This week, myself and several friends will be observing Buy Nothing Day, as well as protesting needless consumerism at malls. Below, my brother Wesley and I explain the motivation behind this, which we’ve printed on the back of the flyers we’ll be passing out.

SPEND LESS.
GIVE MORE!

In the context of a world in which people are starving to death, how much more do we need? This year, we’d like to encourage you to join us in evading the lure of sales that feed the addiction of purchasing more heaps of excess stuff.

Of course, we’ve had it ingrained in us for years that if we don’t purchase gifts for our relatives during Christmas season, we’re uncaring people. But what if we already have enough? What if there are others who don’t have enough?

We urge you to make a statement not by the clothes you wear or items you purchase, but by refusing to fall in line with the habits of over-consumption that serve to reinforce material dependency and transiently fashionable goods.

As an alternative, we’d recommend helping end poverty and hunger for our neighbors around the world by making a donation to Action Against Hunger:

www.ActionAgainstHunger.org