joeybriglio

Archive for the ‘Social Justice’ Category

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The few who make “Holiday Status”

In Community, Educational, People, Social Justice, Spirituality on January 17, 2011 at 04:39

You the Man

 

Few make history. Fewer make it into our history books.  And fewer still get an entire day dedicated to his/her life. Apparently, it takes a lot for an individual to make “Holiday Status.”

In America we have 10 federal holidays, and of those 10, four are dedicated to an individual -  Washington’s Birthday, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, and Christmas. That’s a very short list. Especially considering  all of the influential people that have come and gone over the centuries. Not just anyone gets his/her own holiday. In the U.S. you either have to be the Son of God, the explorer who found the Americas, the first president, or the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a diverse list of men, but the common theme seems to be that they did something necessary and great for America: Columbus’ explorations helped find America; God’s words helped pen the constitution;  Washington abolished tyranny and lead the colonies into freedom; And Martin Luther King Jr had to remind our country what God and our Constitution said at a most critical hour.

Tomorrow, we get to honor Martin Luther King Jr. He’s a legend in my eyes. Ever since I first read about him in elementary school, I have always looked up to and admired him. His life’s work and wisdom continue to inspire, and his name consistently comes up in the top three of my “Heroes List,” “Historical Figures I’d like to have over for Dinner List,” and “Who Would Have the Scariest Internship List.” I often think, “if  I only  had a quarter of the integrity, passion, and faith that Martin Luther King Jr had… I’d live to be a great man.” I look forward to meeting him. Until then, his words remain…

“Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.” MLK 1963

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What’s the Solution to the Pollution?

In Environment, Social Justice on July 10, 2010 at 04:42

I can’t hear anymore news about the BP oil catastrophe. It’s like listening to a broken record that continues to grow louder and louder with each passing minute. Until finally, it shoots off the record player and decapitates a Bald Eagle. I actually think that’s a pretty accurate analogy. However, even if you think that doesn’t make sense … trust me, it makes more sense then the response, or lack thereof, to this oil spill.

The lack of response isn’t something that needs to be discussed. It’s obvious that something needs to be done, and it’s also obvious  that no one knows what that “something” actually is. There have been ideas to lower a dome and capture the oil, drill more oil wells in order to relieve the flow, and even seek the advice  and counsel of Kevin Costner. I don’t know about you, but I’m not feeling very confident in these approaches. We need to keep seeking.

So what is the solution? I have no idea. Maybe it is talking to celebrities or  using human hair. The problem is big enough that it warrants ideas both far and wide. My hope is that “the” solution presents itself sooner rather than later because the gloomy newscasts and the online parodies are getting old… although this one parody did make me laugh (I actually think prayer is part of the solution).

One thing is certain in all this – Man is good at making messes. My fear is that this one is too big for us to clean-up.

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Everything you NEED to know about GM Food

In Educational, People, Personal Health, Social Justice on April 18, 2010 at 19:09

There is no question that America’s food system needs to be revolutionized. I’ve never been more convinced of this, and after listening to Jeffrey Smith’s keynote speech below, I’m positive you’ll feel the same. The amount of irresponsibility behind the regulation of America’s food industry shows such a lack of wisdom, compassion, and stewardship. If you care about your health, your child’s, and even your pet’s, then the video below is well worth the time.

Jeffrey Smith, head of the Institute for Responsible Technology, is one the leading voices behind the anti-genetically modified food movement. See his keynote speech via Vimeo or YouTube.

http://vimeo.com/6575475 – Full uninterrupted video clip

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World Water Day 2010

In Educational, Social Justice on March 22, 2010 at 17:06

I’m interrupting my current series,”People Worth Knowing,” to say Happy World Water Day. What is World Water Day? I’m glad you asked:

“The UN and its member nations devote this day to implementing UN recommendations and promoting concrete activities within their countries regarding the world’s water resources. Each year, one of various UN agencies involved in water issues takes the lead in promoting and coordinating international activities for World Water Day. Since its inception in 2003, UN-Water has been responsible for selecting the theme, messages and lead UN agency for the World Day for Water.” (Wikipedia)

Sound a little too vague and bureaucratic? Maybe. It doesn’t really activate the  citizens of the world to do anything. That’s why I like what Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff Project is doing for World Water Day. She just released a new video about the bottled water industry that is absolutely fantastic. It’s only 8 minutes and you can check it out below:

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Forget Oil, What About Water?

In Environment, Social Justice on February 10, 2010 at 16:58

I’ve recently been reading a lot about global water consumption and conservation. I wasn’t shocked when I found out that Americans consume more water per capita than any other country in the world. After all, consuming is kind of our “thing,” right? (Check out the graph below)

Most of the data I found concluded with the average American consuming between 100 – 150 gallons of water per day. That number only takes into account the water used from faucet and/or pipes, not products (i.e. Can of soda or bottled water). If that number sounds high, it’s not. The average shower lasts around 10 minutes and if you’re not using a low-flow device, then you’re typically using about 5 gallons per minute. That’s an easy 50 gallons right there. In addition to that factoid, I also found that many experts believe that with continued population growth and environmental degradation a sustainable amount of water for each person on Earth is 2.5 gallons per day.

Seriously? 2.5 gallons? How does someone go from 100 gallons to 2.5 gallons? What does that mean and what does that even look like? Lets find out with a little experiment, shall we?

One day this week, I will attempt to live on 2.5 gallons of water. I use the word “attempt” because there’s only so much I can do. For example, most business and public restroom toilets flush around 2.5 gallons of water with each flush. Plus, unless I’m camping, I don’t know that I can get away without showering more than one day.

Tune in next week to see how it goes.

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The World is Changing. What about you?

In Educational, Environment, Social Justice on January 12, 2010 at 15:20

The world is changing, which I know, is not news. What is news, however, is the speed at which it’s changing.  Technologies are advancing, third world countries are industrializing, and cultures are shifting at unprecedented rates. Most of us are not even aware at how fast this change is occurring. It’s hard to see it in our day to day routine, but it’s there. Every time we use Google or log onto Facebook, the speed of change is staring right back at us. Don’t understand what I mean? Then take a couple minutes and watch the following video:

That video should make you think. Are you helping accelerate this change or are you still trying to figure what Facebook and Twitter are all about? Are you excited about the future or are you worried? If you’re like me, then your feelings are mixed. I love technology (just like Napoleon Dynamite’s brother Kip) and am optimistic about the future, but I am concerned that we’re losing something extremely valuable with every technological advancement. I think that valuable gem is called “community.” I don’t mean online community where I have the ability to post the “highlights” of my life and my “hottest” pictures. I mean physical community, where you get to see the good, bad and the ugly. When I’m sick, have snot coming down my face, and can only moan in pain, my wife gets to see that and live that, but my online community gets “I’m not feeling well.” See the difference?

Although I love twitter, facebook, linkedin, myspace, and every other online community out there, I am painfully aware of the loss in personal face-to-face relationship. Social media is great and connects us with billions of people from all around the world, but if we can’t do relationship with the person standing in the same room as us, then what’s the point?

The world is changing, but how much will it change you and how much will you change it? What does all this change mean for you?

More change:

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The Story of Human Rights

In Educational, Politics, Social Justice on November 12, 2009 at 05:40

This video is too amazing not to share:

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In Educational, Politics, Social Justice on November 11, 2009 at 04:11

Pillar7-Society-Universal-Declaration-of-Human-RightsThe United States is one of the greatest countries to live in. I really believe that. I know it’s not perfect, but it offers people an amazing amount of rights and securities that are not otherwise afforded in many places throughout the world (My recent article  “Fair Trader” goes into more detail regarding these rights).  We have the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as a moral compass for Human Rights development in our country, and even if you don’t agree with the development that occurs (or lack thereof), you can speak out in protest or even build a case in a court of law. That’s not bad… but there is better.

I recently ran across the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was stunned. The amount of detail it provides in comparison to any piece of legislation we have on the issue is amazing. Check it out: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I know it’s a bit long, but just try reading a couple articles and see how it compares to your own thinking. Do you agree with their statements? Do you automatically default into “what it would cost” with regard to money? Do any statements make you uncomfortable? If so, why? What do you think the world would look like if these were actual rights for all people?

It’s a great document. Now, if only the UN had the authority to uphold it.

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Where’s the Justice

In Educational, Environment, Politics, Social Justice, Spirituality on November 4, 2009 at 22:10

I enjoyed the creativity, boldness, and honesty in this video from Amnesty International. The imagery of the injustices portrayed is lasting and powerful. They even hit on the spiritual root behind these human atrocities. Let me know what you think.

 

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Fair Trader

In Educational, Environment, Social Justice on October 22, 2009 at 05:37

liv__1235637116_Fairtrade_Goods

We, the laborers of the United States of America, are considerably blessed to work in a country that actually enforces fair labor standards and practices. We have laws that protect us from exploitation, mismanagement, negligence and unfair treatment. We often take these laws for granted since they are more or less engrained into our expectations as a culture. These are things like minimum wage, the 40-hour workweek, overtime, age requirements, healthy work conditions, and breaks. However, a large part of the world has little, or no, such standards or requirements.These are countries like Vietnam, Mexico, China, India, Bangladesh, Guatemala, Columbia, and Uganda to name a few – where many of the products we love are made and produced.

It’s wild to look at the products we buy and see where they were actually assembled. I’ve been trying to be more conscience about what I buy. As of late, I’ve been trying to purchase more American made products for a number of reasons – 1) it strengthens local/domestic markets 2) for the most part working conditions are better here and 3) it potentially reduces environmental impacts (i.e. Less shipping = less carbon dioxide and we have more stringent environmental laws = less unchecked pollution). I was recently amazed to find that Levi jeans, what I thought was the quintessential American denim, are no longer made in the USA. The majority of their pants are now made in China, which then begs the question “Who is making them and how are they being made?”

The idea I’m trying to stir up here is that if you don’t know where a product is made or even how it’s made, do some research. StartFair_Trade with one product like coffee. See where it is made, who produced it, and how it was produced. If you’re like me, then you don’t want to buy items that are made unethically. This is extremely difficult to determine and do since a large quantity of products are made over seas. It takes some serious fortitude and exploration to find the truth behind products.  However, it’s vital for becoming a wise consumer and loving world neighbor. This may sound intense for some, but when we purchase items that are unethically made, we are supporting that method of production. In other words, when we agree with the end (buying a product), we are also agreeing with the means (the way it was produced).

There are organizations out there that are trying to make it easy on you as a consumer. The simplest thing to do is purchase products that are Fair Trade Certified (see logo to the right). These are products that are made with social equity, environmental responsibility, and economic vitality in mind. Check out some of the Fair Trade principles from Transfair USA below:

Fair Trade is much more than a fair price!  Fair Trade principles include:

  • Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
  • Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
  • Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
  • Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
  • Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
  • Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

I challenge you to join me in doing some research on what we buy so we can truly stand behind the products we purchase and the people who make them. I don’t want to buy anything that supports a market for child labor, poor working conditions, and the like.  If you do join me in this challenge please share your findings. I would love to know what you find!

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