Chocolate Love...

It's Valentine's Day and many people of you are reaching for that tasty and sensual chocolate treat to give to your loved ones. Chocolate has long been associated with romance, but this seductive sweet has a bitter dark side you may not want to think about. This seductive treat has not seduced lovers alone, but those who prey on the innocence of others and lust after wealth. The irony is that chocolate -the happy and love induced sweet, is also source of pain and captivity.

There is a price for this dark and creamy treasure. In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, children are often kidnapped from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in order to provide slave labor on cocoa plantations. In Bitter Chocolate, journalist Carol Off describes the conditions in which these child slaves work:

 “The farmers were working the young people almost to death. The boys had little to eat, slept in bunkhouses that were locked during the night, and were frequently beaten. They had horrible sores on their backs and shoulders… Farmers were paying organized groups of smugglers to deliver the children to their cocoa groves, while police were being bribed to look the other way.” These children are responsible for climbing cocoa trees, cutting down bean pods, and chopping them open with machetes, which leads to inevitable accidents. They are exposed to hazardous pesticides that they spray without protective equipment. They are fed corn paste and bananas, the cheapest food available, and they’re not paid.  When one former child slave was asked what he’d stay to chocolate-eating Westerners, he answered, “When people eat chocolate, they are eating my flesh.” Despite the fact that the cocoa industry’s awful human rights record is now public knowledge, “Big Chocolate” – Cargill, Nestlé, Hershey, Mars, Ghiridelli etc. – have not taken the necessary steps to guarantee that their products are slave-free. Many problems could be alleviated, or at least improved, if these companies paid their workers a living wage, one that is high enough to maintain a basic standard of living that includes education, health care, and savings.  A big part of the problem is that Western consumers love eating cheap chocolate so much that they don’t pressure the industry to change. Rather than being viewed as a rare, expensive treat, chocolate has become “a universal luxury – a reasonably priced frivolity for everyone, except those who’ve never heard of it or can’t afford to buy it. Ironically, that unenviable group includes the people who produce its most essential ingredient.” (Bitter Chocolate)

What can you do?  The first and easiest thing you can do is read labels. Fair trade is a decent option, as it ensures producers sell chocolate at above-market prices, generating extra income to improve community infrastructure and give a higher quality of life to farming communities. The downside is that certification can be very costly, and is often not affordable for small-scale operations- therefore sometimes you have to do a little research (but then again is that really such a big price to pay?). Please also keep in mind there is more than one label -in 2012, Fair Trade USA split from the International Fair Trade Organization.  There is also the Rainforest Alliance stamp, which ensures that farmers are growing cocoa in environmentally responsible ways – protecting shade trees, planting native species, maintaining wildlife corridors, conserving natural resources, and reducing pesticide use.

Chocolate: More and more retailers carry Fair Trade chocolate so just keep your eye out for the Fair Trade label as you shop.  You can also purchase special valentines gifts online including heart-shaped chocolates from Divine Chocolate, the sweet and spicy chocolate sampler from Equal Exchange, the Valentine’s Day Heart Box from Sweet Earth Chocolates and a full tub of chocolate hearts of cherry  or dark chocolate with raspberry bar from Sjaak’s.  Sweet Earth Chocolates Classic Red Velvet Box, ChocoDream Spreads, Kopali Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs, TCHO “My Heart’s Desire” Adigard 12-Bar Sampler, Alter Eco Dark Velvet Chocolate and sweetriot riotous riotBar gift set.  Why not reach outside the box and  try Kopali’s Dark Chocolate Covered Bananas.

Learn more and see what products are "safe" by reading our post from last year and checking out all the great resources and links: http://bridgetofreedomfoundation.blogspot.com/2013/02/make-sure-your-valentines-day-is-not.html?spref=tw

Fact: Human Trafficking is a $34 Billion Dollar a Year Business

According to ILO (International Labor Organization), the estimated total global profits from Human Trafficking are $34 billion a year 21 billion forced labor 13 billion for sex trafficking More males victims are now being recruited for the labor force.

Fact: “Hey! Did you know that October is also…..”

Pink whistles for the referees.

Pink gloves for the linemen, for the quarterbacks.

Pink cleats for the kickers.

Pink ribbons for….everyone.
Pink ribbons on cars in the parking lot...pink...pink...everywhere you turn you see pink!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the NFL and the fans are all joining the party on the fields of America’s favorite fall past time.

I am glad we see pink on the football field. Even so, there are equally insidious assaults against women unknown to the stands of fans and fields of players. Yes, breast cancer kills, and it is terrible and no woman should ever have to go through it. However no woman, girl or child should ever go through physical or sexual assault or abuse.

Did you know; however, that October is also Domestic Violence and Fair Trade Awareness Month?  If you are shaking your head no, do not feel badly. Feeling guilty is not going to help. What will help is getting the word out. If even half the money that goes into Breast Cancer awareness campaigns also went into domestic violence, Fair Trade and Human Trafficking it would no longer be a a hush hush conversation or a shock to ones ears.

The fight against domestic violence and the cruel brutality of modern slavery -human trafficking- can be just as big as breast cancer.  We have so many stories of hope floating around breast cancer survivors, and they are there thanks to the prominent pink ribbons that everybody knows what stand are for.  That same effort, money and commitment that made such a difference and has led to even more survivors could also be poured into the fight to end violence and discrimination against so many who fight under a cloak of darkness and silence in homes, on streets and in fields across the country and globe.

The tables can turn. You can help. Talk about it. Tell your friends…

“Hey! Did you know that October is also Domestic Violence and Fair Trade Awareness Month!"  So lets turn the tables today!

Check out an article I wrote more ineptly on Domestic Violence Awareness Month for the Examiner here: End the Cycle of Violence: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Happy National Coffee Day: Have a fair trade cup of joe today!

In the morning as that alarm clock blares I shoot out of bed like bullet with a sudden, mysteriously founded burst of energy, as I quite literally whack my alarm off and scramble to my morning routine.  But that sudden burst of energy goes as quickly as it came and I know the only thing to get my now heavy feet moving again is a strong cup of coffee, which like magic turns me human again.  So if your anything like me you cannot live without one of the worlds most traded commodities, but for me each sip comes with a secondary level of comfort in knowing that my 'life's water' is slave and child labor free, as I drink nothing-less than fair trade coffee.

Child labor and slavery continues to plague the coffee industry, forcing children to often work to harvest what will soon become your cheap cup of Joe you sip as you trudge through the day.  Child labor in the agricultural industry consists of children being bought and sold as slaves or bonded laborers, as migrant or estate workers usually with their family. Many children work for commercial farms and plantations that produce our commodities and are estimated to be 7-12% of the work force. Besides coffee children are often found as labors in the harvest of cocoa, coconuts, cotton, fruit and vegetables, jasmine, palm oil, rubber, sisal, sugar cane, tea, tobacco, and vanilla.

According to the ILO, over 132 million children, aged 5-14 years old, work in agriculture around the world, they are just a segment of an the estimated 246 million child laborers around the globe.  UNICEF estimates that some 200,000 children are victims of trafficking each year in West and Central Africa alone, for the purpose of working in the supply chain for products such as; cocoa and coffee.  Global March Against Child Labor estimates that one in every eight children from 5 to 17 years old, some 179 million, work in the worst forms of child labor.  These children are placed in hazardous working conditions in order to ensure that we have our sweet treats, it is truly a bittersweet story.

Fair Trade is everyone's issue, it is more than looking at the world through a lens of more organic and healthy food, it is more than a fair wage for farmers…Fair Trade is the way to a sustainable future for all of the worlds children.  So join the fight for children across the globe, and join your global citizens for coffee with a cause and drink Fair Trade today!
Take the opportunity to learn about Fair Trade with your children and go on a few of the great sites out there that have games and resources for kids, such as Oxfam's Cool Planet and Kidz @ Work . Please see my Fair Trade and Slave Free Links for more information.

Please also see previous posts on Child Trafficking, Child Labor and don’t forget to check out the following resource pages:

• Fair Trade and Slave Free Links
• Fair Trade Book List
• General Book List
• Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Reports and Publications
• Human Trafficking and Slavery Related Movies and Documentaries
• Human Trafficking Conventions and Laws
• Slavery and Trafficking Related Books

Sharing the Labor Day Spirit

Photo Credit: UN News Center

 Like myself, most of you, were barley able to wind down a long weekend full of end of summer trips, pool parties and BBQ's in honor of Labor Day- and are now rushing to get the kids to school or the catch-up on work. Nonetheless I hope you you all had the best weather and the time to both rest and play!

Other than the end of summer, what is the meaning behind Labor Day? According to the Department of Labor (DOL), Labor Day “is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers” and “constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” After more than 20 states adopted a holiday in honor of workers during the late 1800s, Congress passed an act on June 28, 1894 making the first Monday in September of each year the legal holiday of Labor Day.

 However while most of us in the U.S. took a well deserved weekend off and a day to celebrate our achievements and hard work, millions of others around the glob have never seen a day off, been rewarded for their hard work, nor giving a needed break or rest from the grueling routine of physical labor.  According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) some 21 million are victims of forced labor, an estimated 5.5 million of which are children under the age of 18. "According to new ILO estimates, three out of every 1,000 people worldwide are trapped in jobs into which they were coerced or deceived and which they cannot leave."  Forced labor included those who are trafficked for sexual exploration, forced to work in agriculture or mining and as domestic workers.

The fight against forced labor is a global fight, however it is a fight that can be won through unified global action, laws and the enforcement of such laws, empowerment/education, gender equality, and consumer awareness.

How do we take the first steps to move forward? First we must ensure that the voices of men, women and children around the world are heard, and that we keep the true spirit of Labor Day alive all year round -to remember not all are rewarded and honored for their hard work. Thus we never forget that forced labor labor continues to be prevalent, one must seek to educate themselves and others on the issue.  We must be aware that forced labor comes not only at the cost of the laborer and their families, but also ours and that we are part of the supply chain wither we want to be or not -for it is in our daily products.  Products such as coffee, tea, sugar, vegetables and fruit, cotton,, cell phones, and so much more.  Therefore, one must become a conscious consumer and try to shop Fair Trade as often as possible and support your local community.

Today education is the first step (You've read this post great start), tomorrow we begin to take action as we speak out and spread the word to others (share this post with your friends via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter), and continue to educate yourself and take a more active role as a consume (check out Free2Work for a list of tainted products and download their app to help while your shopping.  As long as we continue to educate ourselves on the issue and the products modern slavery taint to make educated purchases and take a stand against companies who support the demoralization and harm of others, we will see an end to slavery  in out live time and know that we all have a role to play.

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

Loyola Professor studies Modern-Day Slavery in New Orleans.
New Orleanians have always had a relaxed attitude about many things other cities deem illegal. But what happens when such cultural acceptance is extended to really serious issues like prostitution like Storyville back in the day or what is now called human trafficking. On this week's Notes from New Orleans Sharon Litwin talks with Laura Murphy, Assistant Professor and Director of the Modern Slavery Research read Project at Loyola University about where New Orleans stands on the issue of human trafficking.

Thailand arrest suspect leader in Human Trafficking Case.
Ko Myo, a 42-year-old Myanmar national, was shot and captured at a rubber plantation in southern Surat Thani during a raid by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and local police. The raid follows mounting international concern over the trafficking of Myanmar migrants in Thailand's lucrative fishing industry, one of several sources of human slavery in the country that could trigger U.S. sanctions. It also follows a Reuters investigation published on July 17 that found human smugglers selling some Rohingya Muslims into slavery on Thai fishing boats. Thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar in recent months after violence with Buddhists, who follow the country's majority religion.

Child Labor around the Globe.
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by 154 countries, child labor is prohibited. But despite this, child labor is not only massively used in the factories, but is also becoming more common. According to the International Labor Organization, in developing countries about 250 million children have to work. It is reported that there are 153 million working children in Asia, 80 million - in Africa, and 17 million - in Latin America. "Many of them work under the conditions that are dangerous to their physical, mental and emotional development," human rights activists report. For example, children are involved in activities such as slavery, prostitution and pornography, participation in armed conflicts, as well as working in mines, agriculture and construction.

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

20 Million People Are Trafficked in Modern Day Slavery – America is Leading the Fight to Stop It
One in three. That’s the number of women who will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, according to the United Nations. Depending on where they live, nearly three in five women will at some point endure physical violence. Of course, statistics don’t do justice to how brutally commonplace the occurrence of violence against women and girls is, whether in public or private spaces. The sad reality is these stories are reported in the news every day, all over the world in great detail from horrors in Delhi, India to Steubenville, Ohio. Unfortunately, these same news stories include messages of victim blaming, arguments of consent, and junk science meant to invalidate the seriousness of these crimes.

Arrest Made in Modern Slavery Case Involving a Mentally Disabled Women.
 A mentally disabled woman and her daughter were held in an Ohio apartment crowded with people and animals for more than a year, forced to perform manual labor and threatened with dogs and snakes to keep them compliant, authorities said Tuesday.Federal prosecutors said the people accused of holding the pair in Ashland, about 60 miles south of Cleveland, collected the woman's government benefits and beat her in order to get painkillers for themselves. They kept her in a room with a free-ranging iguana and ordered her to feed the reptile fruits and vegetables her daughter was denied, according to court papers. Sometimes their captors' pit bulls got table food while they had to eat from cans, according to an arrest affidavit quoting witnesses. Local news shows captivating images of the traffickers, To view  Click Here

Child Minors Face Death for Tech 
Roger-Claude Liwanga is a human rights lawyer from the Congo and visiting scholar at Boston University. He worked for The Carter Center as a legal consultant, where he developed a training module to train Congolese judges and prosecutors on the protection of children against trafficking for economic exploitation in the mines. He is also the co-founder and executive director of Promote Congo, and is currently directing and producing a short documentary, “Children of the Mines,” which will be launched shortly in Boston. He writes in his personal capacity.

Compiled By: Markesha Fantroy

Remembering the Child Victims of Slavery on St. Patrick's Day

May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go,and guide you in whatever you do– and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always. 

Saint Patrick, or Naomh Padraig in Irish, was born in Scotland, and as a mere teenager when he was kidnapped from Wales by Irish brigands, raiders, and was then sold as a slave. Enslaved as a farm labor for some six years he eventually escaped and returned home, where he studied to be a priest. Saint Patrick returned some years later to the island where he was once held as a slave to be a missionary, bringing Christianity to the mostly Pagan island, sometime in the 5th century. Saint Patrick found himself enslaved, however he was able to not only overcome his struggles and the cruelty bestowed upon him, but to turn his struggle into empowerment for which he sought to help others.

Sadly today we live in a world that remains cruel, as there are some 27 million men, women and children enslaved across the globe today, many in some of the most brutal and inhumane conditions imaginable. Children forced to work as sex slaves, forcibly recruited to fight as child soldiers, made to work in hazardous mines and factories, left to toil in the fields all day, all forced to forgo their childhoods and left scared for life by their traffickers and owners.

 No child should ever be a commodity, no child should ever be denied their right to an education, or left to die alone after years of torture and abuse. Thus true, while we live in a world full of slaves, and so many of those who have found freedom, as St. Patrick did have found themselves empowered and some are able to give back and now dedicate their lives to helping others to freedom....Thus while you take today to celebrate the joys of the Irish, forget not the meaning of freedom and sacrifice and look at the example that St. Patrick set-forth as he dedicated his life to others once he was free, and remember those children who have not found freedom.

Originally published on the Foreign Policy Association's blog; CHILDREN by Cassandra Clifford | on March 17th, 2011

Fact: You Have Slaves Working for You

Did you know that you have slaves working for you? We know you are shaking your head in horror right now saying, "no, way...it's not true I wouldn't ever do such a thing!" But the sad truth is you are -we all are! How is this possible you ask? Well have you been shopping lately? Did you buy a smartphone, computer, T-shirt, cup of coffee, a bar of chocolate? Well then the chances are, slaves made them. Modern Slavery and forced labor are sadly alive and well and it's tainting the supply chain and the consumer products we buy every day. The people who picked the cotton that made your T-shirt; the gold and diamonds in your jewelry; and harvest the coffee or cocoa beans in your mocha latte; may have all been slaves -and all were working for you. Some 27 million people are enslaved worldwide and they are supporting the lifestyle and cheap consumer products we have all grown used too. Slavery Footprint, a website and mobile app has been created to help us all measure the role forced labor plays in supporting our lifestyles. Therefore while we would all like to think that there are no slaves working for us, there are, but the great news is once we become more educated on what our "slavery footprint' is then we can begin to reduce it. While having no slaves at all impacting our 'slavery footprint" is the goal it is a long battle as even the most conscientious of consumers -like BTFF- are not exempt—according to the calculator -we all have slaves forced to work against their will for us, but by taking this first step we can begin to set them free.

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

Global development podcast transcript: ending gender violence
Next month's meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women will bring together nearly 6,000 leaders from civil society to address ways to eliminate violence against women and girls, said Lakshmi Puri, deputy executive director of UN Women. About one-third of the delegates will be from grass-roots organizations, which Puri said means that "what is accepted here globally by member states will be implemented at the regional level, national level and at the local level.

'It was like dying': a raped woman in Congo DRC speaks out Mark Tran interviews female rape survivors at a rehabilitation center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 200,000 women have been sexually assaulted since 1998, according to the United Nations. Tran also interviews a former child soldier who says he was forced to rape women by militia commanders. Marie was 13 when she and her mother fled their village as it was attacked by Rwandan Hutu militia, but they were caught. Marie was taken into the bush where she spent eight months being repeatedly raped. Marie. Now 26, this softly spoken woman lives with other abused women at a rehabilitation center outside Goma, the main city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Heal Africa , where Marie receives support, life and job skills; says the number of women and children raped rose sharply last year because of a surge in rebel militia activity. It registered 2,517 cases in the first half of 2012.

Irish leader apologizes for infamous Magdalen laundries Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny offered an emotional apology Tuesday for government involvement in a harsh system of laundries run by Roman Catholic nuns, where women and girls labored long hours behind locked doors, unpaid and often bewildered about why they were there. The apology came two weeks after a report found that the Irish government had been involved in the infamous Magdalen laundries, helping to send girls and women into the workhouses, paying them through government programs and contracts, and bringing runaways back in the hands of police. The report painted a picture of a punishing regime of work and prayer, imposed on women and girls who felt trapped, often told little or nothing about why they were at the laundries and when they could leave. More than 10,000 women worked in the laundries between 1922 and 1996, it found.

Myanmar lauded for child soldiers' release The release of 24 child soldiers from Myanmar's military should help the country reach its vow to end child rights violations sooner, the United Nations said. The two dozen children were officially discharged Monday at a ceremony in Yangon, attended by senior officials of the armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, and government and U.N. officials, UNICEF said in a release. In June, the United Nations and the Myanmar government signed an action plan establishing a timetable and measurable activities for the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces, as well as the prevention of similar recruitment in the future. Myanmar is one of 14 countries with armed forces or armed groups identified as committing grave child rights violations that is working with the United Nations to end grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict.

Make Sure Your Valentine’s Day is Not Tainted by Slavery

It’s February and love is in the air… Valentine’s day is just around the corner and many millions are looking for that perfect gift to show how they feel for their special someone. It is clear that much of the day’s meaning is lost to heavy commercialization. This year, American’s alone are expected to spend a total of $15.7 billion this Valentine’s Day; two of the most common items purchased are chocolate and flowers, two industries fraught with human rights violations, including modern slavery and child labor.

Chocolate: slavery’s bittersweet treat 
Those sweet heart-shaped chocolate boxes often begin with a children enslaved to pick cocoa pods. UNICEF estimates that some 200,000 children are victims of trafficking each year in West and Central Africa alone, for the purpose of working in the supply chain of products such as cocoa and coffee. Child trafficking continues to plague the cocoa fields of West Africa, which is the source of 70% of the world’s cocoa. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) there are an the estimated 215 million child laborers around the globe, and two-thirds of children aged 5-17 and work in agriculture. These children are placed in hazardous working conditions in order to ensure that we have our sweet treats, it is truly a bitter story.

 

Flowers: The stem of slavery
Valentine’s Day is a flower seller’s dream, but it is a daily nightmare of exploited workers, many of whom are women.  Americans will buy more than 189 million stems of roses this Valentine’s Day, the majority of which will travel all the way from Ecuador and Colombia before they’re sold to doting beaus.  According to the US Labor Education in the Americas (USLEAP), women comprise 65% of those working in the flower field, nearly a third are single mothers, working long hours (12-16) for around $2 or less per day.  These slave-like wages leave young mothers unable to cover their families’ basic monthly expenses, while the flowers they picked that day will sell for between $600 and $800.  Aside from the long workdays and impossible quotas, flower workers are exposed to high levels of toxic pesticides and fungicides, which are sometimes sprayed on workers bodies while they are in the field.  This has left women flower workers with high rates of birth defects, miscarriage, and sterilization.  These mothers often pass on the legacy of exploitation to their children as the cycle of slavery continues generation after generation.

How do you ensure your Valentine’s gifts are free from modern slavery?
Become a conscious consumer and search for items labeled ‘Fair Trade’.  Fair Trade works towards greater transparency in both industries and helps to ensure that workers in the fields receive a fair wadge and human rights protection. So buy Fair Trade, especially products known to be associated with worker exploitation. These include agricultural products like cocoa, coffee, coconuts, cotton, fruit and vegetables, jasmine, palm oil, rubber, sisal, sugar cane, tea, tobacco, and vanilla.

Flowers: Fair Trade Certified roses can be found in-store at Whole Foods Market.  Just look for the green Whole Trade Guarantee sticker in the floral department. If you are ordering flowers online try One World Flowers and schedule the delivery of beautiful Ecuadorian roses. In addition to traditional red and pink roses, you can select themed bouquets like “Helping Haiti” and “Honoring Japan” that support much-needed relief efforts in those countries.  FTD also offers Fair Trade flowers including their Go Green Living collection.  1800Flowers also offers organic roses, as well as a line of Fair Trade mixed bouquets, certified by TransFair USA.  Try local flowers like California Organic‘s.  Organic Bouquet, has flowers certified through the VeriFlora program, which sets standards for worker rights, water conservation, recycling and organic production.  Also search for Florverde Certified flowers, which requires better treatment of workers and more sustainable farming practices.

Chocolate: More and more retailers carry Fair Trade chocolate so just keep your eye out for the Fair Trade label as you shop.  You can also purchase special valentines gifts online including heart-shaped chocolates from Divine Chocolate, the sweet and spicy chocolate sampler from Equal Exchange, the Valentine’s Day Heart Box from Sweet Earth Chocolates and a full tub of chocolate hearts of cherry  or dark chocolate with raspberry bar from Sjaak’s.  Sweet Earth Chocolates Classic Red Velvet Box, ChocoDream Spreads, Kopali Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs, TCHO “My Heart’s Desire” Adigard 12-Bar Sampler, Alter Eco Dark Velvet Chocolate and sweetriot riotous riotBar gift set.  Why not reach outside the box and  try Kopali’s Dark Chocolate Covered Bananas.

Ice Cream: Frozen desserts also make a sweet treat on Valentine’s Day.  Look for Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Macadamia and Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate.

Wines and Spirits: Fair Trade Certified beverages are available at Whole Foods Market and other retailers.  Try these wine favorites: Fairhills’ Bus Stop Red and the Live-a-Little Really Ravishing Red, Heritage Link One World Shiraz.  Shop online at; JugShop.com, 67Wine, Marketview Liqueur or Cask. In addition to wine, why not try a delicious “Gogipolitan” made with the recently certified Fair. Quinoa vodka and Fair. Gogi liqueur?

Tea and Coffee:  Coffee and Tea are also easy to find in retailers.  A few tea favorites are; Tea Forte’s Cherry Cosmo, Numi ’s Ruby Chai, Rishi’s Cinnamon Plum Set, Choice Organics’ Rooibos Superfruit, Rishi Tea Pu-erh Gift Set, Choice Organic Tea Rooibos Chai, Art of Tea Vanilla Berry Truffle or Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Pomegranate Rose.  For that after dinner coffee try; Newman’s Own Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Global Exchange , Equal Exchange, Dean’s Beans , Larry’s Beans, Just Coffee, Higher Ground Roasters, Grounds for Change , Fair Trade Coffee Co.

Myths and Realities of Human Trafficking

The reality of Human Trafficking is that it occurs in nearly every country and its networks are vast and difficult to investigate. According to the United Nations, there are between 27 and 30 million slaves in the world. The U.S. State Department cites that 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across borders every year, but these numbers are often under-reported and victims are usually hidden, meaning that real statistics are hard to substantiate. This also means that there is a vast amount of incorrect information out there, which fuels the myths about human trafficking.

The most common myths are listed below and are further discussed by a contributor to Forbes' The Daily Muse:

1. Myth - Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling Are the Same
2. Myth - Most Traffickers Are What the Movies Show You
3. Myth - Human Trafficking Only Refers to Forced Prostitution
4. Myth - Only Women Are Trafficked
5. Myth - Everyone Trafficked is Kidnapped or Deceived
6. Myth - Trafficking Only Happens in Other Countries, Not in the United States

While the quest to better understand human trafficking seems a formidable task, the more you learn the more you are armed with the facts to better educate yourself and others, while being better equipped to take action against this global problem that reaches to our very own neighborhoods.

Sources: Forbes, The Daily Muse, "Human Trafficking: The Myths and The Realities"

Make your Black Friday Child Labor and Slavery Free

You've filled your plates and stuffed you faces with the barrage of Turkey Day delights and now belly full your mind begins to drift to Christmas Shopping and the Black Friday deals. So sure prepare yourself for a deal, but why not shop in the true holiday spirit and give back as you give to your loved ones this year and shop slave free!

 Global March Against Child Labor estimates that one in every eight children from 5 to 17 years old, some 179 million, work in the worst forms of child labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that some 80 million plus children under 14 years old work in conditions deemed hazardous to their health. 

Slavery taints consumer products such as clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, electronics, sports equipment, rugs, agricultural produce, sugar, tea, coffee, chocolate, and many other products. Often products, like clothing, may even be tainted at multiple points in the supply chain. For example children may have been used to pick the cotton of a shirt, while workers were held in situations of slavery and forced to sew the clothing. Slavery touches each one of us as a consumer, therefore as don’t waste anymore time you can begin to take a stand against child labor and work toward being a more conscious consumer and keeping slavery tainted products out of your home, today in just a few easy steps.

1. Donate to local organizations that help empower people out of poverty & slavery 
2. Educate yourself about the companies that use slavery in the making of their products 
3. Don’t buy commercial sex 
4. Become a more conscious consumer and buy products made by survivors of trafficking or Fair Trade products -such as the items BTFF sales from Better Way Imports. 
5.  Make your own gifts or support local artisans, you can also search online for handmade items; Artfire.com has artists from around the globe selling their crafts and art supplies, Etsy features handmade and vintage items, Ebay has a number of used, one of a kind and vintage items and even has a specifically designated ribon to show items for sale that benifit charities like BTFF and you can even choose us and donate at checkout.
6. Remember to recycle and reuse as much as possible, for not onlu y does it help us reduce waste and maintain fight global warming, you can also help reduce the consumption of slavery tainted goods.
7. Shop your local vintage and charity shops. See How to Go Green: Gift Giving

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

With A Phone Call, Truckers Can Fight Sex Trafficking
Eight years ago, Willis Wolfswinkel, a truck driver, was parked at a travel center near Detroit when he made a phone calll that changed a life. He called 911 after having two young girls knock on his truck door, bothered by something about those girls. It turns out that Wolfswinkel's phone call marked the beginning of a major investigation. If You See Something, Say Something
 You can also listen to the story. Just click the link.

 Cuts Threaten Scotland Yard's Anti-Trafficking Unit
The future of Scotland Yard's pioneering anti-trafficking unit is uncertain less than a year after David Cameron promised to make Britain a "world leader" in the fight against people smuggling. Senior police sources have voiced fears that the Metropolitan police's flagship trafficking unit, the human exploitation and organized crime command (SCD9), may be forced to lose specialist officers due to budget constraints.  Government figures showed the number being trafficked into the UK was rising. But immigration minister Mark Harper warned that the number of those being prosecuted was still "not enough".

Child Labor Concerns Across Hershey's Supply Chain Prove it Pays to be Proactive

In early October, Whole Foods Market said it has haltered orders of Scharffen Berger chocolates - one of The Hershey Company's artisan chocolate brands - over concerns about child labor in Hershey's West African supply chain. Whole Foods says the chocolates will remain off store shelves "pending receiving further information from Hershey's." Whole Foods's decision came in response to a campaign organized by Raise the Bar, Hershey, a coalition made up of leading nonprofits and advocacy groups. Since 2010, Raise the Bar has mobilized more than 150,000 consumers to send emails, talk store managers, and post handbills at stores around the country demanding that Hershey be held accountable for child labor in its supply chain.

The Dark Side of Chocolate

Monday, the FREE Project hosted a screening of the film The Dark Side of Chocolate, sponsored by George Washington University (GWU) Elliott School Institute for Global and International Studies. 

The film reveals the hidden practices of the chocolate industry, including the use of child slaves on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast. Afterward, there was a question and answer session with Sean Rudolph, Campaigns Director of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF). 

The ILRF is campaigning against two organizations, Hershey's and Whole Foods. Why these two companies? Well, Hershey's owns Dagoba chocolate, an organic high-quality brand of chocolate that makes up a very small percentage of the chocolate products sold by Hershey's and is sold in the Whole Foods markets. Unfortunately, Hershey's has been known to be a participant in child labor and the non-fair trade market through their supply chains. Many other food cooperatives have refused to support Dagoba chocolate until Hershey's proves that it is willing to commit to ending child slave labor in West Africa where much of its chocolate comes from. 

Rudolph mentioned that some of the governments of these African countries are trying to find solutions to the child slave labor problem with cocoa companies. Child labor is a significant issue in West Africa, especially in countries such as the Ivory Coast. An estimated 1.8 million children in West Africa are in the cocoa industry. The First Lady of the Ivory Coast is trying to hold cocoa companies accountable by making it so that these companies have her approval before continuing their work. In Ghana, the government, buys all cocoa products and sets prices. Still, part of the problem is the inequality of the supply chains. The governments of these African countries have some control, but they do not necessarily have as much power over multinational companies as one may think they do. The campaign, called Raise the Bar, Hershey!, seeks to gather support in urging the Hershey Company to commit to ethically sourced, Fair Trade cocoa.

Although I love Hershey's candy, I do not approve of their use of child labor. I've joined the Raise the Bar, Hershey! campaign and have committed myself to not purchasing Hershey's products until the Hershey Company commits to ending this problem.

Support the raise the Bar, Hershey! campaign. Also, support the Bridge to Freedom Foundation by registering or donating to our team for the 2012 DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk!!! Go to sms.kintera.org/btff.

Happy National Coffee Day: Have a Fair Trade cup of Joe Today!

In the morning as that alarm clock blares I shoot out of bed like bullet with a sudden, mysteriously founded burst of energy, as I quite literally whack my alarm off and scramble to my morning routine. But that sudden burst of energy goes as quickly as it came and I know the only thing to get my now heavy feet moving against is a strong cup of coffee, which like magic turns me human again. So if your anything like me you cannot live without one of the worlds most traded commodities, but for me each sip comes with a secondary level of comfort in knowing that my 'life's water' is slave and child labor free, as I drink nothing-less than Fair Trade coffee.

Child labor and slavery continues to plague the coffee industry, forcing children to often work to harvest what will soon become your cheap cup of Joe you sip as you trudge through the day. Child labor in the agricultural industry consists of children being bought and sold as slaves or bonded laborers, as migrant or estate workers usually with their family. Many children work for commercial farms and plantations that produce our commodities and are estimated to be 7-12% of the work force. Besides coffee children are often found as labors in the harvest of cocoa, coconuts, cotton, jasmine, palm oil, rubber, sisal, sugar cane, tea, tobacco, vanilla, fruit and vegetables.

According to the ILO, over 132 million children, aged 5-14 years old, work in the agriculture around the world, they are just a segment of the estimated 246 million child laborers around the globe. UNICEF estimates that some 200,000 children are victims of trafficking each year in West and Central Africa alone, for the purpose of working in the supply chain for products such as; cocoa and coffee. Global March Against Child Labor estimates that one in every eight children from 5 to 17 years old, some 179 million, work in the owrst forms of child labor. These children are placed in hazardous working conditions in order to ensure that we have our sweet treats, it is truly a bittersweet story.

Fair Trade is everyone's issue, it is more than looking at the world through a lens of more organic and healthy food, it is more than a fair wage for farmers...Fair Trade is the way to sustainable future for all the worlds children. So join the fight for children across the globe, and join your global citizens for coffee with a cause and drink Fair Trade today!

Take the opportunity to learn about Fair Trade with your children and go on a few of the great sites out there that have games and resources for kids, such as Oxfam's Cool Planet. 

Please also see previous posts on Child Trafficking, Child Labor and don't forget to check out the following resource pages for more information:

• Fair Trade and Slave Free Links
• Fair Trade Book List
• General Book List
• Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Reports and Publications
• Human Trafficking and Slavery Related Movies and Documentaries
• Human Trafficking Conventions and Laws
• Slavery and Trafficking Related Books

Written by Cassandra Clifford
Executive Director and Founder

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

WWII-era "comfort women" seek apology
Filipina women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II, otherwise known as "comfort women," are seeking an apology from the Japanese government and a place in the history books of Japan and the Philippines. "Many lost their minds, many died, and many did not recover from fear," said Lita Vinuya, 81. "Look how well Japan has recovered since the war. Surley, they can afford to spare us a little bit of compensation."

India to punish employment of children under 14
Proposed changes to India's child labor laws would mate out prison terms of up to three years, in addition to substantial fines, to anyone who employs children under 14. About 28 million children under 14 are working, chiefly in agriculture, according to UNICEF. the government has "recognized that the long term benefits of education are far more consequential than the short-term gains of child labor," said A.K. Shiva Kumar, an economist with the National Advisory Council.

 Human Trafficking: a misunderstood global scourge

 Sex trafficking has become an American cause célèbre. But does it divert attention from the broader human trafficking issue of modern-day slavery? During a diplomatic visit to Calcutta, India, in may, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stopped at a shelter for young women and girls. It was not an ordinary shelter, but one with a specific mission - a mission Ms. Clinton wanted reporters to broadcast to Americans back home. It was a shelter established to help human trafficking, an international crime that Clinton and other international players have  called one of the world's largest and most pressing human rights concerns. It was also, primarily, helping girls who'd been trafficked for sex.

People Speak: Victim pushes for stricter human trafficking penalties

"I was constantly at risk of rape or murder," says Leah Albright-Byrd while walking in a public park near Century City in Los Angeles. "I have a friend who was killed as a result of being exploited." When she was in eighth grade, Leah started living on the streets in Sacramento, California. She quickly became a victim of what law enforcement officials now call "human trafficking." "It was a very traumatizing experience," she says. "I ran away from home at the age of 14." Almost immediately, she says, a pimp found her and began selling her for sex on the Internet throughout the state of California.

Rights group  calls on Egypt to combat  human trafficking

In new report, Human Rights Watch calls on President Morsi to combat human trafficking in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, calls Sub-Saharan African migrants main victims. Ina report entitled 'Egypt: End Sinai Nightmare for Migrants,' HRW highlights the plight of African migrants, especially Eritreans who are often detained by human-trafficking networks while on their way to next-door Israel. Human Rights Watch has documented the trafficking of the mostly sub-Saharan migrants and human seekers in Sinai, who are tortured and sexually assaulted to press their relatives for ransom," the report reads.

Four face human trafficking charges

Four men face human trafficking charges after allegedly trying to smuggle an American family Canada. Police say Emmaneal Stanley Omoghan, Felix Omoghan, Seth Lazore and Oren Lazore snuck five people then taken aboard a boat and skipped across the St. Lawrence River. Two adults and three children were said to be on board.

Rampant trafficking of OFWs in Syria uncovered

The government's repatriation program for overseas workers in strife-torn Syria has uncovered rampant cases of human trafficking. The Inter-Agency Council Against (Iacat) said about 80 percent of the 1,800 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) brought home from the MIddle East country as the civil war there heightened were victims of human trafficking. Most of them were from the provinces of Maguinadanao, Basilian and Sulu in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Ruby Ramores, Iacat executive officer, said.

Former MS-13 Leader Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking a Teenage Girl

A former clique leader of MS-13 in Maryland pled guilty today for his role in a gang-run juvenile prostitution ring. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Washington Field Office; and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.