Anti-Trafficking events

Last year I was working on the Mercy Rising book project and came across an almost unbelievable story of a family who lives in East Asia. The parents both work all day and all night in sweat shops while their children live with their grandparents. Both parents send almost all their money to their family to keep them all alive. What haunts me most is that the parents get to see their children one day a year. On Easter.

This stuff shouldn't happen - how can we make it stop? Besides changing our purchases, find out more at these great events.

"Break the Chains of Human Trafficking", is a student-led community-wide event held in Marion, Indiana on April 10, 2010. In addition to bands, food, and other entertainment, including the DK Bicycles world class BMX stunt team, they are hosting former George W. Bush Senior Advisor, Laura Lederer. The Mercy Rising book tour will be there. I hope to see you as well.

Other anti-trafficking events:
Call and Response
4/10/2010 Berkeley, CA
4/12/2010 Greenwood Village, CO
4/14/2010 Cheboygan, MI
4/15/2010 Hammond, IN
4/14/2010 Durham, NC
4/14/2010 Wilmington, NC
4/16/2010 Chapel Hill, NC
4/22/2010 Spokane, WA
4/23/2010 Redwood City, CA
4/24/2010 Lac La Biche, CANADA
4/24/2010 Edmonton, CANADA
4/24/2010 Calgary, CANADA
5/4/2010 Missoula, MT
5/5/2010 Palatine, IL
5/16/2010 San Rafael, CA
5/22/2010 Beaverton, WA
5/22/2010 Danville, CA
5/22/2010 London, UK
5/23/2010 Pompano Beach, FL
6/4/2010 San Jose, CA

Chain Store Reaction

Did you know that there are 15 million child slaves in the world? Some are involved in sex-trafficking but many more are involved in domestic labor, agricultural jobs, restaurant and hotel work, and in factory labor. They live a life few of us can imagine. Some are paying off loans made by their great-grandparents for around the amount of $25-$50.

I really want to change some of my shopping habits and join the movement to end cash flow to human rights violators. I hate having to form new buying habits, but with just a little effort, I can find similar products from companies trying to do the right thing.

One really cool website - ChainStore Reaction is doing just that. Use their easy color-coded system to see what companies are doing to end ties to slave labor. The website also has easy links to email corporations to ask them to make their stance against slave traded products a part of their company policy.

(pix-stockxchng.com)

Halloween Candy, Fair Trade?

As a kid, I remember that one house in our subdivision - The loony people who gave us apples instead of candy at Halloween. The fun of candy and treats were just lost on those weird people.

This year, I stared down aisles of candy for two weeks in a serious quandary what to do about chocolate. On one hand I know stuff about cocoa fields and child slave labor that is more chilling than any haunted house. I don't want to support companies that are hurting children.

On the other hand, I don't want to be the lady with a "cause" on Halloween.

So after a couple weeks of research I find myself on the side of the consumer. It isn't easy to get your hands on individually wrapped fair trade chocolate candy pieces. Online purchases are mainly what we have right now, and I hate to pay for shipping. I probably need to brace myself to be inconvenienced. Just a bit grumpy and selfish today.

What can we do?

1) No Nestle products. Labeled as one of the top ten worst companies in the world when it comes to ethics, human rights, etc.

2) Most major chocolate brands you see on the shelf are participating in child labor for cocoa - consider fruit snacks, play-doh, or other alternatives. It ranks decently on the good guide rankings for toys.

3) Order fair trade candy online.

Call and Response Rockumentary

Get educated, hear some great music, and find others in your area concerned about ending modern slavery.

Did you know that slave traders make more $ than google, nike, and starbucks combined?

Find a viewing in your area

9/26 Holland, MI
9/26 New York, NY
10/6 Abilene, TX
10/8 Portland, OR
10/9 Orlando, FL
10/17 Seattle, WA
10/17 Ellensburg, WA
10/21 Tulsa, OK
10/22 Australia
10/29 Santa Barbara, CA
11/3 Orange City, IA
11/5 Ardmore, PA
11/6 Ardmore, PA
11/8 Ardmore, PA
11/13 Fulton, MD
11/13 Honolulu, HI
11/20 Calgary, Canada

Clean Clothes Update

(News update from clean clothes campaign)

"Polo Ralph Lauren, the upmarket US-based fashion giant, continues to ignore union repression and bad working conditions at one of its suppliers in Indonesia. The Mulia Knitting Factory near to Jakarta. The fashion house simply refuses to respond to the plight of workers who produce its garments.

Tommy Hilfiger, another buyer at the same clothing factory, has claimed that they have discussed the problems with the supplier, but the company has yet to take decisive action.

Support these Indonesian workers in their struggle. Send letters to Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger today and forward this message to your
friends."

The real sisterhood of your traveling pants

Loved the first traveling pants movie. I loved the story of friendship and the adventures the girls had sharing the jeans.

Did you know your jeans have a story too? People who make the jeans, package the jeans, and suppliers who get them to the store? Unfortunately that story often wouldn't be a light romantic comedy but something in the horror genre.

As our jeans recently saw us through the Memorial Day weekend with fun, laughs,and barbecues, depending on where we bought ours it may have contributed to:

Amelita, a married factory worker who sees her four children one week a year. She and her husband work 12 hour days and send 70% of their pay to support their children.

Beatings, verbal insult, and sexual harassment to women factory workers in Bangladesh, the norm, not the exception.

Mock childcare centers in factories only used when auditors or inspectors are visiting.

Unpaid wages, forced overtime, and unsafe conditions.

(read the full stories at clean clothes campaign website)

As our jeans will travel with us through summer fun times with family or friends, let's purchase jeans and other products from stores that won't cause a nightmare to another family.


(pix-stock.xchng)

Experiment continues (Wake up Walmart pt2)

I hate change. I really hate it. It seems like such a small thing to change where you buy what you buy. But not knowing if the store has what you need, or the price is added stress in my day that I don't need.

I had a piano recital for my students fast approaching. So I needed a large quantity of plates, cups, utensils, and reception food. I was once again pleasantly surprised at the upfront costs being pretty much the same as usual and it was actually fun to get somethings that were different.

Coming home I went to the mailbox and found a huge surprise. We had been through a long appeals process with my health insurance company about them reimbursing me for something that they had approved and then refused to pay. It was a pretty substantial amount that we had given up on ever seeing that money. The check had come and was in my mailbox.

I knew what teeny little effort it cost to live justice for real - in everyday life was worth it. Immediately my mind was drawn to this passage:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. (Michah 5.8)

Some might say that it was coincidence. To me it was an affirmation. Keep going. Keep working out mercy and justice even if you don't always get it right. God will take care of the details.

(pix- stock.xchng)

Experiment Shopping Commences

One of the most disturbing bits of research I found was on a store that I have shopped at for years - Wal-mart. From unethical treatment to workers in the US, to sweatshops overseas, to irresponsible acts against our environment - last week I had seen one fact too many. Can I do it? Could I break my familiarity and calculate total costs to myself and others not just the ticket price?

First week so good - I generally shop at TJoes and Walmart. I replaced my Walmart purchases with Meijer only. I was surprised to see a very similar cost at the end. The Meijer purchases that were on sale balanced out the goods at a slightly higher price! YEAH!

I hope someday that Wal-mart changes it's ways. It can happen. I have seen research that other companies have done it. Can I change my ways.... stay tuned.