El Green Mall Manifesto
1. We see the individual as a moral being with social and political responsibilities.
2. We see the individual as a biological entity that depends on its environment and its relationships with others.
3. We see the individual as a consumer placed in an unfair economic system.
4. We see the individual as a subject capable of raising concerns and making better choices to change their surroundings.
5. We see ourselves as individuals, consumers full of contradictions willing to find the best available option and, if needed, willing to create it to make it happen.
6. We oppose a boundary-less economic system that can lead our planet to the edge of extinction.
7. We oppose an unconscious and unregulated market where consumerism takes precedence over our environment and societies.
8. We oppose government politics working in favor of private interests against the common good.
9. We oppose unconscious consumption.
10. We see ourselves immersed in a capitalist system, being part of it. We find ourselves with the urge to understand and acknowledge the reality we are living in.
11. We believe in democracy as an essential element to stop economic and social injustices.
12. We believe in democracy as the only available political space where accessibility can prevail.
13. We believe in accessibility as the core of our project. We define accessibility as the easy availability of options and information, to make informed decisions.
14. We propose sustainability as a real and achievable solution to help our planet.
15. We propose sustainability as a plural concept to be built around the constant balancing of three pillars: environmental, social, and economic.
16. We propose to free sustainability from any elitist approach. Sustainability should be understood as a traversal concept capable of holding contradictions but willing to face them.
17. We propose a space where sustainability, accessibility, and ethical practices can emerge and combine. A Green Mall where we acknowledge our roles as consumers and sellers, and we offer the best possible options in terms of products, packaging, and delivery.
18. We propose to democratize the sustainable market.
19. We conceive the importance of strong verification criteria to select brands and products that match our values.
20. We conceive verification criteria to be simple, effective, and accessible. Exhaustivity and simplicity are not mutually exclusive.
21. We conceive certifications as a guarantee of valid criteria. At the same time, we do not conceive non-certifications as a guarantee of lack of them.
22. We conceive the importance of supporting brands that can show, beyond certifications, their honest commitment towards sustainability.
23. We feel the community is the final auditor to point out our mistakes and to be constant evaluators of our brands and products.
24. We hold the growth of the community as our long-term goal. We feel the community to be our main reference when it comes to thinking about social and economic issues.
25. We think educational tools should be provided to refine consumption and make it more sustainable and ethical.
26. We know this manifesto will keep evolving and changing.