Speaking of Candy. I wrote Hershey's about the coco bean farms they use. In the past years there has been much talk of slave and child labor in this area. It still is very real and is a very sad thing .... They wrote me back a good letter on what they are doing and it sounds as though they have implemented some "real" plans to bring about change and monitoring in these areas. Which makes me happy .... I can eat their chocolate again I guess... not that I stopped yet but as soon as I learned this info I had to do some research to know ...
But there is so much "bad" chocolate out there... today I was eating an ice cream with a YL girl and of course the ice cream was covered in chocolate. Now every time I eat chocolate I think " does this coco have a child's blood in it?" Sorry I know its horrible imagery but thats what I was givin to picture from the things I read and a direct quote from a child slave that said" when you eat chocolate think of me b/c my blood is in it." something to that degree....
which brings me to the point where I think " I should only eat chocolate when I know its "good", fair trade or organic ( they say organic chocolate is mostly from Central America and the slave labor problems are mostly in Africa so your chances are "good that, that coco is "good" )
I was made aware of child labor issues and slave labor a few years ago in college and have never thought the same again about things... the problem is its SO HARD to figure out what and where things come from and how to know what is good and what isn't..... which I have had to come to grips with and be "ok" with trying to make the best choices based upon what I know....
But when something like this comes up! Where I can write companies to know.. b/c FACT OF THE DAY: over 60% of the World coco beans come from Africa's West coast . for more info: http://www.chocolatework.com/choc...
There are over 27 million slaves in the world today. Of them over 9 million are children. At least 179 million children are exploited by hazardous work; 246 million children aged 5-17 are child laborers. Between 2000 and 2004 the number of slaves worldwide decreased worldwide by 11% while during the same period the number of people used as slaves in Africa increased by 49%.
I had the same problem when I saw "Blood Diamonds".... I went home and did research , looked up things about the "kimberly process" which is suppose to certify " conflict-free diamonds".... but doesn't really do that good a job... I end up writing companies, and sending emails to friends.... And I swore that I would not have a diamond wedding ring Unless it was a "conflict-free" one.... not that I need to think about that now.....
But I was thinking today... about the coco and the diamonds and what they represent more so as a whole.... both are luxuries... neither is a necessity for life or living.... one is pure status and the other is self indulgence...... do I even need to par-take in these ares at all... I mean if
I do eat coco and get a diamond wedding ring- and EVEN if I make sure ALL these things are " fair and conflict free"... no one knows by just looking at me.. they just see me eating chocolate and wearing a diamond.... I'm just adding to the social and cultural norms, and reinforcing that " everyone" has it or eats it......... in this moment I envy people who don't like Chocolate or who live in cultures where "wedding rings" don't add to civil wars.
And lets not even get started on gold! ONE gold ring = ONE TON of waste thats harmful to the environment!!!
I will say that Tiffany & Co has really good standing in the gold and diamond arena ...
I feel like the more I learn the more I am faced with moral and ethical questions about my habits or choices... does that mean I should stop looking? that I should chalk it up to a crappy world and just "enjoy" what I can and not feel bad about it? ... does that mean I should just live on a farm out in middle of nowhere and live completely locally till I die........
I have no idea, but I do know that I can't pretend I don't know about these things! And I wont stopped learning.... which means I wont stop being faced with moral and ethical choices..... but I do know that I SHOULD CARE... b/c I believe GOD CARES ....
All I have to do is look at the book of Isaiah in the bible and I know God cares and he wants me to care too.
Isaiah 58 " True Fasting" (just a few vs but you should really read the whole chapter)
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
.....
6. " Is no this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7. Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Do I really want to have more "labels" placed upon me? I am already so " strange" to people for certain issues I've made choices that " change my living standards".... and almost impossible feat stands before me... b/c if I chose to know more endless information that is always changing ends up coming at me non-stop and I will have to think about everything..... its overwhelming... but if I chose to only know the things that are thrown at me or that are easy to find ... then "others" will say I'm not really serious ( though I doubt they will be doing more- mostly less but feel guilty and want me to feel that too).... is it pointless to try? If I don't try can I face myself?
" I have come that they may have life and have it to the full..." Jesus said that... I talked about that earlier.... More.... I said I wanted it.... then MORE it must be...
p.s. if you know anything about target or old navy... give me a month before you crush my favorite stores... but do tell me... crap the fact that i wrote this will me IT WILL BE ON MY MIND.. now i have to go dig.... boo for consciences! I'm glad that my theology convicts me... it just wish it wasn't SO convicting! haha
and seem eager for God to come near them.
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