ToT: Secondhand Shopping

Secondhand shopping is such an excellent, ethical choice . . . I love it.

-It reduces environmental impact: fewer materials and less waste (both the product itself and the manufacturing), fewer shipping emissions, saves landfill space, etc.
-It supports local economy.
-It reduces the demand of new production of items and sends a message to manufacturers that more is not always more. Down with consumerism!
-It reduces the demand for items that may have been sourced or manufactured in slave conditions.
-It often supports job creation for small businesses or individuals who may not have many other opportunities. (Goodwill, for example, hires a number of employees with intellectual disabilities.)
-You can find all kinds of crazy stuff you wouldn't find elsewhere.
-You can usually get a good bargain.

Guest Blogger: Freedom

Here's the promised guest post about Freedom a la Cart, the innovative way to support women who have survived the horrors of human trafficking and are building a new life.  They are working towards growing their food cart into a restaurant and they could use our help. And yes, the blogger is my sister-in-law. 

Happy Boxing Day!

Freedom is hummus. Perhaps not to you. But to me, hummus is what Freedom tastes like. The relationships I have built with survivors of Human Trafficking have propelled me to redefine Freedom, as it exists from their perspectives. Watching a survivor taste hummus for the first time brought so much joy to me. In a room of 25 survivors, no one had ever tasted it; many were hesitant to even dip a chip in it, let alone a carrot stick or pita bread. But the wide smile on the face of the first survivor who ‘dove in’, was all they needed to form a new love for this strange chick-pea blend. And that one smile led the rest of the women into a new world of ‘healthful’ eating. It was a bold move early on by one of our volunteers—but she knows that part of her volunteer work is to continue to introduce the survivors to freedom and choices that have been unknown and unavailable to them. 

A Holiday Glow

In light of the craziness in the world, I am thinking more about ways we can make the world a little bit warmer, a little bit brighter. The holidays are a time when people often find renewed enthusiasm for giving to others--and the year-end tax motivation to donate doesn't hurt, either.

Full disclosure: these are all projects or organizations I have had some connection to over the years, which means I am sharing with confidence. I believe in this work and I have seen real change as a result of their efforts. Isn't that why we give, to make a change? 

We all have a part in making the world a better place. If you are looking for new ways to do just that, keep reading. One of these might just be a perfect fit.

A Russian Orphanage

If you've read at all, you know Ben and I have been involved with Sovietsk Orphanage in Kirov, Russia over the last 7 years or so. Children's HopeChest oversees the work we do here. The children are amazing, and we love them with our whole hearts. We used to visit regularly, but having a little one has changed that. We instead work to find financial support for needs, such as therapies, schooling, or basics like gardening supplies. For example, we have been working on getting a hearing aid to one of the boys . . . we were thrilled to find a donor for the whole thing, but we have hit a snag. Finding donors for international projects, especially when we aren't traveling as before, has proven a challenge--so ANY contributions are welcome! More than money, these children need someone to notice them, care for them, invest in them. You can participate by sending a one-time financial gift, a monthly sponsorship gift, or even just writing letters. Visit the other blog for more information on how to donate. If you have any questions at all, please contact me.

A Health Clinic in Ethiopia

Doma International 's new health clinic is right in line with current thinking about the smartest and most effective way to support women and children around the world: maternal and infant medicine. By working alongside people in the village of Bora and bringing education and medical care, they are able to give women, children, and families a chance to thrive and grow together. I could go on and on with stories I have heard from Ethiopia, and I hope to go myself someday. For now, we are supporting from home . . .

The medical director Amber (who happens to be a longtime friend of the Clarks) has made such an impact, there is a little girl in Bora named after her. You see and hear Ben's brother in the video, and Ben's parents have also made the trip. Supporting the Hidota Center is a great way to be a part of something bigger and long-term . . . if becoming a careholder is too much for now, a gift of any size will help.

Rebuilding Lives for Survivors of Human Trafficking in Columbus, Ohio

You have seen me post about human trafficking again and again. Here is a frickin' cool way to actually make a difference to the women who have survived it right next door, in Ohio. As they are rebuilding their lives, they need support, skills, and stability--something Doma is working to offer them.

I would not be one bit surprised if, once this restaurant gets off the ground, we see this model replicated in cities all over the country. We can all be a part of getting this enterprise off the ground and helping these women build hope and a future. Stay tuned for a guest blog on this in the days ahead.


I could go on and on and on . . . there are some inspiring local children's agencies, such as The Villages or Damar Services. There are arts communities, such as Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. There are community centers like The Sharing Place or The Love Center . If I listed every place that inspires me and that I believe truly makes a difference, this blog would be endless. There are countless places where you could write a check and donate your time and truly make a difference. These are a few that move me . . . but the most important things is that we all find a few who move us, who are truly doing good work, and that we jump right in.

I love cozying up with my family over the holidays and enjoying the glow of the lights, the fire, a warm meal, our love for each other. But our glow is that much warmer and brighter when we find a way to share it outside of our own four walls, all year round.

What about you? How do you share your holiday glow?

Merry Christmas, everyone.

ToT: Black Friday, Indeed

Today, I am posting my Together on Tuesday topic RIGHT ON TIME! Barely. Small victories.

Time to share our thoughts on Black Friday. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, it won't be hard to guess what I have to say.

"Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it's getting too dangerous."

ToT: The Darker Side of the Olympics

We have a new Together on Tuesday blogger! Welcome, Katie, from Fun Home Things!

So, the topic today is the Olympics. My husband LOVES the Olympics, and I enjoy them too. In another life I would have been a gymnast, I know it, and Ben is really hoping for a chance to race Usain Bolt. I thought instead of answering all the ToT topic questions (sorry, guys), I'd take a Just Living perspective about the Olympics.

I could write about Gabby's hair. (Anyone notice that the other girls' hair isn't exactly ready for the red carpet? It's called being an ATHLETE.) I could write about the awkward balance between entertainment that brings people together and the massive amount of money spent or the environmental impact. But again, I'm taking it back to human trafficking. (To read more, click the modern day slavery label in the cloud on the right.)

Red/Black

I love being married to smarty-pants, socially-minded historian. That means that on Father's Day, which also happened to be Juneteenth this year, we spent the day at the Red/Black exhibit at the Eiteljorg Museum. We've been meaning to go since it opened. It's one of those fascinating places where our two disciplines meet. In fact, opening day hosted lectures from historians and social workers alike. It was fascinating! But more on that later.

First, Juneteenth? Yes, this is one of those interesting and important days I had never heard of until I was married to this smarty-pants guy. It turns out Juneteenth is the oldest commemorative date for celebrating the end of slavery in the US. Pretty important! I'll leave it to you to learn more, if you're interested. In this house, where studying the effects of slavery on 20th century African Americans and dealing with long-term effects of oppression are regular occurances, Juneteenth gets some notice. Not to mention the millions of people still enslaved today, but more on THAT later too.

Lucinda Davis, 1937, former slave of the Creek tribe, from Library of Congress

So, we FINALLY went to Red/Black, third trimester and all. It was worth it. Eiteljorg is the museum of Native American history, and this exhibit explores the intersection of American Indians with African Americans throughout our country's history. We saw documents of the ugliness of slavery, including a receipt for purchase of a 16 year old girl. We heard oral histories taken in the 1930s of African-American freed people (still called freemen, regardless of the womanhood of the person above, but I digress . . .) who were one enslaved by various tribes. (Ben had read many of these before, but I was riveted.) We read how families intertwined and culture overlapped. Both of us learned some pretty shocking things and some pretty encouraging things.

Examples . . . there were times when Native peoples and African slaves were enslaved side-by-side, and then fought their oppressors side-by-side. There were times when certain tribes owned African descended slaves themselves. There were times, even in recent history, when certain groups were quick to reinstate dividing lines between those groups, seeking 'pure' bloodlines and excluding African descendents from citizenship within the tribe. And there were times when groups worked together culturally, socially, and politically, for unity and positive change.

One display asked the question (paraphrased) "Why do people in power exploit others, and when will it end?" I wish we knew. There are more slaves living today than there were during the height of US slavery and legal slave trade--some estimates at 29.2 million. These slaves work in sweatshops, agriculture, manufacturing, housekeeping, massage parlors, nail salons, strip clubs, brothels, you name it. And despite our best efforts, our culture is designed such that you and I likely benefit from this ugliness on a regular basis.

I walked away with another perspective on how easy it is for people to segregate themselves and label the 'other,' if it benefits them. Let those people worry about themselves, I have enought to attend to. I also saw how beautiful it is when people cast those distinctions aside and come together--that is where true change can happen. One man, descended from both African slaves and a native group, shared that he was doubly strong because he had two blood lines--and this in a time when it was illegal for a White person to marry outside the race. There have been brave people throughout history who have changed the culture--even just the culture in their corner of the world--and made the world safer, brighter, and richer for it.

I want to be like that! What if we all were? Could we eradicate slavery in its current form? I believe we could, I really do.

So yes, we were inspired. And humbled.

And we are planning to commemorate Juneteenth each year, from now on.

Happy Women's Day/Mardi Gras!

There's too much to celebrate today to post about detox! There will be plenty of that in Lent.

Today is Mardi Gras, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday. If you know me at all, you know I'm not a big partier. Not a lot of excess and revelry for me today, but I will eat some pancakes and indulge a bit. Today I will find as many opportunities to celebrate as I can, even during a full day of work, work, work.

Even more importantly to me, it's International Women's Day! In the US, this holiday is sometimes overlooked but growing in popularity. Around the world, it's treated much differently. Our Russian friends are celebrating Spring today and honoring their woman with flowers, songs, and extra doses of kindness. In other places, women are gathering to celebrate their achievements and fight for greater equality. This is a great day to celebrate the women in history who paved the way for us to raise our voices and follow our dreams. While things aren't perfect here in the US, we've come a long way over the last century.

This is also a great day to educate ourselves about women's issues around the world, such as reproductive and maternal health, modern day slavery, poverty, equal rights, microenterprise and independence, and education issues. Check out CARE, Doma International, or another organization of your choice to learn more. The women of the world need each other!

Photo Credit ABC

Happy Women's Day! Let the good times roll!

Super Bowl and Child Slavery

The Super Bowl is coming! While my team is sadly out, I am still a football fan. I'll be watching through the playoffs (and hoping the Bears ride it out), partying and eating and all that good stuff. And as a football fan, I believe it is my responsibility to chime in on the issue of human trafficking, as described by Change.org:

Every year, children as young as 11 are trafficked involuntarily to Super Bowl cities. There, football fans – usually men, often inebriated – will pay traffickers to have sex with them.
The Texas Attorney General estimates these kids have a life expectancy of just seven years from the time they're first trafficked.

This year, the Super Bowl Host Committee is charged "to engage in responsible planning . . . to ensure the readiness of North Texas to host the first Super Bowl in the Cowboys’ new stadium."

Local anti-trafficking groups have repeatedly offered to help the Committee use its influence to educate fans and the public about the dangers of child trafficking -- which could help to prevent thousands of rapes and abuses at America's biggest sporting event.

But the Host Committee has refused to take meaningful action. And thousands of children will pay the price.

Tell the 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee to take a stand against child trafficking.

In Dallas, a terrific local organization called Traffick911 has created the "I'm Not Buying It" campaign. They've offered the Host Committee free PSAs, posters, banners and informational cards to educate the public and protect children from being abused and raped.

But the Host Committee refuses to display the information.

The Committee is working hard right now to generate good publicity for North Texas and the game, so public pressure at this moment will be especially powerful.

Tell the Super Bowl Host Committee that they have a responsibility to protect the children who'll be trafficked to Texas for the Super Bowl:

http://change.org/petitions/view/ask_the_super_bowl_host_committee_to_stand_up_and_protect_children

After you sign, please forward this information to friends and family to let them know about this crisis, and how they can help. And, click here to share this campaign on Facebook.

This is a simple but important way to let the Super Bowl committees know that fans are watching, and we care about the safety of our children! None of these officials want to see children abused and exploited during the Super Bowl, but we have to help them see that their silence is dangerous and they have the power to make a change. If these prone-to-drink men know the risk, or their friends know what to watch for, they can make choices that keep children safe. Further, this is a chance to bring an understanding the horrors of human trafficking to a whole new audience--to more people who can make a change. Awareness is key!

Should the 2012 season come to be, our city is hosting the Super Bowl. We can get started fighting against this abuse now, let Texas know that Indiana is watching, and do our part to keep children safe. Please sign the petition and spread the word!

Daily Detox: Coffee

This is not one of those caffeine or no-caffeine discussions. That's up to you. My husband and I have debated this endlessly to no avail.

Instead, I suggest switching to Fair Trade, Organic Coffee only.

Bigwig coffee companies, like Nestle, Kraft, and Proctor & Gamble, get to set the prices they pay the farmers. If they are paying farmers disgustingly low prices, farmers don't make enough to pay their workers well or support their families. While farmers in Vietnam are selling for 60% of production costs, or a woman in Tanzania made $15 for a year's crop, I'm sure CEOs of big companies are making plenty. Not to mention the slavery and child labor happening in coffee plantations around the world.

For more information on the plight of coffee workers, check out Everyday Justice or Green America.

With coffee workers receiving 1-6% of what we actually pay for coffee, our cheap coffee has a global impact. Coffee is a luxury; human dignity is not.

I wouldn't work for pennies unless I was desperate. Why should the people who grow my food?

Fair trade isn't perfect, but it seeks to make sure the workers to bring the coffee to our tables are treated well and paid a fair wage for their hard work. Organic coffee is better for the environment and workers, and organic coffee is often shade-grown, which is better for our forests.

It's getting easier to find fair trade, and the the quality is superior to Maxwell House and Folger's. Trader Joe's has a lot of fair trade options, but look carefully--some are fair, some are not. Your typical grocery store is starting to carry some, too. If you don't find them in the coffee aisle, check the natural foods section. Green Mountain and Equal Exchange are among the more popular fair trade companies. There are more, though--look for the fair trade label. Even Starbucks has gotten on the ethical coffee bandwagon. While their products aren't certified, they claim to be sourcing their coffee in ethical ways.

This is a simple way to make the world a better place! When you pay a bit more for a quality cup of Joe, know you are helping a family send their child to school, or keep their farm, or simply eat. I hope someday we don't even have to discuss this, and that all of the products we purchase are sold with human dignity first in mind.

Double your money! Act now! Operators are standing by!

If you're looking for an alternative Christmas idea, or an organization to give your year-end tax-deductable donation, or if your heart has been stirred by the horrors of human trafficking and the degradation of America's sex industry, or if you want an opportunity to change a woman's life, then I strongly urge you to check out Doma International!

Doma has an opportunity to earn $54,000 before the end of 2010--on condition that they raise $27,000 themselves. If they raise $27,000, a generous donor will DOUBLE it to $54,000! If they raise $26,500, then no match.If you've ever considered giving to Doma, even giving $10, $100, $1,000, or $10,000, now is the time!

With these funds, Doma will be developing their Bloom! house for women who are exiting prostitution and the pain that goes with it, growing firmer roots and reaching toward the sun. The program will provide victim support services in conjunction with the courts and substance abuse recovery. The women learn basic life skills, build healthy relationships, and engage in nurturing activities, all while being surrounded with strong women who care about them and their futures. This program is a part of Project Green Light, seeking to end human trafficking in Ohio, the United States, and the world.

Could this be your first step (or next step) in the modern abolitionist movement?

Could this be your chance to bring this situation to the attention of someone (or some organization) who can make this matching grant a reality?

Do you have questions about prostitution, human trafficking, or Doma?

You can contact me. Or contact Julie Clark, CEO of Doma, Daniel, development director, or Tom English, COO. Or if you're ready to give, head on over to Doma's secure giving site hosted by eTapestry and give to your heart's content.

Could you please share this information with friends, family, and organizations through emails, reposts, links, and even phone calls?

Please don't wait, we only have until December 31, 2010!!

And THANK YOU for your care and concern for women and children, at home and beyond!

The Weapon We Have is Love

"Did you ever wish that Harry Potter was real? Well it kind of is."



How much do I love that there are other Harry Potter fans who deeply feel the book's resonance with social justice issues? Check out the Harry Potter Alliance, a group of fans who seeks to defeat the dark arts in our world. Their first task: slave-free chocolate. Julie Clawson spells it out better than I ever could (as she often does--remember how much I love Everyday Justice?), and they are slated for NPR's Morning Edition tomorrow. I am so excited at the prospect of bringing this message to a mainstream pop culture audience, and I'm inspired by the young people who have taken it to heart. Cheers to HPA!

My Ongoing Existential Dilemma

On the way back from a lovely night away, Ben and I stopped at an icky outlet mall. We don't love shopping or anything, but we try to use sales and coupons to get some good deals for basics and wardrobe updates a couple times a year. We struggle with knowing where to shop to cause the least harm, and sites like Green America and Chain Store Reaction help us make some choices. (For example, Gap stores, which include Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic, have put significant effort into slavery issues. They are not perfect, but they are responding.)

Almost every time I shop at a typical retail store, I freak out a little bit. Sitting in the parking lot Saturday, with a bag of stuff in my lap, our engine idling with dozens of other vehicles trying to escape the shrine to commerce, I got a sick feeling. The whole process is in stark contrast with what I truly value. All of those people spending all of that time chasing stuff! It makes my stomach hurt. I get the angst. There is a part of me that enjoys the aesthetics of dressing in a way that reflects my style, and part of me finds it restorative to take care of myself in a way that keeps my temple shiny. But most of me couldn't care less!

This inevitably brought us to the Christmas conversation. We love, love, love the people on our gift list, but every last one of them has more than enough stuff! We have tried different approaches in the past: donations in people's honor, gifts that support causes, gifts of time and presence. How can we share Christmas in a way that both honors our loved ones and is consistent with our values of peace and justice?

I think we're going to try some new things this year. It takes some creativity to participate in American holiday culture without elevating stuff and busy-ness above the essence of the holidays. Advent is coming. This year, the Clarks are considering our own version of the Advent Conspiracy and Sojourner's Peace and Justice Christmas--not just a smidge, but full-on. Throughout Advent, I'll be blogging our thoughts, discoveries, experiments, and even failings at celebrating the essence of Christmas, and nothing more. I hope you will join us!

Protecting our Children

Prostitution is one of those topics that causes most people to bristle. There's an image that goes with prostitution, and it's usually of a desperate woman trying to make a dollar, sometimes to feed her family, sometimes for a glamorous life, often for drugs. The word 'pimp' has somehow become a hip verb and adjective.

But what if you knew that the average age of entry into prostitution in this country is 12-14? That real pimps are often slick manipulaters who lure vulnerable girls into debt, fear, drug addiction so they can make a buck by renting them out to abusive "customers"? That the young women are held in terrifying circumstances, unable to leave? That many pimps are women? What if you realized that an adult having sex with a minor is a crime, but in many places, if the minor receives money (regardless of who it goes to), the minor becomes the criminal?

Don't believe me? CNN just yesterday busted a story about a huge child prostitution crackdown IN THE UNITED STATES. 884 arrests, 99 of them pimps. 69 children recovered. And that's just one 3-day raid in places like Seattle, Nashville, Detroit.

This ring in particular has been going on for over 10 years. Many of the arrests were of adult prostitutes. How many of those, do you think, were trapped in this lifestyle as children? The day they turn 18, they go from victims (if recognized as victims at all) to criminals.

As long as there are people who will pay to abuse women and children, there will be people who will exploit them to make some money. As long as society turns a blind eye to these horrifying events, they will continue.



So what do we do? Learn as much as we can! Tell our lawmakers that we won't allow people to buy and sell our children while our children pay with their lives. Organizations such as the Polaris Project, Shared Hope, and Free the Slaves are great places to start. Doma International educates communities on the harsh realities of the sex industry. I've worked with them in Ohio, and I'd love to do the same here in Indianapolis. I'm always looking for potential partners. Who's with me? If you, your church, or your communities are interested in learning more about fighting domestic sex trafficking of children, visit http://www.domaconnection.org/ or drop me a note. It's up to us to protect our children.

Sweat-free Shopping

Clothing is one of those American entitlements. Most of us have a disgusting amount of perfectly fine clothes, yet find reasons every year to buy more because we "need" certain items. I'm guilty of it. Our culture does an excellent job of convincing us we need certain pieces to look complete, put-together, professional--every woman "needs" pumps and a little black dress, for example.

I call BS. Most of my clients get by without any of the stuff many of us think we need. And buying all that junk contributes to waste in landfills, dangerous chemicals in our ground, air, and water, and exploitation of people at home and abroad. I'm sad to say that sweatshops and forced labor are alive and well.

Did you know there are more slaves alive today than there were when slavery was legal? How is this possible? Because demand for cheap crap outpaces demand for human dignity. People are making money off of it--OUR money.

Well, that's just one reason.

Among the super-important things we can do to stop slavery is to stop the demand for slave-produced goods. Clothing is a main culprit. While factories around the world can provide much-needed income for families, they can also destroy lives. We have to pay attention to what we buy. All the activism in the world won't change lives if we then turn around and use our hard-earned money to support the slavery we hate.

Buying second hand is a GREAT way to reduce demand for new slave-produced goods. The stuff already exists, is often of good quality, and looks better in a closet than it does in a landfull.

Buying fair trade is a great option as well. There are so many good places to buy fair trade gifts, all you have to do is google. For clothing, try Fair Indigo. It's not the most fashion-forward, but that's what vintage stores are for. Fair Indigo has great basic pieces with good cut and good quality. There's a HUGE sale right now--cashmere for $25! Sizes for ladies run a bit large, so keep that in mind.

To find out which manufacturers and retailers even care how their factories are run, check out Chain Store Reaction.
Better yet, send them a note and let them know you care. To find out what more you can do to end slavery in our time, visit Free the Slaves or Green America's Guide to Ending Sweatshops.

[Factory labor is just one type of modern slavery. To learn more about what you can do to end sex slavery in the US, visit Doma International.]

Blood Chocolate

I am a big fan of chocolate--specifically 72%, high-quality dark. The sad, ugly truth about chocolate is that most of it--especially the cheap stuff--comes at a great expense. Child labor, forced slavery, kidnapping and human trafficking, dangerous working conditions, long hours, and extremely low wages are just part of what keeps our chocolate chips and candy bars affordable.

Photo from Green America

No one I know thinks it is OK to exploit children for a profit, and yet the chocolate industry is thriving on this model. Some big companies are responding to consumer pressure and are reworking their policies. Others have a long way to go.

So what can we do? We strive to buy only fair trade chocolate, which ensures safe and equitable working conditions through the supply chain. You can look for the fair trade label. Endangered Species chocolate is ethically sourced and donates a percentage back to nurture the environments where chocolate grows.

We can tell everyone we know the real story behind chocolate. We can tell bakeries, coffee shops, and grocery stores that we care about the people who provide chocolate for us, and that we will support businesses who do the same. Most importantly, we can continue to campaign the big chocolate companies that it's time to change. We can no longer support harmful pracitices for the sake of a little indulgence.

Fair trade isn't perfect, and these are small steps to solve a big problem, but it's a start. What do you think? What do we need to do to ensure our free market system is also ethical? How can we elevate human dignity over the demand for cheap goods?

Inspiration

If I could recommend one book on faith and social justice, it would be Everyday Justice by Julie Clawson. I wish I wrote it, and I am so thankful she did! It touches on justice issues that truly intersect with our lives daily and gives clear, meaningful information on why all of us should care. The writing is compelling and free of judgment, and the tips are practical and easily applied to daily life (for those of us in middle class US culture).

This book, among other things, inspired this blog. I hope my musings on discoveries, experiments, progress, and failures will help us all better understand how we can make daily choices which impact our world for the better. And I hope everyone I know reads Everyday Justice!!!