The Downside to Upgrading Part 1

It’s no secret that the constant flow of upgrades in the electronic industry is rooted in clever marketing more so than the a real need for a newer device. Most of us don’t only upgrade when our devices break, we upgrade when our phone company tells that even though we have a perfectly working phone (albeit a few scratchces) we now qualify for an inexpensive upgrade, we upgrade when we realize how much more convenient life will become when we get our hands on the newest computer, and we upgrade when we get some extra Christmas cash from grandma and can finally upgrade from a boring textbook to a shiny tablet. While an obvious downside to the upgrade addiction can be seen in our bank account statements, what may be less obvious is that this cultural addiction also creates a continual demand for minerals like copper, tin, coltan, cobalt, and tungsten, minerals linked to human trafficking and terrorism.

The mining of these materials is often extremely dangerous, conditions characterized by toxic chemicals, heavy loads, and dangerous tools (free2work.org.) Many of our everyday electronics are made with Coltan, a mineral found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where miners (including women and children) are forced to work by armed terrorist groups. Not only are these people forced into the dangerous mines but rape and reckless violence  is regularly used to maintain control. It is believed that the profits of the mining and smuggling of the coltan funds the violent and oppressive military occupation of the country (theverge.com.) Though U.S. companies are held to trade laws that forbid importing goods obtained through terrorism, the minerals are often purchased after being smuggled into China where companies and governments alike can successfully turn a blind eye to the origins of the minerals.

As is the case in any industry with such a complex supply chain, human trafficking crimes often occur at more than one stage in the game.  Infringements on workers rights, forced overtime, exploitative wages, unsafe working conditions, verbal abuse, and explicit human trafficking have all been found in the factories where our phones, computers, and televisions are made. It is our constant demand for new devices that often fuels the unrealistic quotas that leads to such exploitation. Intel is promising a conflict free microprocessor in 2013, proof of the power of the conscientious consumer. We cannot stop there though, we must ask that they carry this ethic into the factories as well.

At the moment there is no such thing as a “fair trade tablet” or an ethically sourced iPhone, but that doesn’t mean that we have to sit by and continue to feed the unsustainable demand for conflict minerals that fund terrorism and human trafficking.

When we resist the urge to upgrade we leave room in our bank accounts to put our money towards more life giving purchases and we leave room in our spirits for lessons in contentment and simplicity. As always there is more to the picture, it cannot be simplified into a 554 word blog post, but I will be posting one more piece to the puzzle in the days to come.

Articles for additional reading:

Congo’s efforts to block conflict minerals thwarted by war
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-31/war-stops-congo-conflict-minerals-progress-global-witness-says

Poor conditions at Apple Suppliers
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/31/world/asia/china-foxconn-workers-report/index.html

Why apple doesn’t make our iPhones in the U.S. http://www.alternet.org/story/155830/the_real_reason_apple_cant_make_your_iphone_in_america

Intel’s new microprocessor http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2012/05/18/intel-conflict-minerals/1

The Pervasive Truth of Justice

In February my husband, Jordan, and I, along with a few other friends, headed up to Portland, OR to attend the 2012 Justice Conference. In the past year or so I have had days in which I think to myself, “If God really cares about justice so much and really wanted me to care about it this much, would’t I have heard about it more in church, wouldn’t it be easier to see in Scripture, am I just tricking myself into thinking a just lifestyle is that important?”  At the end of the 2 day conference I left wholly and utterly convinced that seeking justice is indeed fundamental to the Christian life. Scripture does not just contain justice centered verses, it is soaked through, dripping and flowing off the pages of both New Testament and Old. My hand could not move quickly enough as I furiously sought to take notes as new life was breathed into the Word of God.

As it turns out the Hebrew word for Justice “Mishpat” appears over 400 times in the O.T. and can be defined as “God’s righteousness acted out.” The word Mishpat is often seen when God’s people were inhibiting others from experiencing Shalom which many speakers at the conference defined as,

” A spiritual, economical, social, and physical state of flourishing (not just survival) in one’s relationship with God, others, nature and one’s self.”

In most cases those kept from this flourishing lifestyle were the sick, the poor, the social outcast, the foreigner – the marginalized. God’s unrelenting attention (Isaiah 11:4, 58, Lev 19:15, Deut 27:12, Psalm 14:12, etc)  to these people implies that involvement with them is central to following Him. Somehow though this pervasive message in Scripture seems to have been reduced to a calling for only the saints of our world leaving many of us without the life giving effects of justice lived out.  This select calling mentality couldn’t be further from the truth, for justice is positioned and placed into scripture in such a way that removing justice from the Christian lifestyle unequivocally devalues and diminishes the very words of God.

Fair Trade in Some Simple Terms pt 2

Fair trade has a few key values, one of which being sustainability. Sustainability socially, which they achieve through the fair trade premium. The fair trade premium is an additional payment made by the buyers with which the co-op invest back into the community. They will vote on whether to build a school, improve sanitation etc. Fair trade brings economic sustainability by paying workers fair wages, providing economic training, micro-loans, and creates long term relationships between buyers and producers. Fair trade seeks to be environmentally sustainable which means that they educate about and require agricultural practices that won’t damage their future. This also means workers aren’t going to be exposed to any dangerous toxins or pesticides (and neither are we,) So what does sustainability have to do with Human Trafficking? Many fall prey to human trafficking and poor working conditions out of desperation. Laborers come from poverty stricken villages with no chance of upward mobility or economic opportunity. Sustainable practices invest in communities so that they are no longer vulnerable or taken advantage of. You fight extreme poverty and you are fighting human trafficking.

Lastly Fair Trade certification gives consumers like you and I a chance to be heard. To a company, nothing says “hear me” like the sound of our dollar being spent. We all know good business is finding what consumers want and selling it to them. I am a consumer and I want integrity and justice. When I stop putting my money towards companies with dirty supply chains and start putting it towards companies who stand for justice, the global market takes notice. You are essentially voting with your dollar.

There are some sacrifices for the consumers but there are also some benefits. In most cases fair trade products will cost more, but this can only be expected when we consider that entire work forces are now being paid, that money has to come from somewhere. I was once challenged to think of it this way “Someone’s gotta pay” Either I am paying 2 dollars more for my ice cream or someone is paying with their freedom for that very say bowl of ice cream. Either way someone has to pay. On the other side of things it has been my experience and the experience of others that in most cases fair trade is of a very high quality, which also makes me feel its worth my extra 2 bucks.

Fair Trade in Some Simple Terms pt. 1

In order to understand fair trade, we have to understand a little more about our every day purchases. When I buy a chocolate bar or a bag of coffee how much of the money I pay actually makes it back to the workers who picked the beans? Sadly, not much. In fact, what if none of it made it back? This is where human trafficking and our purchases intersect. The supply chain of just one bar of chocolate is so complex that no one really has their eye on the whole picture and this makes it easy for slave labor to occur. Even when situations aren’t quite as horrible as slavery, for most laborers, artisans or small farm owners in the third world, poverty is inevitable due to minimal and unfair wages. This is obviously a problem.

Enter fair trade. Fair trade is a certification given by a third party auditing organization that ensures certain standards are met. Fair trade is simply put, a different way of doing business. It seeks to bring greater equity by empowering producers at the local level. Many small farm owners have never had the chance to partake in the international market, Fair Trade changes that. They seek out equity by reducing the middle man, strengthening the community and paying all workers fair wages. This is not a replacing of free trade but instead it just allows the consumer to make a difference while governments and international organizations continue to figure out policies to guard against exploitation. So instead of waiting around, fair trade makes a different through business.

 

5 Things YOU can do to shop more JUSTLY

In honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Day (Jan 12) I wanted to share some tips from the Fair Trade nights a few months back. 

1. Pray as you shop *
2. Download the Free2Work App and use it! 
3. Research one area of fair trade that directly connects to products you regularly purchase.
4. Commit to switching over to one fair trade good…
5. Tell friends and family about Fair Trade and the reality of slaver 

*when you see a bar of chocolate pray that God would soften the hearts of those in charge, when you notice a bag of coffee pray for the impoverished farmers, let your purchases trigger your prayer life 

Christmas Gift Ideas

I’m long overdue for a post (as always,) but I have to admit, I think two sinus infections and a case of strep throat provide me with quite an excuse for my delay. In between the mess of tissue paper and orange juice, I spent the last month and half  working on a fair trade night as part of a series on justice that our church is going through.  I figure  I will give you a portion of the night’s events until it’s as if you had been there yourself. We’re going to work backwards seeing as how Christmas is only 20 days away and I don’t want to miss the chance to give you some awesome Christmas ideas. Before everyone left I handed out some nifty fliers (if I do say so myself) that list some typical Christmas presents you might find under your tree along with an alternative for each. Now I’d like to say that I’m not particularly a fan of the gift driven focus Christmas has attained but while Jordan and I are figuring out how we want to do Christmas in our family, I think there is still a bit of room for some giving of good cheer.   So before you rush out to Target or Wal-mart, check out this Christmas list.

P.S. You’ve got to check out better world books, they’ve got free shipping, give a book to charity for every book you buy, and they have the triple bottom line, people, plant, and proft. Love it.

P.P.S If you’ve got a soccer lover in your family and are considering getting a new soccer ball, I urge you to check out FairTradeSports, soccer balls have one of the worst reputations when it comes to human trafficking, lets not bring joy to one child by robbing it from another.

Here are some links to the above mentions gifts…

Sweet treats and baking goods

Jewelry, home decor, stationary… 

Books

Sports Balls

Introducing Kiva!

I believe it is fully our duty as the church to rescue and give aid to those already in slavery, but I also believe that we need to be smart activists that search out and discover new ways to prevent the crimes from happening in the first place.  When I found out what Kiva is doing, I just about peed my pants, okay not really but I was very excited . Kiva is a non profit that combines the powers of the internet (you!) and microfinancing organizations with the expressed purpose of helping create opportunity for the vulnerable of the world.  Since  it will take you less time to watch than for me to explain please watch the following video to find out how it works!

So what does this have to do with yesterday’s post? Well let’s think about what would have happened if organizations like Kiva could have come into contact with the suffering families before the corrupt recruiters got a hold of them? If vulnerable individuals are able to take out reasonable loans (with no interest!!) they are not only able to pull themselves out of extreme poverty but they are more likely to create a future for their children so that they too can avoid being trafficked. I really think it’s brilliant, it isn’t of course the only solution (for how can their be a simple to solution to such a complex evil?) but I think it is a step towards a slave free world and I hope you will take that step with me.

To give $25 dollars (that you’ll get back!) check out this link and learn more about the organization.  You can search by type of loan, region, and industry and choose exactly who will get your loan!

Debt Bondage

This last weekend at the global forum Jordan and I had the chance to  pre-screen an episode from of the Al Jazeera’s news series “Slavery: A 21st century evil.”  This particular episode focused on the charcoal industry and the steel that ends up in many of our cars and trucks. However, since its not yet available to view I wanted to share another episode with you. It’s titled “Food Chain Slaves” and it shows the evils of debt bondage and forced labor right here the in the United States. Since we all eat I thought this episode was particularly important to share.

Debt bondage is truly a most evil predator of the poverty stricken world. For many men unsuccessfully trying to feed their families and keep possession of family land a promise of high paying wages in America seems like the perfect solution. They are willing to leave their families for years in hopes of giving their children a future. There is however often a catch. Most likely they are asked to pay a recruitment fee  ( at times up to $20,000)  Many of these men realize however that if they can get a loan, they will be able to pay it back in a year with a US salary. So they mortgage their lands, take money from dangerous loan sharks, borrow life savings from relatives and head to the US. As this episode shows many will be brought to isolated farms will they are forced to work under inhumane conditions and for little pay. With sky high interest rates, the more they work the further they fall into debt.

 

 

To many of us this injustice may lead us to despair, where then can we buy food? Who will bring these crimes to justice? Can the cycle ever be broken? Before you lose to much hope I ask that you stay tuned for my next post (tomorrow) in which I will introduce you to an organization that will give us the chance to combat debt bondage with no cost to your pocket book!

In the meantime pray, fast, and be an advocate with every dollar you spend. Slavery can be abolished.

Trick or Treat?

The holidays are quickly approaching and this year I’m hoping to not be tricked into “treating” friends and family with gifts that don’t sing of justice and mercy. My head has already been bubbling with traditions my husband and I can put into action for our first Christmas together but in an effort to not encourage Jordan’s Christmas song singing, ( choir is already practicing) let’s start with Halloween.

I realize we are just a little over a week away from Halloween and I wish I had posted sooner with all the candy being purchased as we speak! But since I’m too old to trick or treat and no trick or treat-ers will be coming by our house (we live in a pool house behind a house) it sort of fell off my radar. Nonetheless if you haven’t bought your candy yet keep this in mind, and if you have, well keep this in mind.

• More candy is purchased for Halloween than any other holiday.
• An est. 600 million pounds of candy are bought for Halloween. That’s almost 1.9 billion dollars in candy sales! That’s a lot of money going into a pretty corrupt industry. 
• Non-chocolate candy can still pour money into many companies that rely on slave labor for their chocolates. For example M & M Mars makes skittles but they also make many tainted chocolate bars.

If you are in an area with a lot of Trick or Treating traffic and you are worried about the cost of buying more ethical chocolate consider handing out a single piece of candy rather than a handful and saying “I’m treating you to a piece of candy so that so that some other kids can be treated well” (obviously you will want to adjust your explanation based on age.)

Check out these tasty bite size alternatives:

Earth Chocolate Balls – $8.39 for half a pound

Milk Chocolate or Bittersweet Coins – $50 for 100 pieces or $25 for 50

Divine Chocolate gold coins – $2.79 for a bag of 13 coins, or 68.99

Dark Chocolate Orange Bites – $26 for 93 pieces (Probably more geared towards adults) for 30 bags

Organic Lollipops – $31.96 for 5 lbs (great deal and lots of fun flavors)

Endangered Species Chocolates – $23 for 2 lbs (82 pieces)

Just Jam. Just Right.

This summer I decided to take the abundant fig supply in my backyard as a chance to start my mission of creating ethical edibles. However after days of  “jamming” I realized I had more jam than I knew what to do with. So I have opened an Etsy shop to sell jam sweetened with fair trade sugar, something I realized is not abundantly available in the US. I’ve called my shop, JustJam. JustRight.  The English teacher within me just can’t stay away from plays on words. I’m hoping the proceeds will help cushion the costs for my husband and I to attend the Global Forum on Human Trafficking (can’t wait to report back about it!) The jam is quite delicious if I do say so myself, it’s not overly sweet and it really highlights the natural flavors. I hope any of you who try it really enjoy being able to sweeten your toast with something with a sweet history.

Check it out here.