As you know, October is Fair Trade Month.
In the spirit of raising awareness for this important movement, why not consider offering Fair Trade Chocolate to your neighborhood trick-or-treaters? What an opportunity to be a positive influence for dozens of young children, teens, and their parents!
Luthern World Relief offers a 200-pack of mini chocolate bars for $40.
You can also purchase chocolate coins, after dinner mints, and holiday treats!
We’ve been writing a lot about Darfur lately in light of President Obama’s first address to the UN General Assembly.
You may have read our post below about Save Darfur Coalition’s efforts to raise $125,000 by the end of the month to begin important advocacy work for peace in Darfur.
So to wrap up our Tuesday, we’re featuring “Dedicated to the People of Darfur: Writings on Fear, Risk, and Hope” as a possible gift for the reader, writer, or otherwise interested friend in your midst. Heck, maybe you are that reader/writer/otherwise interested friend, in which case you’ll need it for yourself.
You’ll receive this book with any $50 or higher donation to the Coalition. Click here to donate and buy. You can also check out reviews on the Amazon page.
For a quick sneak peek–
from the publisher:
Dedicated to the People of Darfur: Writings on Fear, Risk, and Hope brings together Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, O.Henry award recipients, and many best-selling who share personal and compelling challenges and experiences. They reflect on simple, yet powerful choices that provoked change in one’s self and for humanity—much the same way that Luke and Jennifer Reynolds have done by building this invaluable collection for readers and the world of human rights. All royalties from the sales of this book will benefit The Save Darfur Coalition.
Table of Contents:
Foreword
Preface
Part I: The Fears Within
Weeping Unfamiliar Tears
Scared
The Risk of (Not) Communicating
Real Risks
Holding a Little Girl’s Hand
Safe Passage
Rescuing Fire from the Flood
Part II: Writing Risk
Life Drawings
Writing Toward the Center
Like a Syrupy Sweet
An Apostate in Academe
Risks in Writing the Novel, The Rape of Sita
One Man’s Risk
Writing Sucks
On the Line
Politics and the Imagination
Part III: Where I Come From
That Other World That Was The World
Melodious Chimes
Rescued by Junkies
The Prozac Variations
Our Side of the Tracks
The House Fire
The Risk of Deadness
The Risk of Consciousness
High Noon at Midnight
Recipe
Risk
Part IV: Creating Change
Taking Risks
Spinning
Girls and Guns
From Individual Despair to Collective Risk-Taking
Angels or Apes? An Inquiry Into the Nature of Modern Sadism and the Optional Extinction of Our Species
Reclaiming the Self, Pain and Risk in the Pursuit of Our Best
Skateboarding the Third Rail
Choices on a Runaway Train
A Kinder, Gentler Patriotism
Part V: Leaving Safety
XYZ
Sunday Morning in Oakland
Island Journal
Devil’s Work
Camping Out of the Comfort Zone
Males and Risk
The Politics of Hope
Everyday Courage and the “How” of Our Work
Mutually Assured Destruction and Jumping Horses
Jump
The Only Word I Heard was “Abeeda.” That Means Slave
Every Tuesday we feature a product or company that sells for a good cause.
The Amber Chand Gift Collection sells these beautiful and functional baskets that will not only connect you to a region that needs your voice, but one woman– the weaver– who pulled these fibers together in a refugee camp in Western Darfur.
An excerpt of their story:
The sprawling Kalma and Kassab camps are home to an estimated 150,000 refugees. Here, amidst the makeshift structures built from adobe brick and plastic sheeting you will find women’s weaving centers where about fifty women gather together to share their personal stories, exchange information and weave these colorful traditional baskets as part of their healing.
All have hastily fled from their burning villages with their families, leaving behind all of their possessions. Many have lived at the camp for almost four years with few dreams of returning home and rebuilding their lives.
By responding to the demand for these baskets from customers in the United States, the women now have an opportunity to earn a steady and dignified livelihood – what we call a “prosperity wage”, earning 30% more than they would weaving these baskets for the local markets. They feel valued, appreciated and visible!
Watch this 90-second video to learn more.
It’s September, which means you’ll start seeing Christmas decorations in the malls pretty soon. (Okay, we exaggerate–but honestly not by much!)
Every Tuesday, we’ll feature a shop or product that helps support a great cause. You can start bookmarking your favorites now so that you’ll have tons of snazzy and meaningful gift ideas for friends and family.
You may have heard about Love 146, a non-profit organization that works toward the abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation through Prevention and Aftercare. You might know that here at the North Jersey Vineyard, we’ve put together a Task Force to help spread the word and do the work of modern-day abolitionists. If you’re really linked in, you might already have plans to have your car washed at the fundraiser this Saturday.
But did you know that there are also… t-shirts??
All shirts are made by American Apparel*. You’ll find a variety of designs, colors and sleeve lengths in regular and organic cotton. Sizes are separate for men and women.
Not into t-shirts? Most t-shirt designs and colors can be made into hoodies, tote bags and baby onesies.
Finally, if you really want to paint the town with Love 146 (Go for it!), you can find all sorts of other promotional materials and resources here.
* Amerian Apparel sizes tend to run small so please purchase accordingly.
