Action: Start REBBL and Buy Fair Trade Teas & Juices

by Elisa | Aug 6, 2012 | Ethical Fashion, Fair Trade Products, Good Charities, Helping that Doesn't Hurt, Ways to Make a Difference

The first part of this post was taken from Rediscovering Social Justice: A Year of Awareness, a blog written by two students, one studying law and the other interior design. They wanted to do something good, so they are spending 2012 blogging about important stuff....

War Effect 101: Buying Back the Bombs & Redeeming the Future

by Elisa | Jul 30, 2012 | Create Awareness, Ethical Fashion, Fair Trade Products, Good Charities, Helping that Doesn't Hurt, Human Rights, Poverty, Ways to Make a Difference

The Ah-ha Moments of Awareness It is not uncommon to be unaware: What? Mitt Romney is actually the official 2012 Republican presidential candidate? I thought he was just, well, busy. And all over the news. Not really for real. What? There is a chick named Siri who...

Action: Using Slave-Free Tomatoes in Your Chicken Tortilla Soup

by Elisa | Jul 24, 2012 | Create Awareness, Fair Trade Products, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Seeking Justice, United States, Ways to Make a Difference

A Red Round Problem Ever wondered whether the tomatoes in your salad, sandwich or soup were grown and picked by modern-day slaves? Um, no? Well neither had I. Apparently, though, this is something we should think about. We don't like modern slavery (human...

Action: Do a Microloan in Honor of Mandela Day (& Win a Contest)

by Elisa | Jul 18, 2012 | Good Charities, Helping that Doesn't Hurt, Poverty, Ways to Make a Difference, Women's Empowerment

Humans remember things. Its true we all like to remember different things, whether it be birthdays, anniversaries or holidays. I like to remember days which bring awareness to a specific cause, like Malaria Day orAIDS Day. Even when we want to forget, we often...

Action: The Power of the T-Shirt

by Elisa | Jul 17, 2012 | Create Awareness, Fair Trade Products, Human Trafficking, Ways to Make a Difference

Confession: I bought a shirt yesterday. Yep. You heard me right. I am (almost) ashamed to say I spent real money on a shirt. A shirt I didn't need! Tantalizing: It was just soooo blue, like the ocean in travel magazines. It was just toooo pretty, like a cheerful...

Preview: Politics, Poverty, and God

by Elisa | Jul 9, 2012 | Art of Advocacy, Create Awareness, Poverty, Spiritual Discipleship, United States

America, America, God shed His grace on thee. From Fatherhood to motherhood, And sea to shining sea! I don't think I will ever get the words to that song straight. Embedded within my DNA is a specific genetic code to invent and insert lyrics at random. But even if I...

Giving Up on Good: People I Like and Influence I Love

by Elisa | Jun 28, 2012 | Anthropology Psychology Sociology, Art of Advocacy, Community, Spiritual Discipleship

This is part of the art of advocacy series, exploring what it means to influence and be a world changer. I am just one of those people who actually likes people. It seems cooler to not like people. We are always told that we should love people (you know, Jesus and...

The Creative Blogging Conundrum and Current Ideas of How to Use Art as Advocacy

by Elisa | Jun 20, 2012 | Art of Advocacy, Create Awareness, Ways to Make a Difference

The Creative Blogging Conundrum Last year I had a creative inspiration which I screwed-up. I smeared white spackle paste all over a ceiling semi-painted blue. I achieved the texture I had hoped for, but when my project was complete it didn't appear as cloud-like as I...

Free2Work: An Advocate’s Resource

by Elisa | Jun 14, 2012 | Ethical Fashion, Fair Trade Products, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Ways to Make a Difference

This post is by Dorothy, the “Vicar of Vibe,” who lives by the motto of “love God, love others, it’s simple…” She is creative, bubbly, and full of passion to end modern slavery. Dorothy leads the Loudoun County (VA) Human Trafficking Task Force, works for Starbucks,...

Adventure

Swamp Wisdom: An Ecclesiastes on Human Rights

Ever heard of ancient King Solomon? He was said to be the wisest of them all as he philosophized...

Busy Moms, Community, Family & Relationships, Raising Kids

Identity Crisis #3467 – My Messy Beautiful

The other day, my daughter was excitedly expressing her admiration of the teachers and helpers at her school. I usually resist the temptation to to ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up because at some point in my...

Anthropology Psychology Sociology, Mental Health, Recovery, Safe Spaces

Understanding Terms for Poor Nations vs. Rich Nations

Terms of Poverty Whether in public political addresses or in pleas from non-profits, we have all heard some of these terms thrown around at some point or another. But just because we can infer their general meaning, I...