Textile Company, which went sweatshop-free in 2005. Today, it employs 100 knitters, dyers and sewers, and about 50 subcontractors, all of whom receive above-minimum wage plus paid holidays and health care.
Since the factory can't compete globally against sweatshops in, say, China or Bangladesh, he's mainly done business with Israelis. Of course, working with an American businessman was not easy. The West Bank is landlocked, so they have to use Israeli ports, and at one checkpoint Israelis confiscated several shipments of fabric dye, which they suspected were ingredients for bombs.
It took a handful of Israeli government officials to grease the wheels, such as Nadav Tamir, Israel's Consul General to New England. "A strong economy for the Palestinians... more empowering for the moderates rather than the extremists," Tamir said, "is something that we see as important for us, for the Palestinians, for the region and for peace."
But Adam Nieman's having a bit of trouble with business. While the “Made in Bethlehem” line has received plenty of praise and customers, Nieman's had a tough time finding investors. As a result, No Sweat Apparel's been losing money for the last year and a half. But Nieman, who describes himself as more of a “progressive” Jew than an “observant” one, is keeping the faith.
"What we're doing, most folks consider slightly less risky than betting on peace in the Middle East," Nieman said. "But I would say it's a lot less risky! I mean, the fact that we've got common ground, for Jews, Muslims, Christians and aetheists, on Virgin Mary Street, in Bethlehem, it's what most people of faith would consider a miracle."
(Photos from No Sweat Apparel)
