The first Common Threads project saw a group of educators from OSSTF/FEESO travel to Guatemala in 2002 to research the international garment industry. The result was Globalization, Sweatshops, and the Clothes We Wear – a study tool for students interested in the relationship between major clothing brands and the people and places where they are made.
This was followed in 2004 by a delegation to South Africa that produced From Canada to South Africa: Combatting HIV/AIDS Together – materials to help develop awareness in Ontario’s high school students of the global impact of their choices and actions, and help them make responsible choices for the sake of our collective future.
In 2006, OSSTF/FEESO sent a team to Bolivia where they helped conduct research on the topic of water and privatization. Tapped Out: The World Water Crisis contains curriculum which addresses issues such as equal access to clean water and sanitation, pollution and climate change and Canada’s role in protecting this critical resource.
Our most recent project, Hungry For Change, had members travel to Brazil where they explored progressive approaches to agriculture and food distribution. On return to Canada, the team created a series of lesson plans on a variety of related topics such as the commodification of food, the production of bio-fuels and food distribution.