Scarborough High School junior Aaron Fortin and Cheverus freshman Liam Swords, of Scarborough, are hoping to use what they learned last weekend to stop their schools from purchasing items made in sweatshops.

Both students attended a three-day anti-sweatshop conference, held at Smith College in Massachusetts.

The conference was for high school students and featured discussions on the sweatshop economy and how to build organizations in their school to effect change.

Fortin and Swords both said they enjoyed the weekend and learned a lot about the working conditions of sweatshops and the effects these products have in the United States.

During the conference several success stories were shared with the students of other schools that were able to get their schools to stop purchasing goods made from sweat shops. Other students have been successful in stopping their schools from buying from companies that have a poor record for workers’ rights, like Coca-Cola.

The two were sent to the conference by the Clean Clothes Campaign of Southern Maine, a Scarborough-based organization begun by Pauline Michaud.

“We’re trying to educate people and we also work on state laws,” Michaud said. “The effort right now is to try to get organizations to look at where their goods come from.”

The Clean Clothes Campaign successfully lobbied the town of Scarborough to pledge to not use sweatshop-produced materials in 2003. Michaud said by getting large organizations to stop purchasing these goods, it would send a stronger message to manufacturers.

Michaud selected both Swords and Fortin based on essays the two had written. She liked both of the essays because they highlighted the students’ interest and commitment to stopping the proliferation of sweatshops.

Swords said he has just started learning about the conditions that sweatshop employees work in and he wanted to do something to help stop the practice.

During the conference he was told how to work to eliminate materials made in sweat shops from being purchased by the schools. These types of materials can range from uniforms to various pieces of athletic equipment.

“I learned a lot and I hope I can apply some of the things I learned to our school,” Swords said.

Fortin said he had done a lot of reading on sweatshops prior to attending the conference, but took the opportunity to learn more.

“I always felt strongly about this,” he said.

Swords said he would try to create an organization to help stop his school from using materials produced in sweatshops. Eventually he would like to submit a petition to the Cheverus administration asking that they not buy items made by sweat shops.

Fortin said he has already raised the idea with some classmates, but said the reaction has not been very enthusiastic.

However, he has not been dissuaded and plans on submitting a story to the school newspaper asking for people to join a new anti-sweatshop club. He also is planning on seeking help from other clubs in school, such as the environmental club, which was able to start a school-wide recycling program.

Liam Swords and Aaron Fortin are two Scarborough students who recently attended an anti-sweatshop gathering for young people.

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