Yesterday was a day for the history books. For those of you who don't go on any social media websites, watch TV, or talk to other people, yesterday the US Supreme Court ruled for the legalization of LGBT Marriage. Now, this is not a topic I would normally weigh in on, but everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, seems to have taken this opportunity to declare to the internet world what their opinion on the matter is. And I have to admit, it has left me feeling very confused.
In the last day, I have seen Christian leaders, ones whom I greatly respect, post provocative statements, which, while true, have made me question whether they wrote in love or to stir the pot. I have seen Christian leaders post very opposite statements, both of which have been vehemently attacked, as well as resoundingly agreed with. I have read articles about how this is a great opportunity for Christ followers to display God's love, and other ones about how the Supreme Court made a "huge mistake." I've seen predictions of how society is going to crumble, and I've read celebratory accounts of people who finally get to marry the person they love.
It's all downright confusing.
Now, if you're scouring this post hoping to find out whether or not I agree with the ruling, quit now. You're not going to find it. I refuse to be another voice in this heated political debate. What you will find, should you keep reading, is my opinion on how, as followers of Christ, we should be responding to what happened yesterday.
Let me start with a few statements. To those in the Church who are in a huff about the ruling: How does this affect you so deeply that you should be angry? Churches legally have the right to refuse to marry a couple if it is against their religion. You will not be forced to go against your beliefs in any way. You are not being persecuted for your beliefs - you're free to continue with your worship and your lifestyle. This really has very little affect on you. Not to mention, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:12, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" As followers of Christ, we hold ourselves up to a certain standard, judging by the Bible what is right and what is wrong. How can you judge someone by those standards if they themselves don't believe those standards are even valid? Your job is to judge those who identify themselves with the name of Jesus, and even then, to begin by gently correcting with love.
Secondly, to those in the LGBT community: I apologize on behalf of the people who have called themselves followers of Christ, but have acted in angry and unloving ways towards you. I'm sorry for the hurt they've caused, and I hope you believe me when I say that you've had a poor sampling. We're not all angry and hateful, I promise. And while that holds true, I'd like to remind you that disagreeing with your views is not synonymous with hating you. Christians have the right to believe the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin just as much as you have a right to believe that it is not. They have a right to express that belief, just the same way you have the right to express that you think they're wrong. I hope, whichever side my readers fall on, we will agree to engage in this conversation in love and openness, as friends, and not as enemies.
So, on to the issue at hand. I've recently read, over and over again, accusations of the church being hateful. I truly believe that this alone grieves God more than almost anything. When Jesus walked on earth, he made it resoundingly clear that the two most important things in life are to love God and to love others. Under no circumstances should we ever come off as hateful. The standard we should worry about holding ourselves to is one of love. In everything, we should be asking ourselves, "is this a loving response? Am I speaking truth in love, or am I condemning those who hear me? Am I acting in a loving way, one that leads others to the person of Jesus Christ, or am I alienating those around me?"
Let's go back to Cornell West's definition of justice: "Justice is what love looks like in public." Are we pursuing justice by publicly loving those we disagree with? Are we inviting people to the cross by the way we respond to big issues like this one? Are we promoting grace and redemption in the way we discuss these issues?
If you call yourself a follower of Christ and publicly identify with his name, I hope these questions will weigh heavily on your heart as you decide how to respond in this debate. If you can't honestly say your response is being voiced with grace and love, I hope you'll have the restraint to keep it to yourself until Jesus has had the chance to work out His grace and His love in you, and you can respond accordingly.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
Renewal
It's been a while since I've written anything. A few days ago I thought about sitting down to write, and why I hadn't done it recently. First I brushed the idea aside, telling myself I was too busy to sit and string thoughts together into cohesive, comprehend-able sentences, but after some thought I realized part of why I haven't written is because I haven't felt like I've had much to say - which, ask anyone who knows me, is rare.
I wrote recently about how it can be easy to get overwhelmed when we think of social justice because there are so many problems, and they are just so big. It feels impossible that I could make a difference. When I thought about why I hadn't felt like writing lately, I realized it was because I was starting to feel that way. I was overwhelmed by how many injustices were going on in this world and felt it was easier not to think too hard about them than to process all of it.
Social media is great for many reasons, and terrible for many others. A few weeks ago, the terrible aspects were quite prominent. As I've scrolled through my news feed in the last few months, I've read articles about Christians being murdered at a university in Kenya, about a devastating earthquake in Nepal, followed by many tremors and a lot of social breakdown, a report about ISIS and the terror they've systematically been spreading through the Middle East, the quickly escalating protests in Burundi, an update from an organization about the horrible conditions in South Sudan. After a while I began to feel hopeless. There is so much suffering, so much hate, and so much despair in the world. How can I feel empathy for all these people? How can I care about all these issues without becoming a blubbering mess who can't function properly?
The only answer I could come up with is: I don't know. The world is a mess, and there's no denying that. We've done a really great job at screwing it up.
So I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to write about justice because it would make me think about all the injustice. And I didn't think I could handle dealing with all that despair. All that hopelessness.
Fortunately, when I feel this way, God generally doesn't let me push it all aside and be apathetic for very long. After sometime I began feeling like I really needed to write. Which meant I had to think about all these ugly truths and enter into the despair. But as I thought of what I could possibly say that was uplifting and helpful in any way, I realized I don't have to. I don't have to face the hopelessness. Because, though it's often hard to see, there is hope. In Revelation 21, John gives us a glimpse of what the world will be like once Jesus has returned and renewed it, and there is no hopelessness in it.
I wrote recently about how it can be easy to get overwhelmed when we think of social justice because there are so many problems, and they are just so big. It feels impossible that I could make a difference. When I thought about why I hadn't felt like writing lately, I realized it was because I was starting to feel that way. I was overwhelmed by how many injustices were going on in this world and felt it was easier not to think too hard about them than to process all of it.
Social media is great for many reasons, and terrible for many others. A few weeks ago, the terrible aspects were quite prominent. As I've scrolled through my news feed in the last few months, I've read articles about Christians being murdered at a university in Kenya, about a devastating earthquake in Nepal, followed by many tremors and a lot of social breakdown, a report about ISIS and the terror they've systematically been spreading through the Middle East, the quickly escalating protests in Burundi, an update from an organization about the horrible conditions in South Sudan. After a while I began to feel hopeless. There is so much suffering, so much hate, and so much despair in the world. How can I feel empathy for all these people? How can I care about all these issues without becoming a blubbering mess who can't function properly?
The only answer I could come up with is: I don't know. The world is a mess, and there's no denying that. We've done a really great job at screwing it up.
So I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to write about justice because it would make me think about all the injustice. And I didn't think I could handle dealing with all that despair. All that hopelessness.
Fortunately, when I feel this way, God generally doesn't let me push it all aside and be apathetic for very long. After sometime I began feeling like I really needed to write. Which meant I had to think about all these ugly truths and enter into the despair. But as I thought of what I could possibly say that was uplifting and helpful in any way, I realized I don't have to. I don't have to face the hopelessness. Because, though it's often hard to see, there is hope. In Revelation 21, John gives us a glimpse of what the world will be like once Jesus has returned and renewed it, and there is no hopelessness in it.
"He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
When we take a hard look at this world, things look bleak. But, as Christians, we are called not to set our eyes on the world, but on the God who made it, who spoke it into being, and who has a plan for it. He's waiting for as many as possible to come to Him, and then, with His return, He'll bring justice to this earth, and wipe away every tear. There will be no more despair, but a whole lot of rejoicing.
Earlier this month, as I thought about justice, I got caught up in the injustices, in the problems. But that's not what I'm called to. Injustice is an ugly repercussion to our sin. But what was originally intended was love, grace, selflessness, and justice. As a Christ-follower, I have been invited to help usher in the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of hope - the kingdom of justice. As we work on this earth to try to set right the things that have gone wrong, though our efforts seem tiny and inconsequential, we have hope because we know the One who will ultimately set all things right, and we have hope in His return, when all these things will pass away.
It's often difficult not to feel despair when we think of all the wars, famines, natural disasters and hate in this world, but the beautiful truth is that, though it may often seem like these things are winning, in the end they stand no chance. These things are horrible, yes, but they're also temporary. The world was not created to be this way, and will not remain this way. Those who suffer will know joy, those in pain will know relief, and those who hunger will be filled. There is hope.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Just One Step.
Since beginning this blog, and more specifically my series on the policies of stores in my local mall, I've been humbled and encouraged as people have approached me, called me, and sent me messages to say that they've been challenged by my musings, and are trying to be more intentional with their purchases. I'm excited to hear people are choosing to consider how and where their consumer goods are made before buying them.
But I've also, in a few instances, been met with a little bit of resistance. I've had people brush off the topic in conversation, flat out tell me they don't care, or send me messages telling me I'm being harsh. While I'm initially shocked, and more than a little frustrated by these reactions, after some considerations, I can understand their reactions. Changing the way the economic system works is neither easy nor quick. Maybe I sound ridiculous suggesting that if we make different consumer choices, we can affect change in the lives of people around the world. When faced with huge, international issues like child labour, slave labour, unfair wages and unsafe working conditions, trying to make a difference can seem very daunting. The size of the problems can choke us, make us feel useless, and lead us to believe we'll never succeed in changing the systems that disadvantage so many. And we'd rather ignore it, pretend we don't care, and go on living our lives like everything is just fine, than feel like we failed. And it's easy to do. We don't see those who suffer so that we can have our choice of $8 t-shirts. We don't know their names or their stories, so it's easy to ignore.
The problems are huge. They are overwhelming. And there's no way that one person can fix them on their own, or in a short period of time. This is a long-term project, one that requires everyone jump on board. A year from now, we'll still be discussing the same issues, because they will still be issues. But maybe they won't be in 2045 if we choose to make some small changes. All it takes to be part of the movement is one small step. Rather than look at the vastness of the problems, or your limitations, think of one thing you can do to move in the right direction, commit to doing it for a period of time, and when it becomes habit, just another way of life, think of another. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
Here are some small steps you can take to join the movement, without the complete upheaval of your entire being:
1. Commit to purchasing only fair trade coffee, tea, or chocolate for a year. Pick the one you consume the most, and move towards buying only those made in fair environments and from sustainable sources.
2. Commit to buying less of something you usually purchase, that may be made in harmful conditions. Clothing, sugar, coffee, etc. Pick one that you could probably cut back on and start using the money you usually spend on those on something life-giving, that benefits others. Be specific with this. If you just commit to "buying less clothes," you're not really going to know whether or not you were successful. Make yourself a budget for the year, or determine how many shirts you usually buy in a year and decide to buy half that amount this year.
3. Commit to supporting, and partnering with, a charity that is doing good work and helping those who our systems have disadvantaged work toward a better future. Support them financially. If you haven't written giving into your budget, maybe consider what consumer goods you spend most of your money on, reduce how much you purchase, and donate what's left.
4. Commit to purchasing clothes and other items second-hand. It's inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and socially conscious.
5. Find a few stores that you like that are doing their part to ensure people aren't harmed in the making of their products. Commit to purchasing only from these stores for a year. If you can't find what you need at them, see if you can find it second hand, or get it made locally.
These are just a few ideas. I'm sure there are a million more small steps we can take to move in the direction of socially conscious consumerism. All it takes to start is one small step. Choose one thing that you can do, one change you can make. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the problem, focus rather on the one small thing that you can do to be a part of the solution.
But I've also, in a few instances, been met with a little bit of resistance. I've had people brush off the topic in conversation, flat out tell me they don't care, or send me messages telling me I'm being harsh. While I'm initially shocked, and more than a little frustrated by these reactions, after some considerations, I can understand their reactions. Changing the way the economic system works is neither easy nor quick. Maybe I sound ridiculous suggesting that if we make different consumer choices, we can affect change in the lives of people around the world. When faced with huge, international issues like child labour, slave labour, unfair wages and unsafe working conditions, trying to make a difference can seem very daunting. The size of the problems can choke us, make us feel useless, and lead us to believe we'll never succeed in changing the systems that disadvantage so many. And we'd rather ignore it, pretend we don't care, and go on living our lives like everything is just fine, than feel like we failed. And it's easy to do. We don't see those who suffer so that we can have our choice of $8 t-shirts. We don't know their names or their stories, so it's easy to ignore.
The problems are huge. They are overwhelming. And there's no way that one person can fix them on their own, or in a short period of time. This is a long-term project, one that requires everyone jump on board. A year from now, we'll still be discussing the same issues, because they will still be issues. But maybe they won't be in 2045 if we choose to make some small changes. All it takes to be part of the movement is one small step. Rather than look at the vastness of the problems, or your limitations, think of one thing you can do to move in the right direction, commit to doing it for a period of time, and when it becomes habit, just another way of life, think of another. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
Here are some small steps you can take to join the movement, without the complete upheaval of your entire being:
1. Commit to purchasing only fair trade coffee, tea, or chocolate for a year. Pick the one you consume the most, and move towards buying only those made in fair environments and from sustainable sources.
2. Commit to buying less of something you usually purchase, that may be made in harmful conditions. Clothing, sugar, coffee, etc. Pick one that you could probably cut back on and start using the money you usually spend on those on something life-giving, that benefits others. Be specific with this. If you just commit to "buying less clothes," you're not really going to know whether or not you were successful. Make yourself a budget for the year, or determine how many shirts you usually buy in a year and decide to buy half that amount this year.
3. Commit to supporting, and partnering with, a charity that is doing good work and helping those who our systems have disadvantaged work toward a better future. Support them financially. If you haven't written giving into your budget, maybe consider what consumer goods you spend most of your money on, reduce how much you purchase, and donate what's left.
4. Commit to purchasing clothes and other items second-hand. It's inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and socially conscious.
5. Find a few stores that you like that are doing their part to ensure people aren't harmed in the making of their products. Commit to purchasing only from these stores for a year. If you can't find what you need at them, see if you can find it second hand, or get it made locally.
These are just a few ideas. I'm sure there are a million more small steps we can take to move in the direction of socially conscious consumerism. All it takes to start is one small step. Choose one thing that you can do, one change you can make. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the problem, focus rather on the one small thing that you can do to be a part of the solution.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Confessions of a Justice Blogger
This blog is going to be a little different from my last few. I'm writing today not to inspire you to make different consumer choices, or to talk about injustice facts, but to confess. I've come to the conclusion lately, that I need to re-assess how I treat people and engage in conversations with them. Two things led me to this conclusion. First, I'm currently reading Donald Miller's new book "scary Close", which is a great book about intimacy and how we can only gain true intimacy by living with integrity. It talks a lot about healthy people and unhealthy people, and how unhealthy people manipulate others to get what they want, and it keeps them from intimacy. Secondly, over the Easter weekend I got into a debate with my dad about something I felt very passionately about, and in the heat of the argument I made a statement, with no explanation, which automatically put walls up. There was a lot of anger and tears and the debate stopped immediately.
These two things got me thinking - I talk a lot about justice and treating people with dignity, and I find it easy to do when it comes to the marginalized, but my actions towards the people in my life, the ones I know the best, often do not mirror these values. When my husband and I argue, I often play the victim, manipulating the situation so that he'll do whatever it is I want out of guilt. It sounds horrible when I write it out, and I don't do it consciously, but I definitely do it. But that is not treating my husband with dignity and respect, nor is it conducive to a deep, right relationship.
"Justice is what love looks like in public." (Cornell West) I agree with this quote completely, but sometimes I think it's harder doing justice in private. It's easy for me to avoid certain brands I know aren't respectful of their workers, it's easy for me to volunteer for a good cause, or give to a charity who is doing great things. What I find difficult is respecting and loving those closest to me when I don't agree with what they're saying or doing, or when they've hurt me. Suddenly my definition of justice gets distorted and becomes about being right and getting the respect I deserve, rather than being in right relationships, and giving the respect and love others deserve.
This realization saddens me a little because, like I said, it's easy to change a consumer habit - inconvenient, maybe, but really not very hard. Changing how you react when you're hurt or frustrated, that's a little more challenging. Deciding to treat others with dignity when they're doing or saying something you think is wrong takes a lot of work, self-reflection, and a lot of intervention on God's part.
I don't know how to change my tendency to re-define justice when I get emotional, but I know it needs to change. And that's the first step - right?
I've always been an emotional person, and I don't think emotions are bad, but I do need to learn how to control them, so that they don't control me. It'll be hard work, and not something I can change easily or quickly. "But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57) I am a new creation in Him, and He will continue the good work He started in me until He returns.
There is hope for my hardened heart yet.
These two things got me thinking - I talk a lot about justice and treating people with dignity, and I find it easy to do when it comes to the marginalized, but my actions towards the people in my life, the ones I know the best, often do not mirror these values. When my husband and I argue, I often play the victim, manipulating the situation so that he'll do whatever it is I want out of guilt. It sounds horrible when I write it out, and I don't do it consciously, but I definitely do it. But that is not treating my husband with dignity and respect, nor is it conducive to a deep, right relationship.
"Justice is what love looks like in public." (Cornell West) I agree with this quote completely, but sometimes I think it's harder doing justice in private. It's easy for me to avoid certain brands I know aren't respectful of their workers, it's easy for me to volunteer for a good cause, or give to a charity who is doing great things. What I find difficult is respecting and loving those closest to me when I don't agree with what they're saying or doing, or when they've hurt me. Suddenly my definition of justice gets distorted and becomes about being right and getting the respect I deserve, rather than being in right relationships, and giving the respect and love others deserve.
This realization saddens me a little because, like I said, it's easy to change a consumer habit - inconvenient, maybe, but really not very hard. Changing how you react when you're hurt or frustrated, that's a little more challenging. Deciding to treat others with dignity when they're doing or saying something you think is wrong takes a lot of work, self-reflection, and a lot of intervention on God's part.
I don't know how to change my tendency to re-define justice when I get emotional, but I know it needs to change. And that's the first step - right?
I've always been an emotional person, and I don't think emotions are bad, but I do need to learn how to control them, so that they don't control me. It'll be hard work, and not something I can change easily or quickly. "But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57) I am a new creation in Him, and He will continue the good work He started in me until He returns.
There is hope for my hardened heart yet.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
A Note for the Easter Bunny
Somehow in our culture, the Son of God submitting himself to death on the cross for our sake, and the miracle of his resurrection, causes us all to eat, and purchase, a whole lot of chocolate. In fact, according to statisticbrain.com, approximately 120 million pounds of candy is purchased annually this time of year. That's a whole lot. I'm still not sure how Jesus' death and resurrection got turned into a giant bunny that lays chocolate eggs, but let's save that for another time.
As you all know, I've recently been on a bit of an ethical consumerism kick. So, I just wanted to drop a short note to those of you who are last minute people and still haven't purchased your Easter chocolate yet. The craziest thing about Easter is the amount of chocolate we purchase for the occasion. Because of this, it's really easy for people to make the excuse that they can't afford to purchase Fair Trade or ethically sourced chocolate - it'll cost so much! But I'd like to take a moment to suggest the opposite. We can't afford NOT to.
I'm by no means an economic expert, but I do know this much: supply and demand help determine the prices of consumer goods. There is a massive supply of labour in this world, and not enough demand, which means in many cases, you can get it for really cheap. Like, cents. Much of our chocolate can be purchased cheaply because the people picking the cocoa beans are paid next to nothing. Let's turn the tables for a second. If you're a parent purchasing chocolate for your children, I'd like you to consider for just a moment the parents of the children producing your non-Fair Trade chocolate. If you were this parent, I have a feeling that you would be less than pleased that your child was working in dangerous conditions, for little, or often no pay, so that people on the other side of the ocean could pay a couple dollars less for their child's chocolate bunny. So before you make the excuse that it's too expensive to buy Fair Trade chocolate this Easter, I'd like you to ask yourself one question: What's more important, the amount of chocolate in your child's Easter basket, or the freedom, health and safety of someone else's child?
I sincerely hope the answer to this question is obvious.
I really am not trying to sound judgemental here. But I think in our Western, consumer society, we often forget the price at which we purchase our consumer goods, and I don't mean in dollars. I hope only to open your eyes to the cost of filling your child's Easter basket with the least expensive chocolate you can find. Yes, it can be expensive to purchase Fair Trade, which is why I like to live by the saying "everything in moderation." Do we really want our children to have that much chocolate anyway? It's not good for them, and when they crash from the sugar high and start throwing temper tantrums, it'll just mean a bigger headache for you! So let's save our children from the unhealthy amounts of chocolate, ourselves from migraines, and the producers of our chocolate from unfair labour standards, all at the same time, and just purchase less, ethically sourced chocolate this Easter.
So now, while you rush to the store tomorrow or Saturday to pick up chocolate to fill those Easter baskets with, here's a list of chocolates you can find at your local grocery store, that are Fair Trade or ethically sourced:
http://nochildforsale.ca/ethical_chocolate/
For more information on chocolate, and why it's a good idea to purchase Fair Trade or ethically sourced chocolate, take a look at this article:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/the-dark-side-of-easter-chocolate-1.2293971
Happy Easter everyone! He is Risen!
As you all know, I've recently been on a bit of an ethical consumerism kick. So, I just wanted to drop a short note to those of you who are last minute people and still haven't purchased your Easter chocolate yet. The craziest thing about Easter is the amount of chocolate we purchase for the occasion. Because of this, it's really easy for people to make the excuse that they can't afford to purchase Fair Trade or ethically sourced chocolate - it'll cost so much! But I'd like to take a moment to suggest the opposite. We can't afford NOT to.
I'm by no means an economic expert, but I do know this much: supply and demand help determine the prices of consumer goods. There is a massive supply of labour in this world, and not enough demand, which means in many cases, you can get it for really cheap. Like, cents. Much of our chocolate can be purchased cheaply because the people picking the cocoa beans are paid next to nothing. Let's turn the tables for a second. If you're a parent purchasing chocolate for your children, I'd like you to consider for just a moment the parents of the children producing your non-Fair Trade chocolate. If you were this parent, I have a feeling that you would be less than pleased that your child was working in dangerous conditions, for little, or often no pay, so that people on the other side of the ocean could pay a couple dollars less for their child's chocolate bunny. So before you make the excuse that it's too expensive to buy Fair Trade chocolate this Easter, I'd like you to ask yourself one question: What's more important, the amount of chocolate in your child's Easter basket, or the freedom, health and safety of someone else's child?
I sincerely hope the answer to this question is obvious.
I really am not trying to sound judgemental here. But I think in our Western, consumer society, we often forget the price at which we purchase our consumer goods, and I don't mean in dollars. I hope only to open your eyes to the cost of filling your child's Easter basket with the least expensive chocolate you can find. Yes, it can be expensive to purchase Fair Trade, which is why I like to live by the saying "everything in moderation." Do we really want our children to have that much chocolate anyway? It's not good for them, and when they crash from the sugar high and start throwing temper tantrums, it'll just mean a bigger headache for you! So let's save our children from the unhealthy amounts of chocolate, ourselves from migraines, and the producers of our chocolate from unfair labour standards, all at the same time, and just purchase less, ethically sourced chocolate this Easter.
So now, while you rush to the store tomorrow or Saturday to pick up chocolate to fill those Easter baskets with, here's a list of chocolates you can find at your local grocery store, that are Fair Trade or ethically sourced:
http://nochildforsale.ca/ethical_chocolate/
For more information on chocolate, and why it's a good idea to purchase Fair Trade or ethically sourced chocolate, take a look at this article:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/the-dark-side-of-easter-chocolate-1.2293971
Happy Easter everyone! He is Risen!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Today's Slave Trade
In the last year I've had the immense privilege of being part of this awesome project called "JustUs", which is essentially it's own pseudo-organization at this point. It began as a group creating a curriculum for young people on God's heart for the poor and how to engage with social justice accordingly, but it has grown beyond that.
Part of this project has been an ongoing blog about different social justice issues, and why it is important that we care about and engage with them. I had the opportunity today to contribute to our blog for the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, tomorrow. As this is an important topic, I decided to commemorate the day by sharing that post here, on my own blog:
In the 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, more than 15 million men, women and children were uprooted and shipped across the Atlantic. This week, on March 25, we remember those who were denied their humanity, and made to suffer for another's gain. We remember the horrors and dehumanization that racism and ignorance led to all those years ago. We mourn for those who were ripped from their homes, transported thousands of miles, publicly humiliated, sold as chattel and forced to do back-breaking work, day in and day out. We remember the people who lost their lives either aboard a ship, or due to harsh treatment and over-work, and we reflect on the after-effects of that horrible system which still pervades our culture today. We remember, and we cry “never again.” We hang our heads in shame and say, if only they had known what we know today, they wouldn’t have stood for that.
But unfortunately, that’s not true.
Those who were victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade deserve to be remembered and mourned, but more than that, they need to be remembered, and we need to be disgusted by the fact that it happened, so that we can respond properly to this fact:
There are more people in slavery today than there were in all 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade combined.
I don’t in any way want to belittle the horrors those 15 million people experienced, but I do want to emphasize that those horrors are not a thing of the past. Slavery is not an historic problem, but a current one.
Despite the fact that slavery is not legal anywhere in the world today, it is happening everywhere. In Uzbekistan, children are forced to pick cotton for the clothing we wear; in India, men, women and children are forced to work in kilns, reaching up to 130 degrees for up to 17 hours a day; in Ghana, children who don’t know how to swim are forced to work long hours on tiny, rickety fishing boats; and in North America, young women are trafficked and forced into prostitution.
So as we reflect on the Slave Trade this week, with the knowledge that, though the Trans-Atlantic trade is over, humans all over the world are still being bought and sold, what can we do? The problem of slavery can seem too big for us, too overwhelming. Maybe as you read this, you’re despairing, feeling like your hands are tied and that no matter how much you want to, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. If so, I have some good news for you. There is something you can do.
First, you can tell people. Part of the reason slavery is still so common today is because it’s kept quiet. You don’t see it often, and if you do, you probably aren’t aware the person you’re seeing is enslaved. Spread awareness, and educate people about the problem. Help bring this darkness into the light, so that many more will be forced to look upon this great tragedy, and be moved to compassion.
Secondly, you can change some of your consumer habits. Check out www.slaveryfootprint.org to find out how many slaves are used by the companies you purchase from, and to send them notes, letting them know that, as one of their customers, you want this to change. And until you’ve heard they’ve made changes, begin purchasing from companies you know are against slavery.
Thirdly, partner with one of the great organizations that are already working hard in the fight against slavery. Check out International Justice Mission, Free the Slaves, or Made in a Free World. Take a look at their websites to find out what they’re already doing and how you can be a part of their work.
Slavery is not just a bad memory, but also a horrible reality, so as you reflect this week on the 15 million victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, remember also the 30 million people living in slavery today, and decide on one step to take today to be a part of the solution.
The JustUs blog is full of really great content, so if you'd like to read through the previous blogs, you can do so here.
Part of this project has been an ongoing blog about different social justice issues, and why it is important that we care about and engage with them. I had the opportunity today to contribute to our blog for the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, tomorrow. As this is an important topic, I decided to commemorate the day by sharing that post here, on my own blog:
In the 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, more than 15 million men, women and children were uprooted and shipped across the Atlantic. This week, on March 25, we remember those who were denied their humanity, and made to suffer for another's gain. We remember the horrors and dehumanization that racism and ignorance led to all those years ago. We mourn for those who were ripped from their homes, transported thousands of miles, publicly humiliated, sold as chattel and forced to do back-breaking work, day in and day out. We remember the people who lost their lives either aboard a ship, or due to harsh treatment and over-work, and we reflect on the after-effects of that horrible system which still pervades our culture today. We remember, and we cry “never again.” We hang our heads in shame and say, if only they had known what we know today, they wouldn’t have stood for that.
But unfortunately, that’s not true.
Those who were victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade deserve to be remembered and mourned, but more than that, they need to be remembered, and we need to be disgusted by the fact that it happened, so that we can respond properly to this fact:
There are more people in slavery today than there were in all 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade combined.
I don’t in any way want to belittle the horrors those 15 million people experienced, but I do want to emphasize that those horrors are not a thing of the past. Slavery is not an historic problem, but a current one.
Despite the fact that slavery is not legal anywhere in the world today, it is happening everywhere. In Uzbekistan, children are forced to pick cotton for the clothing we wear; in India, men, women and children are forced to work in kilns, reaching up to 130 degrees for up to 17 hours a day; in Ghana, children who don’t know how to swim are forced to work long hours on tiny, rickety fishing boats; and in North America, young women are trafficked and forced into prostitution.
So as we reflect on the Slave Trade this week, with the knowledge that, though the Trans-Atlantic trade is over, humans all over the world are still being bought and sold, what can we do? The problem of slavery can seem too big for us, too overwhelming. Maybe as you read this, you’re despairing, feeling like your hands are tied and that no matter how much you want to, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. If so, I have some good news for you. There is something you can do.
First, you can tell people. Part of the reason slavery is still so common today is because it’s kept quiet. You don’t see it often, and if you do, you probably aren’t aware the person you’re seeing is enslaved. Spread awareness, and educate people about the problem. Help bring this darkness into the light, so that many more will be forced to look upon this great tragedy, and be moved to compassion.
Secondly, you can change some of your consumer habits. Check out www.slaveryfootprint.org to find out how many slaves are used by the companies you purchase from, and to send them notes, letting them know that, as one of their customers, you want this to change. And until you’ve heard they’ve made changes, begin purchasing from companies you know are against slavery.
Thirdly, partner with one of the great organizations that are already working hard in the fight against slavery. Check out International Justice Mission, Free the Slaves, or Made in a Free World. Take a look at their websites to find out what they’re already doing and how you can be a part of their work.
Slavery is not just a bad memory, but also a horrible reality, so as you reflect this week on the 15 million victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, remember also the 30 million people living in slavery today, and decide on one step to take today to be a part of the solution.
The JustUs blog is full of really great content, so if you'd like to read through the previous blogs, you can do so here.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Toolbox for Ethical Shopping Pt.7
This morning, I read an interesting article about hashtag activism. It outlined what the issue was with it, but the part that stood out to me was a reference to something Malcom Gladwell said:
"We are swimming in knowledge, but lacking in understanding behind it."
I wonder how much my blog is contributing to this phenomenon. My hope is to give people the knowledge to make informed decisions when purchasing their consumer goods, but the truth is, the issue of ethical supply chains is immensely complex. I've wrestled with a lot recently as people have brought articles to my attention that contradicted what retailers websites said. Most people's initial reaction is to say that the business is just putting on a good front, but then the question is, why? If they can't and aren't trying to live up to the policies they put in place, why have many of them made them so robust? The companies who make no claim be ethical don't deal with the same criticism, so if you're not going to follow through, why make yourself a target? So it becomes much more complex than being only about who professes to have policies in place. When things go wrong in a factory, or many factories, how long will it realistically take before the problem is solved? Where does the responsibility of the corporation end and the individuals who manage and work in the factories begin?
What I'm trying to say here is that this whole issue is so complex that there's no way that a seven part blog series is going to answer all your questions and give you all the information so you know the exact conditions every piece of clothing, every shoe and every cell phone you purchase was made in. I don't have all the answers, in fact, I have hardly any of the answers! So I urge you to take what I've written and put it in your "ethical shopping" toolbox, but look for other tools to accompany it. Search for news articles about your favourite brands. Seek out fair trade alternatives to the things you usually buy. And keep an open mind when reading articles, watching videos, listening to what other people say about different brands (including me!), and searching out policies on a corporations website.
That being said, let's take a look at the last seven stores in my local mall, Coquitlam Centre.
Urban Barn
Urban Barn is a furniture and housing goods store. Sadly it has no information on its website about its supply chain.
Urban Vista
Urban Vista is another furniture store, and also has no information about where or how its products are made on its website.
Walk with Ronsons
Walk with Ronsons is the umbrella company which owns Ronson's Rack, which I wrote about in a previous blog. All Walk with Ronsons shoes are Canadian designed and manufactured.
WATCHIT!
WATCHIT! is (you guessed it!) a watch retailer. They also carry sunglasses and other accessories, but have no information on their website about where or how their products are made.
Starbucks
Starbucks has at least one Fair Trade certified coffee, but they work closely with Conservation International to ensure that all their coffee, as well as their tea and cocoa, is ethically produced. Starbucks is all about transparency, and requires that suppliers have evidence of payments throughout the supply chain, so that Starbucks knows exactly how much money reaches the farmers. They also publish a progress report about their coffee purchasing on their website for all consumers to read.
Waves
Waves Coffee falls somewhere between really awesome, and could potentially be better. Their website states that all their coffee is purchased directly from small lot farmers, which is awesome. But one of the things they're famous for is their real Belgian chocolate in their mochas and hot chocolates. However, their website says nothing about the sourcing of the chocolate that they use, or of their tea.
West49
West49 is a skate/surf shop that carried multiple different brands. They have no information about their supply chain on their website, so I would proceed with caution. However, as they carry multiple different brands, it might be worth researching the brand you're interested in before writing them off entirely.
Zumiez
Zumiez is another skate/surf shop, which has its "Code of Conduct" posted on its website. This Code states that Zumiez will not conduct business with any factory that uses forced labour, or child labour. The Code also prohibits partner factories to engage in harassment, abuse or discrimination. It also outlines rules for compensation of the factory employees, as well as overtime, length of work weeks, and health and safety in the workplace. The Code also states that both Zumiez and third party auditors engage in both announced and unannounced audits of the factories.
Well, that's the end. I hope you will be able to use this as a resource to aid you in your own journey of empowering rather than harming others through your consumer habits, and I hope this information has served to make the murky waters of corporations supply chains a little more clear.
To sum it all up, after all my research, here are the stores I would recommend checking out first, next time you're looking for a specific consumer good:
Clothing
American Eagle, Aritzia, Eddie Bauer, H&M, Hudson's Bay, Le Chateau, Retimans, RW&Co., Sears and Zumiez.
Shoes
ALDO Shoes, Call it Spring, Footlocker, Hudson's Bay, Le Chateau, Naturalizer Shoes, Ronson's Rack, Sears, Walk with Ronsons and Zumiez.
Underwear
Hudson's Bay, La Senza and Sears.
Coffee, tea and chocolate
DAVIDsTea, Purdy's Chocolate, Starbucks and Waves.
Sporting wear
Hudson's Bay, Lululemon and Sears.
Bath and cosmetic products
The Body Shop, Lush and Merle Norman.
Kids Clothing
The Children's Place, Gymboree, Hudson's Bay and Sears.
Houseware items
Hudson's Bay, and Sears.
If you're in the market for some new technology, this is a tricky one. I would personally still buy Apple if I for some reason needed to buy new, as they are doing more than any other company to respect the dignity and value of the people in their supply chain. There have obviously been problems, which they claim to be trying to fix. We cannot expect these problems to go away over night and hopefully we will see some of them resolved as the company works to correct them. Maybe I'm delusional and they're just dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s for show. If you can, I would suggest buying second hand.
May you use this knowledge to bring you to a deeper understanding of how your purchases affect people around the world. May you use it to develop responsible consumer habits, as well as compassion for the girls, boys, women and men exploited around the world so that we can have more "stuff." And may you use it to do your part in changing the system that disadvantages, and enslaves millions of people worldwide.
Thanks for reading!
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