Nestle, Swimming and Family Trees.

So today union councillors got the chance to sit in on a meeting between our working group who are considering the issue or whether or not we continue with our current union boycott of Nestle products or not, and Nestle represenatives who came to persuade us not too. As students with disabilities councillor I made the decision at the start of the year not to get involved with any groups that didn't directly impact on the disabled students of the union as I know my tendencies to get involved with everything and already had enough on, so was pleasantly surprised to be invited to the meeting. My mum and dad decided we were going to boycott nestle as a family when I was in reception (I remember stropping about no kitkats on the way home from school) and my mum worked as a breastfeeding counsellor and was heavily involved in baby milk action so I have to say I went in there ready for some serious Nestle bashing. However, I was actually surprised, and a little freaked out by my feelings in the meeting. These people (as you would expect) were seriously well prepared. Nestle sent representatives from the developing world, (S. Africa and Sri Lanka) who now work in the UK. They basically said that in the developing world Nestle was a trusted brand and its only in Europe and the US that these problems exist. (Well maybe because we have better access to education and resources?) They bombarded us with articles and facts and figures and said how they were the best industry practice, had been removed from loads of black lists, even the Methodist Church have decided to invest in them. They made the (fair) point that in all the shouting about Nestle, other companies who are breaking the codes to a far worse extent are being ignored (SMA, Cow and Gate) by the general public. They raised a recent guardian article which had Nestle in the title but only talked about other companies as proof of this, they also had a pet midwife who had 'switched camps' from bma to Nestle talk to us.
I really don't know what I think- Baby Milk Action can't be sure they can get to the Union before the working group needs to bring it's recommendations to council, and I'd hate for them to only hear the Nestle perspective. But it makes me wonder if we should be boycotting all the other companies too? But that referendum may well be defeated, therefore undoing even a Nestle boycott. I'm glad glad glad that it's now in the working group's court, and not mine. An interesting afternoon though.

In other news- I haven't been swimming since the summer because it makes my eczema flare really badly, but in the space of a week I have found this pool pratically next to my house, which has lower chlorine than the Uni pool, and have finally found a ethical and organic eczema body wash (I HATE the emollients I get on prescription, they're overly greasy and make me smell like an oil refinery) which is suitable for the shower, as I hate baths. They also make a shampoo and conditioner- a bit on the pricey side but I got the shower wash and the shampoo and my eczema on my head is the best it's been in ages, plus I didn't flare up at all after my swim (25 lengths! go me). Their website is here and their stuff is yummy.

Lastly, I did a google search for the origins of my surname just for my own personal amusement in front of ER this evening, and found out my family motto is esse quam videri which means to be, rather than to seem. I quite like it!

Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading!
S x x x