NFS Thank You!

To all who have supported me and bought a bow tie with proceeds going to Not For Sale, 

THANK YOU!

This is for you :)

Keep up the fight.

You can Donate to Not For Sale Here.

Boom.

Remember this post? And this one?

Or this smart little number?

Well, I made a commitment to donate 60% of the sale price of this bow tie to Not for Sale Campaign. (That percentage allows me to continue making these ties once the ones online have been sold)

Guess what? I've sold THREE of these Glasses Help You See ties. Huzzah!

So, being true to my word, I have gone and made a donation.

Let's run the numbers.

Each bow tie is priced at $30.

60% of $30 is $18.

$18 x 3 = $54








First, I went to the Not for Sale Campaign home page (found here), and the first little tab link at the top says "Donate". I clicked on that and selected the option to make a one time donation. That brought me to this page:








After I filled in all the information (billing address, money, DOB... just kidding about the DOB), I hit "donate" and voila! donated. Brilliant.

Seconds after, I received this nice little email:

So the donation has been submitted.

To all who purchased this bow tie-- THANK YOU. I hope that you enjoy your tie and that you can spread awareness about human trafficking every time you wear it.

As Not For Sale said, "Your partnership empowers us to fight modern-day slavery in the United States and across the globe."

Keep shining that light.

bespectacled

A little while ago, I shared an issue that weighs on my heart.

I mentioned that I had a couple ideas of how to contribute to eradicating slavery.

Well, one of those ideas came to fruition! As you may know, I have an Etsy shop. Right now, I sell earrings and bow ties on there.

So I thought, why not use the things I enjoy doing as a part of this process? So, I scoured the web, looking for a perfect fabric. I found one that I think to be not only an attractive print, but also meaningful.

Allow me to introduce my first trafficking fundraising bow tie. Glasses Help You See.

Glasses to open your eyes.

The print, as you can see, is composed of various spectacle (glasses) frames. I chose this print because one of the biggest issues surrounding human trafficking is awareness-- most people don't know that it exists or how widespread it is.

This issue is one that is hard to confront and contribute to, and it's so big! But I wanted to do something. I want to help people open their eyes to see this issue. To look around their own lives and neighborhoods and places they frequent and to become aware. So, I hope that in some small way, I'll help a few people put on their own glasses to see human trafficking. Because if you don't or can't see it, how can you help fight it?

This fabric was bought from Spoonflower, a place where you can design your own fabrics and buy from other people who have unique designs. The fabric is 100% natural, the ink eco-friendly and water based. I tried to find information about the working and wage conditions of the workers actually producing the source fabric, however, that information was not available and indeed, the fabric industry has very few standards and measurements concerning fair trade. I was told repeatedly that although there is some slight movement to creating standards and checks, nothing is widely recognized and adhered to right now. Knowing that, I chose Spoonflower for being local and for its support of individual, independent designers.

I have designated 60% of the sale price to go to the Not For Sale Campaign, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting slavery. They don't know I'm doing this, there's no agreement, I'm just going to write a check.

And guess what?! I've sold two already! Whether because of the cause or because of the print, I've made two sales, so the count thus far is $36.00 to go to Not For Sale.

I hope that those who have bought these ties will use it as a conversation starter, or even just as a reminder when they wear it, that they can open their eyes to see human trafficking.

I hope to add to this and I have a few more ideas, so stay tuned!

UPDATE: I have sold 3 of these ties! You can read all about it here. (10/18/12)

Traffic

I've written about lots of things, mostly concerning myself. I wrote for a couple weeks straight on my travels to China and India, places that are beautiful and wonderful. I've written about crafts and foods. New things I'm trying. Things I would like to try in the future.

But I'd like to take a minute to write about something old. Ancient. Dark. Insidious.

Slavery. 

It is an institution more ancient than China and more detestable than centipedes in your apartment (take my word for it). 

And it still exists today (a modern definition of slavery).

Source

It may not be as obvious as a bent over man or woman in a field, picking cotton, with stripes on their backs and their families scattered against their will--no, it has gone underground. Away from the light and sight of those who would act if they knew. Out of sight, out of mind. 

The issue of human trafficking is one that I began learning about in college and towards the end of my college career, spent one night a week for a whole semester learning, discussing and seeing images of human trafficking (slavery). Women, seated in a room on riser levels behind a glass window--like pets in a pet store. For sale.

We would discuss it's entrenchment in society, and in some places, its integration into the very culture.



Maybe numbers will help paint a picture. (source)

There are an estimated 20-30 million slaves today, worldwide. (that ranges from the combined populations of Shanghai and New York City to the combined populations of Shanghai, NYC, London and Taipei)

Trafficking is the 3rd most profitable crime industry (behind drugs and weapons), grossing around $32 billion annually (some variance in it's placing, but it's solidly in the top 3).

To bring it a little closer to home-- an estimated 14.5 to 17.5 thousand victims are trafficked across US borders every year. That number does not include domestic trafficking where no international borders are crossed.

Of the numbers of global child sex tourists (individuals who travel to locales specifically for child sex), an estimated 25% of them are American. This percentage increases in certain countries. In Cambodia, 38% of child sex tourists are American. In Costa Rica, 80%. (source)



The numbers are big and hard to comprehend. I've read articles upon articles. The facts and stories would fill so many books. Over all the nuances, depravity and forms that it can take, the fact remains that slavery exists.

Did you know about it? This breach of human rights is unacceptable. I've wanted to do something about it for a while, but I'm not entirely sure what. I have a couple of ideas, so if and when they materialize, I'll let you know.

I just wanted to share this bit of my heart with you.

What you do with it is up to you :)