The Hands Alive movement was a movement against the wearing of organic material. The name comes from a series of horrific events and unlikely coincidences.

During the 5 day invasion of Apex Station in Dodecanary 5298, four hostages were taken, including all three Greenlings serving aboard the station. Their hands were all brutally chopped off, and later buried in Greenling tradition.

Many years later, Duneel Fiorsite, looking for a new renewable material to use to make her line of clothing discovered a fibrous tree which could be woven into a fabric. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to her, the trees she discovered were Greenling saplings. The public was horrified when their clothing began to sprout, and the source of the new fabric was discovered.

It is not clear that the Greenlings in question were the ones planted in 5298 or not, but Wee Joo and other proponents of the Hands Alive movement certainly claimed they were. and used the memory of the event and the scare of sprouting clothing to further their agenda.

—Aerithnu Yenroar