Did you know most of the world’s chocolate is made from cocoa beans picked by workers who do not receive a fair wage? Sometimes the workers are children and they are hurt if they don’t work fast enough. Other times the workers are not paid at all, making them slaves. With Valentine’s Day a little more than a week away, chocolate is everywhere. I’m reminded of the men, women, and children being forced to work for little or no wage in places far away from me. It makes my heart sad.
Modern day slavery is an important issue that is often not discussed. Today’s Sunday for the Soul is about looking this issue in the eyes and being empowered to change it. Together we can end slavery. (Orange is the color of freedom.)
Here are some links to check out:
Global Exchange hosts a National Valentine’s Day of Action, encouraging educators to spread the word about fair trade chocolate through the Global Exchange’s fair trade curriculum. My friend, Janelle McLaughlin, wove this material in her second grade classroom with much success. (I must put a little note in here because I’m not an advocate for canned curricula. I encourage you to read through the materials and find a way to authentically introduce this within your current structures. For instance, I might use a portion of this for read aloud and discussion during community circle.)
Fair Trade Resource Network offers some ideas for talking about fair trade in your classroom.
International Justice Mission is a human rights agency “that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.”
Not for Sale Campaign is an organization dedicated to re-abolishing slavery by mobilizing Smart Activists “to deploy innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery in their own backyards and across the globe.”
Find out what Jeffrey S. Brand (board member, Not for Sale Campaign, and Dean at the University of San Francisco School of Law) says it means to be a Smart Activist.
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Thank you so much for mentioning the International Justice Mission on your website. My husband and I were talking about organizations we wanted to give to and this was first on my list.
We have no true understanding of what most of the world endures just to survive.
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Did you also know that the Apple Ipad and Iphone are also made by slave labor in China. Working conditions are so bad that they have installed suicide nets around the building because of the working conditions. We have no idea of the working conditions around the world where we get 9/10ths of our consumer goods. It is very sad but price dictates everything and if people can save a dime – it doesn’t matter to them the working conditions of those so far away from them – sad but true. MM
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Thank you for posting this! I actually just heard about the Not for Sale Campaign the other week. The head person came to speak at a conference here in Seoul. I didn’t get to go, but I got a copy of his book!
–jee young
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I was not aware of this type of slavery happening. I have been placing books out for children that go along with Black History Month, and this idea will fit well with conversations about slavery. We are just not aware. Thanks. MHG
http://booksavors.wordpress.com
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Thank you for this post! It gives me a lot of food for thought and makes me actually want to look forward to doing something socially responsible in my class around Valentine’s Day, rather than dreading it which is my usual reaction.
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