Are you a socially-conscious shopper?   I know I am or try to be. I often look at where the clothing was made and if from a country that supports sweat shops, I avoid the purchase.   In particular, I try to look for clothing with a "made in Cambodia" tag.   But there is a lot of other information that you can't tell from the tag or at the point of purchase.  

What are your socially-conscious shopping tips?

Netsquared has put the call out to all innovators and inventors to create social change with a unique Mashup challenge (an open competition) and an opportunity to win a cash prize and attend the NetSquared Conference (N2Y3).   (But hurry, the deadline is March 14th at 5:00 PM PST.)

There were a couple of projects in the project gallery that were a mashup of social change and shopping - these caught my eye and thought they might interest you!

One of the entrants in the N2Y3 Mashup Challenge, New Clothes, will enable shoppers to view the hidden social information of consumer goods – political, global, environmental – right at the point of purchase.   Using a mobile phone, you could scan a product's barcode to identify its manufacturer, and connects to a community-driven wiki database on corporate holdings that focuses squarely on their social impact. The goal here is transparency in shopping.  

Global Goods Partners provides a direct link between community partners in the global south and consumers in the US.   They are trying to educate people about the positive impact that comes from purchasing products that can help benefit community development, activism and advocacy.  GGP is a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. GGP partners with community based organizations (CBOs), cooperatives and social enterprises that integrate their commitment to community development—improvements in education, health, women's rights, food security, and employment opportunities—with socially responsible income-generating programs that follow  Fair Trade standards.

Applications will close on March 14th and then there will be a community voting period from March 17-21th.  The top 20 Mashups will be announced on March 24th.  So, if you have an idea for a Mashup, read through the FAQ to learn how to enter it into the competition.   If you are curious about the types of projects submitted to date (and they are fascinating), check out the project gallery and leave some feedback.

Beth Kanter, BlogHer CE for Social Change and Nonprofits, writes Beth's Blog.