Thursday, February 25, 2010

voices....

March 1st marks not only the first of our Global Advocacy Days, but also the first day of Not For Sale Campaign’s “Advocacy Month. An “advocate”, as defined by the Webster dictionary, is one “who pleads the cause of another”.

As I thought about what it meant to be an advocate, and what it means to plead the cause of another, I remembered a poem by Mary Anne Ramacher. She asks,

" What is a voice if it does not raise against injustice?

What is a voice if it does not sing for change?

What is a voice if it does not speak for the silent?

What is a voice if it merely minics the machinations of culture?

A stilled voice is a dried reed, lost toy, torn page...

A broken feather floating down and emptied canyon.

What is a voice if it remains silent against leagues of tyranny?"

Ms. Ramacher’s poem highlights the need for every one of us to use our voices. We don’t often think about the power of our voice. Just like breathing, it is natural bodily function that we take for granted -until it is taken away from us.

Advocacy month will change that. Your voice will no longer be something that you take for granted. Moving from the subconscious to the conscious, from the shadows into the limelight, we ask that you join Not for Sale in pleading for the cause of the millions of people enslaved in the world today.

Silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressors. As abolitionists, as activists, as humans, we can no longer be silent while our brothers and sisters are in bondage.

Raise your voice and tell the story of the young girl forced into sex slavery. Speak the truth: that an egregious injustice is taking place in our very own backyards. There are so many, many ways to use your voice. Communicate. Articulate. Enunciate. Modulate. Pronounce. Pitch. Proclaim. Publicize. Aver. Assert. Air. Aruge. Say. State. Speak. Shout. Sound. Verbalize and Vocalize. Declare. Broadcast. Circulate. Tell.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

just another day

Just got home from work. My first step was to greet the pup and hubby - then build a fire. I am loving our fireplace! Gonna go to the beach tomorrow and grab some driftwood. Californian's are big into the fake wood - one log burns for 4 hours, but I have found that they don't give off much heat. So now, with the fire roaring, I am chilling on the couch - a couch that our fabulous neighbors gave us. Its 7pm here, but 10 in Ohio and too late to call anyone, so I am feeling a little lonely. Lost is on tonight, and we may head over to C2 to watch it with the designer boys. Last night was Monday- and 24. As we are happily without cable, we watched that with our neighbors. After work, Jordan and I took Tank on a beach walk. He exhausted himself chasing seagulls, then found a friend to play with. After the beach we enjoyed burgers with the neighbors and a friendly game of boggle:) then Jack Bauer.

I spent the day in the city at USF. There are tons of open rooms that we utilize for work as we wait on the completion of our office - which only needs one final inspection, then furniture! It is in a beautiful space with a wall of windows that look out on Pillar Point Beach. I guess working inside isn't soo bad when you have that view.

This week's projects:
calling congressmen/women and setting up appointments for our global advocacy days (March 1-2 in D.C.) updating the underground church network website for freedom Sunday, office furniture, and creating an information packet for the Regional Directors to promote the Stop Paying for Slavery Tour.


That's about all here....Feelin kinda lonely tonight. Not lonely, just missing people to talk to...Tired of meeting strangers and trying to bridge the gap into friendship. I always feel so damn awkward!!! Am I coming across too strong? Tooo needy? Am I showing how cool I really am? Argh! AWKWARD! And then there is the daily awkwardness with staff...making jokes that they don't think are funny, etc. Moving and making a new life can be rough!
Don't get me wrong, we love it here, but finding a community where we belong.....
Anyway, just wanted to write another update....Miss you all. Cant wait for you to visit and to laugh and be at ease...


Monday, February 15, 2010

a few pics from mavericks


























apparently the waves were 25-50 footers - so gnarly! you cant see much, we were pretty high up on the bluffs, but if you look closely at the last pic, you will see a lil surfer riding the wave in.
mother nature is wicked! after watching for a few hours up on the bluffs we went down to the beach, but it was closed - as two waves crashed over the seawall and soaked a dozen spectators, even injuring them. A lil bit later it opened up and I was able to get a much more limited view from the ground.
They estimate 50,000 people came out to watch. The crowds were ridic! But we are glad that we were able to see it, one of the most dangerous surf competitions in the world.

Friday, February 12, 2010

chocolate press release

NOT FOR SALE CAMPAIGN & INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM
Contact: Kilian Moote, press@free2work.org, 415-307-1498
Tim Newman, tim.newman@ilrf.org, 202-347-4100 x113

Free2Work.org informs consumers on use of slave labor in chocolate production

Chocolate producers rated for Valentine's Day

In advance of Valentine’s Day, top chocolate companies such as Hershey’s, Nestle, and See’s Candies have been rated on an “A” to “F” scale on their ability to ensure that forced labor and child labor are not being used in the production of their goods. Free2Work.org, a consumer awareness tool maintained by Not For Sale Campaign and International Labor Rights Forum, will help concerned consumers decide which chocolate to buy for their loved ones.
A recent report by the Department of Labor highlighted that forced labor and child labor is still a major concern in the production of cocoa, nine years after the chocolate industry agreed to eliminate the worst forms of child labor from its products.
Over 70% of the world’s chocolate is produced in West Africa, primarily in Cote D’ Ivoire. Since 2001, reports have documented extreme labor abuses including abusive child labor, forced labor, and trafficking. “Consumers should be outraged that after so many years, children continue to harvest cocoa that consumers are buying for their children this Valentine’s Day,” says Bama Athreya, Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum.
Annually, the United States consumes upwards of 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate, or nearly half the world's supply. “Unfortunately, it's unlikely that any standard or system can ensure chocolate is 100% slave-free, but as consumers, it is our responsibility to know which chocolate is less likely to be produced by slaves,” says David Batstone, President of the Not for Sale Campaign. “The concentration of forced labor used in chocolate production has significant implications for the credibility of the entire industry.”
Free2Work rates companies performances based on their code of conduct, implementation of their code, transparency, response to child labor and efforts to empower workers. Additional questions are used to evaluate specifically what steps chocolate companies are taking within their own industry to address forced and child labor.
The Free2work.org rating program is a new and ongoing endeavor. Additional products will continue to be rated throughout the year.
The Not For Sale Campaign equips and mobilizes Smart Activists to deploy innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery in their own backyards and across the globe. www.notforsalecampaign.org
International Labor Rights Forum is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. www.laborrights.org

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Monday, February 8, 2010

an overview of NFSC

On Friday David Batstone talked the staff thu "What is the Not for Sale Campaign". For the first time ever, I was able to get a glimpse of the much, much bigger picture. So I am posting some of my notes. Sorry if they seem chaotic.


NFSC's goal is to:Equip a movement to design innovative solutions to end slavery

Equip: we are not an expert organization (they refer to other experts all the time, which is amazing! one of their first questions was, where does NFSC fit into the bigger movement? they recognize that they are a part of a much bigger whole. So strengthen the whole, refer to the experts!)

Innovative solutions: How do we create the tools, education, and opportunities that empower the constituency to become engaged

We are a think tank – we create tools/models that other groups can replicate

Find causes – part of being innovative

In 25 years get to source of causes of slavery

Slavery Map was a crucial early tool for us – people don’t believe that slavery still exists….

Our analysis early on that there was no good data

(state dept talking about slavery map – as an example for documenting trafficking – because they are interested in methods people traffic drugs, guns – and those same networks bring bombs into states – criminal networks – how does the state dept understand criminal networks – looking at NFSC!)

Slavery Map is now an advocacy tool –

Walk into mayor’s office and show them the data of cases of slavery in certain area and let DATA speak for itself


We want to be in a place where we are shaping impact – building programs that address the six main sectors of influence:government, private, business, university, media, volunteer (ngo’s, religious communities, HR agencies) justice system (law enforcement and courts)

Our six programs that shape the six sectors: Justice League, Student Movement, Tip Press (media) Free2Work, Freedom Sunday, Free2Play, Advocacy Days

Int’l Programs – setting up models that others can replicate

SPS tour – equip and empower student movement and grassroots through the tour- work w. regional directors and provide them w. tools


Dave tell’s Cambodia story – building a shelter for those at risk/rescued on the border of Cambpdia and Thailiand – contracted out to a local group that is identified as first in class and manages the shelter (Somali Mam is parent group) –

In conjunction with aftercare, give them job training (move from giving a fish to teaching to fish to giving access to pond to giving them ownership of the pond)

So we build a shelter, and build an apparel factory – training equips them to move into a paying position – they were highly equipped! – for every 6mo/yr they work in the company, they get stock! Ownership of the company. If they leave, they can sell the stock back.

Placement fee for a trained worker is paid to the shelter.

Also building condos. People who work in factory apply to live in condo – and they pay a mortgage! Condo built with donor funds. Mortgage given back to shelter.

Economic model built for sustainable autonomy!

Most shelters fail b/c not sustainable.

NFSC: Creating opportunities not to just be a worker, but a manager, and an owner – and they can walk away w. stock – or sell – with money and own their own house!


Monday, February 1, 2010

one month in....






On Saturday Jordan, Tank and I ventured 20 miles south to a little town called Pescadero. We got a burrito at a tiny taqueria that was housed in a gas station and picnicked at Bean Hollow State Beach. We got a lot of great pics of Tank runnin and playin in the sand!

On Sunday we headed north to Berkeley to join Greg and his friends for a potluck. There were about 30 people and as many dishes! Everything from curry soup to lentils and sangria and beet salad. It was awesome!

Tomorrow it will be one month since we left Columbus and started out on this great adventure. We are beyond happy with our new lives. I thoroughly enjoy my work with NFSC. For the first time I feel that my work matches my life purpose, and I am continually challenged and encouraged. NFSC is a non-profit that I am thrilled to be a part of, and proud of the work that they do. They employ smart activism: thinking before doing. They undertake amazing national and international projects, and work to strengthen the horizontal lines of their movement. They are grassroots. They listen to their constituency. They refer to experts in the movement instead of trying to do it themselves. They seek only sustainable models. And they do it all well, really well.

There is still so much to learn, so much to see, and do, and experience.