BeyondBlue Launches Global Initiative to Redefine Terminology for Industrial Workers
BeyondBlue Launches Global Initiative to Redefine Terminology for Industrial Workers: A recent initiative, BeyondBlue, spearheaded by Dr. Harmeek Singh, the Founder and Chairman of Plan B, and Alok Gadkar, MD and Executive Creative Director at Partnership Advertising, aims to revolutionize the discourse surrounding manual laborers by discouraging the use of the term "blue-collar workers." This Dubai-based project seeks to garner global support to redefine the narrative around individuals employed in the manual labor sector.
The BeyondBlue initiative was officially introduced through a special charity runway show at the Vie Fashion Week, hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre's Sheikh Saeed Halls 2 & 3. Dr. Singh and Gadkar advocate for the replacement of terms like "blue-collar workers" with more respectful alternatives such as "industrial workers" or "skilled workers."
Dr. Singh, reflecting on the initiative, stated, "Through our longstanding Box of Hope project, we've been aiding the underserved industrial workers' sector. Collaborating with Alok and Partnership, we aspire to elevate this conversation globally, urging for a more dignified identification of our industrial workforce."
Alok Gadkar expressed his desire for the initiative to steer away from discriminatory terms associated with colors. He emphasized that the pride associated with the profession of industrial workers should not be defined by the color of their collars. The initiative aims to highlight the dignity of their work and eradicate the color-based categorization.
The BeyondBlue segment at the Vie Fashion Week featured industrial workers donning specially designed overalls, creatively symbolizing the project's call to abandon the use of the term "blue-collar." Limited-edition versions of these overalls will be available for purchase, with proceeds contributing to the global campaign against the use of the term and supporting the welfare of industrial workers.
Recognizing the significance of the UAE as a hub employing approximately 2.7 million workers, BeyondBlue founders Singh and Gadkar chose the country as the ideal launchpad for their global initiative. They express their intent to take the conversation to an international level, with the hope of influencing international organizations to adopt linguistic and policy reforms that will restore dignity to industrial workers worldwide.