Travel Brave

ijm.ca/travelbrave

Jesus Christ in the Nuba Mountains

Nicholas Kristof shares about one man's tireless efforts to help the people who live in the Nuba Mountains of south Sudan in his Sunday The New York Times article:

www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-hes-jesus-christ.html

Federal Tax Removed on Feminine Hygiene Products

Jen Zoratti of The Winnipeg Free Press writes about Ottawa removing the federal tax on feminine hygiene products starting July 1:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/Hurrah-Menstrual-hygiene-products-no-longer-taxed-in-Canada-305388601.html

Save the Rohingya

Save the Rohingya from Partners Relief & Development on Vimeo.

www.partnersworld.org

World Fair Trade Day 2015

Today is World Fair Trade Day - an opportunity to discover what Fair Trade is all about, see how you can get involved and make a difference in the lives of artisans and farmers around the world.  "Why?" you may ask and the answer is simple:  "Because we're all connected."  Consumer choices, especially in the west, affect so many people around the world - many who are living well below the poverty line, unable to provide the basic necessities of life for their families.  I have many links to various Fair Trade websites on the right side of my blog, so take some time to check them out today.  Small changes can make a big difference so choose to purchase Fair Trade today, whether that be chocolate, coffee, tea, bananas, wine or flowers (and the list goes on!).

Back to School After Ebola

A schoolgirl shares her experience of going back to school after experiencing Ebola in her family in this The Guardian article:

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/26/ebola-kerema-sierra-leone-back-to-school

Are You Smarter Than an 8th Grader?

LOVE Nicholas Kristof's column about numeracy:

www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-are-you-smarter-than-an-8th-grader.html

World Malaria Day

Malaria kills a child every 60 seconds and it's entirely preventable.  Bed nets are a simple solution and Plan Canada gives you the opportunity to buy 1 net for $10, 5 nets for $40 or 12 nets for $100.  Plus, your donation is matched 7 times.  Make a difference in someone's life today:

https://plancanada.ca/GiftsofHope/products/108-Gifts-for-World-Malaria-Day/?utm_source=GOHeBlast&utm_medium=email&utm_term=goh-worldmalariaday-btn&utm_campaign=GOHeBlastFY15-WMD_Prosp

Soft Hands Kind Hearts

BIG NEWS!!  My all-time favorite hand cream has returned to The Body Shop and beyond the fact that it's the best hand cream EVER (I'm serious!), a portion of every purchase will be donated to The Body Shop Foundation, supporting charities around the world.

www.thebodyshop.ca/en/bath-body-care/bath-body-new/soft-hands-kind-heart-hand-cream.aspx

Helping Women and Girls. Period. Part 2.

A follow-up to the article I posted in January:

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/helping-women-and-girls-period-part-two/?module=BlogPost-ReadMore&version=Blog%20Main&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body#more-13155

The Hidden Reason for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now

https://www.ijm.ca/TED

800,000 Children

UNICEF is reporting that 800,000 children have been forced from their homes by Boko Haram and have suffered abuse and emotional distress:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/unicef-800000-children-forced-from-homes-by-boko-haram-suffer-abuse-and-emotional-distress-299533961.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news

Provocative Labels

My friend Teresa forwarded the following article to me and that led me to The Canadian Fair Trade Network.  Both sites have A LOT of great information, so check them out:

www.takepart.com/article/2015/03/31/clothing-labels-make-it-impossible-ignore-sweatshop-abuses?cmpid=tp-ptnr-upworthy

cftn.ca

Part of Compassion's Volunteer Advocate Network

Obviously, I'm a big supporter of Compassion given that I've been able to sponsor 3 kids and visit 1 of them last summer before she aged out of Compassion.  In many ways, I've advocated for Compassion unofficially over the years, presenting people with the opportunity to also sponsor children of their own.  For my 30th birthday, I asked Compassion to send me 30 child packs - instead of getting gifts, I asked people to sponsor a child.  I didn't get all 30 kids sponsored, but I know I made a difference for 5 kids around the world simply by asking others to get involved, just like I am.

Now I've completed the necessary paperwork and am an official Compassion Advocate!  I'm excited to be able to help out at Compassion events, including church services and concerts.  I will also be writing letters to children whose sponsors are not able to write them for one reason or another.  The importance of letters was really evident to me when I was in Ecuador on a Compassion Exposure trip.  Sponsorship money is important but what really drives it home for these children is the connection established through the letters.  Someone on the other side of the planet has decided to care enough for them by taking the time to write a letter, asking about them, showing God's love tangibly to them.

Why not sponsor a child through Compassion today?  Maybe you've thought about it for a while now, but you've never taken the steps to make it happen.  Today's the day!!  I've included the link directly to Compassion Canada where you can pick a specific child (by country, gender and/or age) or have Compassion select a child for you.  Either way, I can tell you that it's a decision you will not regret.  And if you need any more convincing, watch this video (warning - you might want to have a few tissues near by!!):

The Wait is Over: Halena's Story (Indonesia) from Compassion Australia on Vimeo.

https://compassion.ca/advocate/ladawnsiemens

The Impact of TOMS Shoes

My friend Jane forwarded me this article about TOMS shoes:

www.acrosstwoworlds.net/?p=292

CNN: The Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com

Whose Lives are Valued?

Warning: The following article contains graphic details of a homicide case but hopefully in reading them, it will anger you enough to raise your voice for Cindy Gladue.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/297533141.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-3

CNN: The Freedom Project So Far

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com

Who Will You Help?

Ontario.ca/WhoWillYouHelp

Out of Kony's Shadow

Lisa Shannon and Francisca Thelin highlight the need for the international community to continue to be vigilant regarding Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army:

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/out-of-konys-shadow

Fighting Back Against Sex Trafficking

Survivors and experts are coming together today in Winnipeg to talk about sex trafficking, seeking solutions to this horrible crime.  For more information, go to:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/fighting-back-against-sex-trafficking-296023851.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-1

Freedom Fighters

Jen Zoratti shares about an International Women's Day event happening tonight in Winnipeg (Westminster United Church at 7 p.m.), featuring speakers and musicians that will together raise their voices for women around the world.  More information at:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/freedom-fighters-295462491.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-4

Women: The Hidden Homeless

As Jess Klassen and Lisa Spring share in their Winnipeg Free Press article, homelessness affects women differently than it affects men:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/Women-The-hidden-homeless-295363481.html

Why is it so hard to see black and blue?

An amazing ad campaign from South Africa's Salvation Army that turned a "color changing" dress into an important discussion about domestic violence:

winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.2267820

 

If you or someone you know needs to connect with the Salvation Army in Canada, go to:

www.salvationarmy.ca

Blaming Women

A timely reminder of the work that still needs to be done on behalf of women was we look to International Women's Day this Sunday:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/killers-comments-blaming-women-for-being-raped-reflect-views-held-by-many-in-india-294970311.html

Fair Trade Winnipeg 2015

It looks like Winnipeg wants to join a notable list of other Canadian cities who are recognized as Fair Trade cities (including Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton) this year!  For more information and how you can get involved, go to:

fairtradewinnipeg.ca

Menstrual Products are a Necessity. Period.

Jen Zoratti of The Winnipeg Free Press talks about a desparately needed item at shelters - feminine hygiene products - and the fact that the federal government considers them 'non-essential' items and therefore taxes them, keeping them further out of reach for those already experiencing homelessness:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/menstrual-products-are-a-necessity-period-293595591.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-2

Building to a One Billion Rising Revolution

Check out the following article and  more about Building to a One Billion Rising Revolution at:

www.onebillionrising.org/15608/husband-murdered-gave-strength-save-countrys-girls-fartuun-adan

CNN: Crowd Sourcing to Fight Human Trafficking

This CNN article highlights a number of excellent organizations working in Cambodia to counteract the effects of human trafficking:

thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2015/01/30/crowd-sourcing-to-fight-human-trafficking

Helping Women and Girls. Period.

Trying to take some of the squeamishness out of addressing menstruation - a great article by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf:

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/helping-women-and-girls-period/?module=BlogPost-ReadMore&version=Blog%20Main&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body#more-13097

Step into My Shoes

Please check out the videos and resources that Compassion has put together for the Step into My Shoes campaign:

stepintomyshoes.ca

Satellite Images from Nigeria

This link will take you to a CTV video, where satellite images show the destruction Boko Haram is doing in Nigeria:

winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.2193427

Stella's Voice

stellasvoice.ca

Taking Action in 2015

James Hoddinott, also an educator, wrote the following blog post (December 31, 2014) as a call to action for fathers in 2015, but I think it's a larger call for all of us.  The year that was 2014 was not one where we protected our children as we should have.

jameshoddinott.com/2014/12/31/calling-all-fathers-taking-action-in-2015

Remember Our Girls: 269 Days & Counting

An article featured in the Winnipeg Free Press today, reminding all of us that 219 Nigerian girls are still missing and have been missing for 269 days and counting:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/Remember-our-girls-269-days-and-counting--288073541.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news