practicality.

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 3:17

The first thing I learned on this journey to live justly is that I can't say that it's my goal to learn to publicly love others and continue to make the same decisions I did before.  I need to change my habits.  In my last post, I wrote about how the first thing I need to change is the way I think about and view other people.  I'm not sure if this logically comes second, but I felt that as I struggled with something as abstract and difficult as controlling my thoughts, I needed something a little more practical.  I've been convicted for a while about what I choose to give value to through my buying habits, and, through James's flawless logic, that means not changing my buying habits is sin.

I think of purchasing a little bit like voting.  By spending my money on something, I'm essentially telling the producer that I value what they produce, and therefore support them and their business.  Don't worry, I'm not about to get political and tell you that I think it's more just to vote one way or another, but there is a just way to vote with our credit cards.  In 2013, Walmart was in the running (not for the first time, might I add) for the Corporate Hall of Shame, which is Corporate Accountability International's way of holding companies accountable for environmental, health and human rights abuses*.  Shopping at Walmart, putting money into the pockets of the people who run a very unjust company, is telling them you support them.  They don't care if you're angry about it, as long as you keep buying their products.  So, as a woman in her mid-twenties who enjoys many products that are typically produced at the expense of someone's freedom or dignity, how can I "vote" for justice with my credit card?

A lot more questions came up when I first began pondering this.  I did some research and found that, when it came to clothing, most people suggested buying Canadian or American made clothes to ensure that it was produced under certain labour standards.  While this is helpful, it didn't sit right with me.  Yes, I like to buy local and support local businesses sometimes, but not exclusively.  While buying local and supporting local business is good, not supporting businesses that are doing things well just because they're not Canadian isn't.  There are clothing producers in the developing world who are working hard to make a living and provide for their families.  If a company is treating and paying their employees fairly, I would like to allow them to continue to do so by purchasing their products.

I was recently talking to someone about my favourite jewelry brand, Stella&Dot, and told them about how I loved that all the pieces were made by fair trade artisans around the world.  She didn't seem very impressed and proceeded to tell me about how she had heard that the fair trade movement was putting a ton of people in the Philippines out of jobs.  I didn't look into this, and don't know the details, but the conversation got me thinking.  While I don't think it is just to harm people in the making of my consumer goods, how are people in the developing world, who have no control over their work environment and need to make a living just as much (often more) than anyone else, being harmed if I choose to buy only ethically produced clothing?  It's not their fault that the company they work for is not choosing to pay them fairly or ensure their safety at work, and it's not fair to them that they lose a job, or make even less money than they already do because people choose to shop ethically.  However, I still don't think this justifies supporting companies that put their workers in harms way.  I'm sad to tell you that I have yet to reconcile this line of thinking with my desire to live out justice in my life.  I hope and pray that if more people choose to purchase ethically made goods, more companies will choose to produce their goods in a more ethical way.

While I was unable to find a concrete way to solve the problem created by that line of questioning, a little research helped me to solve the former problem.  As I mentioned earlier, when I began my research I found a lot of articles suggesting ways to be relatively sure that the products you're purchasing were made without harming those involved in its creation.  There were a lot of guidelines to follow, and not a lot of practical examples.  So, tonight, I shall remedy that. If you, like me, enjoy fashion and aren't a big thrifter, here are some clothing companies that are doing a good job of ensuring their workers are well taken care of:

1. LOFT - I single LOFT out of the collection of ANN INC. companies because it more my style, but the whole company (Ann Taylor, LOFT, and both factory stores) uses ethical sourcing, and has systems in place to protect both their worker's rights and the environment. (www.anncares.com)

2. J. Crew - J. Crew's website outlines their commitment to responsible sourcing, as well as to helping out their own community by supporting local non-profits. (https://www.jcrew.com/ca/flatpages/social_responsibility.jsp)

3. Anthropologie - Anthropologie operates under the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act.  You can read the act here: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/164934.pdf.  Anthropologie's website outlines how the company will only do business with a supplier if it agrees to Anthropologie's code of conduct, which states that they will operate in compliance with the law, including "without child labor, without forced or compulsory labor, without corporal punishment, without discrimination and in compliance with wage and hour requirements, health and safety and environmental laws." (http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/category/help-cali-notice.jsp?cm_sp=FOOTER-_-Sub-_-California#/)

4. Madewell - Madewell is part of a J. Crew brand and has the same commitment to social responsibility. (https://www.madewell.com/footer/socialresponsibility.jsp)

5. Alternative Apparel - Alternative is both a socially and environmentally sustainable company!  The website boasts that Alternative's factories are in accordance with the Fair Labour Association Workplace Code of Conduct. (http://www.alternativeapparel.com/story/social-responsibility)

6. The Gap - The Gap Inc. (Banana Republic, the Gap, Old Navy) does surprise inspections in their factories to keep their supply chain accountable to treating employees fairly. More than that, they "recognize that monitoring alone is not enough….[and] also build partnerships and aim to share accountability among companies, vendors, workers and other key stakeholders."  http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/social_responsibility/human_rights.html

7. Aritzia - I was never a huge fan of Aritzia before because I thought it was more of an overpriced status symbol than anything, but once I learned that they have a Social & Environmental Responsibility team whose sole job it is to ensure that every decision made in the company is one that benefits the global community, I had to give them props.  I might even start shopping there. (http://aritzia.com/en/aritzia/social-responsibility/social-responsibility.html)

8. Vero Moda - Vero Moda is one of my favourite clothing brands, and it's part of "Bestseller."  Bestseller believes in developing relationships with their suppliers, and they train their suppliers in fire safety, health and safety, workers' rights and responsibilities, and nutrition and hygiene.  (http://about.bestseller.com/SustainabilityContent/Working-Conditions.aspx)

These are eight brands I found in less than an hour. Yes, finding socially responsible clothing brands takes some work, but it's easier than most people think.  I complained earlier that I found the many articles with suggestions as to how to shop ethically somewhat unhelpful, but there is one guideline that I think is very useful:  If there is nothing on their website about social responsibility or how their clothing is produces, they probably aren't produced in a safe and fair environment.  If a company is making the effort to ensure that all their employees are treated fairly, they'll want you to know about it and will make it fairly easy for you to find out. 

There are many other consumer good I could write about, but to be honest, it's significantly easier to find information on which chocolate, tea or coffee to buy than it is clothing.  

If you are someone who wants their spending habits to reflect a value of human life, I hope you found this helpful.  I plan on doing more research on other products to ensure that the things I purchase don't put other people in harms way, so if there's a specific product you're interested in, leave me a comment and I'll check it out for you!

* Find the information here: http://www.alternet.org/environment/9-companies-vying-2013-corporate-hall-shame

grocery store justice.

"Do not be conformed to this world , but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

As a human being with lazy tendencies, I'm realizing how much work it is to make an effort to live justly. Doing research to find out which type of consumer products are being made in a safe environment with reasonable pay, and where to find them, is difficult enough.  But if you read my first blog, you'll remember that this journey is not limited to changing my consumption habits.  It's a journey to live justly in every area of my life, and some take a lot more work than others.

In the last week, I've found a few really cool companies with unique fair trade products.  It takes some discipline, and definitely puts some limitations on your consumption habits, but it turns out that this is not the most difficult part of the journey.  I worry that I made this more difficult for myself when I posted that justice is an attitude, because I'm finding that is what is most difficult to change.  In order to live justly in every interaction, every choice, I'm learning that the first step is to change the way you think and react.

I hope none of you will judge me too harshly if I divulge the truth that I'm a little bit self-righteous.  I tend to get annoyed with other people when they act in ways I think they shouldn't.  In particular, when people stand right in the middle of the grocery aisle.  I know it's petty, but I tend to get very impatient and think angry thoughts about their lack of spatial awareness.  As I made my way around Superstore on my weekly grocery shop this last Friday, taking extra care to look for fair trade products (you can find them in the "Natural Foods" section of your local Superstore), I was stopped by a stray cart, sitting just far enough away from the shelf that I couldn't pass it with my cart, as the offending cart's owner stood pondering over which bag of chips she should purchase.  I stopped dead in my tracks and gave the cart a dirty look, waiting to see how long it would take the chip peruser to notice I couldn't get past, dwelling on my frustration.  It wasn't until after I squeezed by and resumed my quest for fair trade food that I realized that, in my midst of of looking for products I could eat "justly," my attitude had not been one of justice towards my fellow shopper.

If justice is love, then part of this journey is to learn to love others through our actions, attitudes and reactions.  This chip lover's cart placement did nothing more than inconvenience me slightly, but my first reaction was to judge, not love.  If I am to live justly in every area of life, then this needs to change.  I don't know if you've ever tried to control your mind and change the way you think about certain situations, but it's not easy.

One reason it's so easy for us to judge or get angry at people we don't know is because we think they are nothing like us.  This woman and I probably have a lot in common, but for the moment, I was thinking with an "us vs. them" mentality.  "Us" being spatially aware people, and "them" being aisle disturbers.  But if I honestly think about myself and my actions in the past, I could probably find a handful times (probably a few handfuls) when I've been too distracted to notice that I was in someone else's way.   Sometimes people are just a little absent minded.  And, being human, I am too.  In fact, I'm usually a lot absent minded.

It's a lot more difficult to judge someone and a lot easier to treat them with love when you realize that, like you, they're just human.  When you realize that "us" and "them" are really the same, it's harder to judge "them" because it means you have to judge "us."

If I am going to live justly, the "us vs. them" mentality is the first thing that needs to go.  Whether it be people who are aware of their cart placement vs. people who are unaware of their cart placement, or rich North American consumers vs. poor Bangladeshi clothing makers, we are all the same.  We all bleed red; we all feel pain; we all long for human connection; we all want to be loved; we all dream and are all disappointed.  Realizing this, and learning that we're all "us" is the first step in learning to live justly.  And it's a lesson that is in direct contradiction to what our society teaches us.

So the challenge for this week is to change the way I think about people, and to begin thinking about them with more love and compassion, and, hopefully, treat them more justly by extension.  If you feel so compelled, feel free to check in and ask how I'm doing with it!

Every journey starts somewhere.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

        Micah 6:8 has been a favourite verse of mine for a long time.  I love the ideas in it, and how it speaks the truth of who God really is and what matters most to him.  Though the thought resonates with my heart, I'm not sure I fully comprehend what "doing justice" is exactly.  I have pictures of massive protests, rescuing people from slavery and giving money to the poor, but have never been sure how that fits into my life.  Slowly but surely, with a lot of stalls and starts, I'm beginning to figure this out with the help of a lot of really amazing justice-minded individuals.  This blog is about exactly that - my journey of figuring out how to "do justice" in every area of my life.  I hope it will inspire you to begin your own journey of figuring out what that looks like for you.
   
      Every journey starts somewhere.  I suppose mine started in middle school when I became more serious about my faith and felt strongly that one thing the Bible continually called us to do is love others, and, more specifically, care for the poor and fight against oppression.  Since then I felt like that was the only thing I could possibly do with my life, like Paul felt about preaching, "necessity is laid upon me.  Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"(1 Cor. 9:16).  However, at that point my understanding of justice was rudimentary.  Like most young kids I thought going on a mission trip or sponsoring a child was all I could do.  I suppose we could call that my first false start.  I knew I had to do something, but I had no idea what to do or what was helpful.  There have been many since.
      At the beginning of this year, however, I was blessed with the world's best first real job. I work for an amazing non-profit organization called the Wellspring Foundation for Education which is working to empower a new generation of leaders in East Africa through a quality, values-based education -and is doing it in a way that is life-giving and empowering to everyone involved.  The students, the teachers, the parents, the donors, and the staff.  And it has been in the last year, at work, that I've really begun to learn what it means to "do justice".
      My boss likes to say that "justice is sexy," and he's totally right. Right now, it's trendy to give to charities and travel to developing countries to volunteer.  And while that's really great that more people are engaging in this way, it comes at a cost.  In many cases, it has become another form of racism and imperialism, and is accompanied by attitudes of superiority heavily masked with pity.  This attitude isn't empowering to anyone.
     In the midst of this trend, Wellspring has been working to ensure that everything the organization does is synonymous with true justice, such as ensuring that the products used in fund-raising events to help empower kids in Rwanda and Burundi aren't exploiting kids and their parents in Bangladesh or Ghana, and creating a curriculum to teach youth and young people what justice really is and how to "do justice" in a way that benefits both the poor and yourself.  As I've been a part of this over the last 9 months, it's made me reconsider my definition of justice and what it means to "do justice" in my daily life.  One quote that comes up continually as Wellspring engages with justice, is:

"Justice is what love looks like in public." -Cornell West

     

      This definition sounds to me like a mandate.  Justice is not exclusively charity work.  It's not something enacted upon the poor.  We are called to love another; our neighbours, our brothers, our enemies, and the poor.  Justice isn't something to be confined to our interaction with those in the global south or the poor communities in our cities.  It's a lifestyle, an attitude that should be reflected in all our interactions and choices. 

      I don't have it all figured out yet.  If I did I'd probably be writing a book entitled something along the lines of "10 easy steps to being more awesome!" instead of a blog.  This is documentation of my journey - my journey of doing justice not only in my career, but also in my relationship with my husband, the rest of my family, or my friends; in my attitude towards strangers and people who cut me off in traffic or take up the majority of the aisle at Superstore; in how I choose to spend my time; and in what I choose to spend my money on.  I hope my reflections, my triumphs and my stumbles will encourage other people to take this journey and learn to "do justice" in their own lives.  And if not, I hope I can at least provide some sort of entertainment to those who choose to follow my journey.  Who knows how long this will last - I'm sure it's a journey that won't be finished until the day I stand face-to-face with my Creator, but for the foreseeable future, I am consciously choosing to actively pursue living justly, and to share what I learn along the way.

       Thanks for reading!