My wife Ali launched an exploited-labor free clothing line in Florence last week called Edun.
“Edun is not a charity. It’s a project for social development aimed primarily at Africa,” said Hewson. She said the company teaches suppliers how to grow raw materials and shows workers how to use the cloth weaving machines. Edun clothes are produced in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar.
This clothing line is important for a couple reasons. Firstly, casual U2 fans mistakenly believe that my sexuality transcends concrete mammalian male-female, male-male, rock star-fish boundaries — that my divine and ubiquitous libido hovers in the stratosphere, germinates the flora in the fields — that my seed somehow is the “One” force that allows life, blood and love to carry on.
Well as it turns out, I do have a mortal wife (we met before U2 formed). So it’s silly to suggest that I promulgate the above holy status, or that I shrug my shoulders and grin mysteriously when asked if Ali is my sister. 
Secondly, purchasing sweatshop-free clothing is sort of like eating a glutton-free diet — an obvious and consciously-sound choice. (Except while you healthily deprive your body of wheat, rye, barley and oats, no one in Africa is really benefiting). My friend wife is spot on with this program that will establish sustainable industry in these developing nations. I’m reminded of an adage: If you give a man some fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, he’ll eventually learn how to deplete a bountiful resource and cause horrific environmental consequences.
Cheers!
Photo by medapt.org
