FAIR TRADE 10/12/2009
I have to admit that I was quite and operator when I was little. Well, con artist might be a little more accurate… OK – I was a thief. I can still clearly remember the time I talked my little sister Yvette, who was all of about four years old, into trading me her dimes for my pennies – one for one. I actually put a lot of thought into this transaction. I knew if I was going to pull this off I had to make the pennies look really good. So I found the brass cleaner my mom stored underneath the kitchen sink and an old tooth brush and polished them to a brilliant like new shine. I figured a girl would appreciate the aesthetic value of shiny brass over dull silver. My next step was be to convince my sister that of course, as every one knows, bigger is better. Which makes pennies far superior to tiny little dimes. To my delight, my sister was an easy mark. The trade went down perfectly and I was richer for the experience. The only blemish in my otherwise perfect plan was that I didn’t figure on my big brother ratting me out to my mom. Needless to say, it wasn’t a “fair trade” as my brother aptly put it (over and over and over again) and my mom made me give back the dimes I had swindled away from my sister. And, just for good measure, she let her keep my pennies. The irony of it is that Yvette worked in a bank when she grew up! "Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another…Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan (or a little kid)…Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy…Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God….If you’ve been stealing – stop it! Now go to work and do something useful so you will have something to share with those in need…” Leviticus 19:11; Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 24:1; Leviticus 25:17; Ephesians 4:28 JAVA TIP: When you buy your coffee, make sure you support Fair Trade. Did you know that the United States drinks one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the world’s largest coffee consumer? What many Americans fail to realize is that workers in the world coffee industry are often abused, overworked and underpaid. Especially many of the small coffee farmers who receive prices for their coffee that are far less than the costs of production which forces them into a cycle of debt and poverty. Buying Fair Trade Certified Coffee assures you that your coffee was purchased from the growers under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria by paying a minimum price per pound, and providing needed credit and technical assistance to farmers. Fair Trade for coffee farmers is intended to help promote community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship. Buy Fair Trade. Don’t make me call your mom! CommentsJamie Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:35:44 That's why I love buying local and/or fair trade whenever possible! You know where your food is coming from, how it was grown, and who is growing it! Our culture makes it so easy to detach ourselves (the buyers) from the source (the sellers/land) of our products that the issues of justice and equality are made seemingly invisible...like magic. But that's exactly what they want you to believe, that those issues aren't there. The things on the shelf are there for YOU...for your consumption, right? Rick McKinley had some interesting stuff to say on this same line in a Advent Conspiracy podcast I listened to recently. Enlightening stuff, not always the easiest to listen to, knowing it will change how you view your own consumerism. Thanks for sharing Dad! Leave a Reply | Categories Bruce Porter
Imaginating is the art of imagining what could be and using whatever resources available to you to create something beautiful, amazing, and beneficial to others. I have this strong belief that being "created in the likeness and image of God" is really about our unique ability to create like The Creator - to simply think of something that doesn't exist and make it happen. Its a gift I believe everyone possesses. How much we use it is up to us. It is the big WOW - the AHA of life - that we can ponder what could be and do something about it. Whether it be in the arts, restoring relationships, righting an injustice, or creating pleasing environments, I believe we are destined to imagine what part we can play in imagining and creating whatever, to inspire, help, and enrich the lives of others for the common good. CategoriesArchivesNovember 2009 |
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