Singapore's Ethical Shopping Hackathon - A World's First

Good Living Design Jam puts ethics into the Singapore shopping culture on 27 and 28 September 2014. Crowdfunding sought.

By Tan Hui Zhen

Singapore, 21 July 2014.

 Singaporeans are coming together in support of the first ever hackathon focused on ethical shopping: the Good Living Design Jam. This novel event will  bring  together  experts  in  social  &  digital  media  to develop interactive media that can inspire consumers to buy products that are good for society and the environment.  

More than $3,000 has been raised to date, with donations ranging from $10 to $500. 

Ethical shopping is the idea that consumers use their spending to take action on the issues that they care about, by buying from companies that are more environmentally friendly, or that treat their workers fairly. 

“Consumers spent over $2 billion on the Great Singapore Sale in 2013, and this year looks set to do the same. We want to make it possible for every consumer to know that every dollar they spend is helping to make the world a better place” said Chris Jensen, Founder of Good for Us, the organisation behind the event.  

The organisers are pleased with the way crowdfunding has helped to gather a community with a shared interest for transforming shopping: “People have told us this will never work, that Singaporean’s don’t care, but I’ve never really believed that, and it’s very gratifying to be able to see a community come together to show a passion for caring for people and the planet”, said Chris Jensen. 

In  the  last  year,  incidents  in  the  clothing  and  electronics  industries  have  brought  more attention to factory worker’s safety and to the impact our spending can have on others. 

The Good Living Design Jam will be held on 27 and 28 September 2014. The team is still seeking donations for their event. Crowdfunding closes on 26 July, 2014, and donations can be made at http://pozible.com/goodlivingdj.  

For more information, contact Good for Us Pte. Ltd or Chris Jensen at

chris@goodforus.info

About Good for Us

Good for Us is a social enterprise that seeks to enable everyone to know that their daily actions contribute to a better world and a good life for everyone. 

Good for Us compiles and simplifies information and stories on the impacts that companies have on the world. Through our website consumers can find and support the brands that are acting on the issues we all care about. 

With support from the Ground­Up Initiative (GUI) community, Good for Us seeks to enable people to spread the values nurtured in that community through our shopping choices.

More information can be found here.  

About the Good Living Design Jam 

The Good Living Design Jam is a two day hackathon event to bring together digital and social media experts to redesign the way we shop for a fair, just and sustainable world. 

We want to make conscious consumption an exciting and essential part of our shopping experience, and ultimately, of our identity.  

Over the two days, participants will develop apps, videos, social media and other viral content to make it more exciting for consumers to discover and act on the impact that things we buy have on the world.