Gift of Hope

This is one of Jolica's current Foundation projects (5% of all retail sales go to 1 of our 2 current projects):

www.youtube.com/user/JolicaCompany

Joining on Somaly Mam's Brothel Bust

I admire both Nicholas Kristof in his reporting of serious woman's issues and Somaly Mam in her fight against human trafficking in Cambodia (www.somaly.org) and it's wonderful when the 2 combine forces!  Head over to the following links to find out more:

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/joining-on-somaly-mams-brothel-bust

www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/opinion/sunday/kristof-fighting-back-one-brothel-raid-at-a-time.html?_r=1

Won't You Be My Love ~ MercyMe

When you fall asleep tonight

In your warm and cozy room

Know that I'm awake

And I've got no shelter and no food

I am not alone

My friends are broke and lost

Looking for someone to lead them to my cross

I need your help, I need your help

Won't you be My voice calling

Won't you be My hands healing

Won't you be My feet walking into a broken world

Won't you be My chain-breaker

Won't you be My peacemaker

Won't you be My hope and joy

Won't you be My Love

The other side of the world

She is just a few days old

A helpless little girl

With no family of her own

She is not to blame for the journey she is on

Her life is no mistake

Won't you lead her to My cross?

Won't you be My voice calling

Won't you be My hands healing

Won't you be My feet walking into a broken world

Won't you be My chain-breaker

Won't you be My peacemaker

Won't you be My hope and joy

Won't you be My Love

To those I call My own

To those I've set aside

As spotless without blame

The chosen ones My bride

We will be Your voice calling

We will be Your hands healing

We will be Your feet walking into a broken world

We will be Your chain-breaker

We will be Your peacemaker

We will be Your hope and joy

We will be Your love

Your Hands ~ JJ Heller

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands

CNN: 'Death in the Desert'

The following link features the full documentary 'Death in the Desert' and sheds a new light on trafficking - organ trafficking.  They are longer videos, so you'd need a chunk of time; and they are graphic videos, so proceed with caution.

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/08/death-in-the-desert

CNN: Busting a Nigerian Prostitution Ring

 

 thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/11/inside-a-nigerian-prostitution-bust

Lee Anne

invisiblepeople.tv

I love her 3 wishes and I hope that she's able to see them through!

Girls Just Want to Go to School

Sometimes I wonder if we have our priorities totally wrong in the west - actually, I know we do.  When my students complain about homework or having their iPod and cell phone taken away, I wonder what it would take to make them appreciate what they so freely have and that so many others around the world only dream of, longing for the opportunity of an education.  Or, as Nicholas Kristof's article below describes, taking the opportunity, even if it means getting up 3 a.m.

www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/opinion/kristof-girls-just-want-to-go-to-school.html?_r=1

CNN: Ending Organ Trafficking

 

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/03/refugees-face-organ-theft-in-the-sinai

CNN: Dozens Freed From Forced Prostitution

 

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/05/police-raid-frees-30-from-alleged-forced-prostitution

How Many Slaves are Working for You?

My cousin sent me this link:

www.fastcompany.com/1781900/the-slavery-footprint-this-site-will-reveal-how-many-slaves-work-for-you

which talks about 2 other sites that you should check out:

Call + Response at www.callandresponse.com and
 
Slavery Footprint at www.slaveryfootprint.org


I have already featured some of the videos from Call + Response on my blog.  I went to Slavery Footprint to find out I have about 60 slaves working for me - check it out, it's an interesting set of questions that they ask to determine the number of slaves working for our food, clothing, etc.

Erin

invisiblepeople.tv

Not My Life

notmylife.org

CNN: We Can Change the World

This is a preview to tomorrow's blog about the film "Not My Life."  There are 3 videos to check out at:

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/16/director-we-can-change-the-world

Richard

invisiblepeople.tv

Learning to Breathe ~ Switchfoot

Hello, good morning, how ya do?

What makes your rising sun so new?

I could use a fresh beginning too

All of my regrets are nothing new

So this is the way

that I say that I need You

This is the way

This is the way

That I'm learning to breathe

I'm learning to crawl

I'm finding that You and

You alone can break my fall

I'm living again, awake and alive

I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies

Hello, good morning, how ya been?

Yesterday left my head kicked in

I never thought I could fall like that

Never knew that I could hurt this bad

I'm learning to breathe

I'm learning to crawl

I'm finding that You and

You alone can break my fall

I'm living again, awake and alive

I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies

So this is the way

that I say that I need You

This is the way

That I say I love You

This is the way

That I say I'm Yours

This is the way

This is the way

Angels in the Dust ~ Do Ubuntu

Thanks to my friend Teresa, I found out about the Do Ubuntu bracelet campaign and the documentary Angels in the Dust.  You can find out more at www.angelsinthedust.org and if you are interested in getting involved, I have some of the bracelets so just let me know ASAP.  I have sold about 20 so far but they sent me 100 and I'd really like to send them money instead of having to return the bracelets.  They come in 3 different sizes and 2 different thicknesses:  extra-small, only in thin; small/medium in either thin or thick; large in either thin or thick.  They are $15 each and would make a great stocking stuffer!  I also have a copy of the documentary, so if you'd like to see it, again just let me know.

Call + Response

www.callandresponse.com

Horror

www.callandresponse.com

CNN: Underage Prostitutes Rescued in Peru

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/05/underage-prostitutes-rescued-in-peru

Also check out the following Winnipeg Free Press article:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/brothels-no-safe-haven-expert-132980858.html

Darryl

invisiblepeople.tv/blog

In This Rape Center, the Patient Was 3

WARNING:  This is a hard article to read.  Proceed with caution.  For those of you brave enough to continue, know that you can no longer claim ignorance.

www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/opinion/sunday/kristof-In-This-Rape-Center-the-Patient-Was-3.html?_r=1

Thank you Nicholas Kristof for not being afraid to share the truth and making us aware of the stark realities in our world.

Brotha BlueStocking

invisiblepeople.tv/blog

When I first heard about the Invisible People blog (when they came through Winnipeg earlier this year), it stirred my interest because Mark was in Canada, so I thought I would see what the blog had to offer.  Today's video is not from Canada, but I can't seem to stop watching the clips (and also sharing them).  When homelessness - or any injustice issue for that matter - has a name and a voice, it becomes real and hopefully it's something we then can't forget about.

Healing Begins ~ Tenth Avenue North

So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do
So we think that you're good
And you can't believe it's not enough
All the walls you built up
Are just glass on the outside

So let 'em fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark

Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide
Can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find
That the shame won't disappear

Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don't fight
This coming light
Let this blood come cover us
His blood can cover us

No Running Water

Canada is a great county to live in - one of the best in the world!  That being said, we are not without our problems.  Life is not perfect in our country and, though it's difficult, it's important to look at the tough issues that plague our citizens and work to make life better for all Canadians.  The Winnipeg Free Press has been reporting on the issue of running water - basic plumbing that most of us don't think about twice.  Check out this video:

bcove.me/0niyi57r

CNN: Follow Up to Dan Rivers' 3-Part Series

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/07/u-s-human-trafficking-czar-on-how-consumers-can-combat-slavery

CNN: Following Slavery Across the Globe

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/tracking-factory-slaves-across-asia

CNN: Modern Slaves Build High-Tech Components

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/tracking-factory-slaves-across-asia

CNN: Tracking Factory 'Slaves' Across Asia

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/tracking-factory-slaves-across-asia

Happy November!

Well I hope that you enjoyed my pictures throughout the month of October.  It was a good project to work on, but it's nice to be done and to be able to focus back on injustice.  I've got a lot of great information to share over the next few weeks (I've been saving it as it has crossed my desk).

It's interesting to look back at my pictures at the beginning of the month and note how warm it still was compared to the weather now (though it's still favorable, it feels like winter can't be too far off).  Another difference, on a much larger scale, is the fact that October officially welcomed our 7th billionth person to the planet.  Certainly that brings many questions to mind, starting with whether or not the earth can sustain that amount of life and, if so, for how long.

 

jafrianews.com/2011/09/13/world-population-to-reach-7-billion-next-month