As a people and species, humans have the responsibility to help each other in order to support the basic values to life that we enjoy. Therefore to be concerned about the rights of other people is to affirm our value and moral worth as human beings.
As human beings consumers are aware of the conditions under which large brands are manufactured but are not concerned about them because they believe that they cannot make a difference for the laborers. This is inaccurate because it has been proven that consumers do hold power over companies. In a Chronicle article by Martin Van Der Werf, a demonstration of consumer power is seen in university student protests against sweatshops. These protests were held at various campuses against companies that were using overseas cheap labor to manufacture apparel bearing the university's name or logo. The result was that universities such as Princeton, Duke and Georgetown have consented to student demand thereby requiring apparel manufacturers for the universities to release locations where the apparel was being produced. These students have understood the gravity of this issue to the extent that they formed the United Students Against Sweatshops, the USAS. It was evident to them that measures could be taken against even large companies such as Nike. Through these protests a mayor and archbishop in North Olmstead, Ohio has recognized the severity of sweatshops and has banned any apparel manufactured from oppressed labor. Perhaps one way to make corporations change is to ruin their image. Often the products are made in a fashion that does not comply with the image of a company. Once this image is tainted, the trust between the manufacturer and the consumer is also broken. In order to regain this relationship, the companies would have to refashion their business ethics and perhaps create corporate codes acceptable as well as constantly monitor workplaces.