Category: Everyday Justice

Would You Do Nothing For A Child Who Will Die of Malnutrition Tonight?

August 10th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice 4 comments - Tags: ,

By Foto Morgana

This is the question I am asking myself these days. A sober, heart-wrenching question. I got an email yesterday from World Vision alerting me to the famine crisis in Niger. And I wanted to ask you, my readers the same question. Not because I want to fill you with guilt and all that crap. But because I have great hope and trust that we, mothers and protectors and nurturers of the world’s precious little people, have the ability to DO something about this. We can act. And we must.

People don’t die of hunger. People die of malnutrition. And about half of 13 million Nigerians Niegeriens are facing that possibility. Right now.

Of which 17% or more are children.

Did that sink?

It sure did for me. It sunk pretty deep and hard. There are a lot of causes I care about, but nothing as urgent as children dying of malnutrition. Some little child is wasting away  because there is nothing to eat. That just blows my mind and shreds my heart to a million pieces.

We went to Whole Foods today to stock up on our pantry, and the irony was not lost on me. That I have choices of what to eat, while others don’t even have a choice of eating anything at all. 

If the situation in Niger sounds eerily familiar, it’s because this happened five years ago. In 2004, the world was alerted of the food crisis in Niger but sadly, hardly anything was done. The government denied the problem, and donors did not give a single cent. See the timeline of the 2004-2005 crisis here.

The famine was averted, but there obviously was no solution that made a long-term difference. Because here we are again.

Nearly 12 million people in Niger – about 80% of the population – are now affected by food insecurity, a status that indicates they have as few as 10 days’ food supplies remaining with all other income-generating activities exhausted…Save the Children now estimates that as many as 400,000 children in Niger are facing starvation.

International organisations say that the immediate obstacle preventing them from meeting the urgent food needs of hundreds of thousands in Niger is a donor shortfall of over $100m.

What Can We Do?
I don’t know the long-term solutions to Niger’s food shortage problems, as I’m learning that the issues are complex and beyond my expertise. On one hand, I know that a crisis like this requires urgent action. But on the other hand, I also know that many non-profits are charged with exaggerating situations overseas in order to campaign for more funds. And that AID often does more harm than help.

So what do we do?

At first I was thinking about asking people to donate, give money, that sort of thing. But then I realized that’s the easy way out. Because often, once we write the checks, we feel absolved of the guilt that we didn’t do anything about it. And then we move on. Just like what most of us did regarding Haiti. We gave through our phones and texted our way out of any further involvement.

So Here Is My Challenge

In as much as we spend our time and efforts in learning about real food, finding awesome recipes to make for the week, obsessing about our menu plans and caring about what to feed our family, let’s invest like-energy towards learning about the WHY of the global food crisis. Let’s look into the agriculture, politics, economics and culture of global food production. Let’s learn about the complexities of global poverty instead of just hastily writing a check so we can be in a better position to answer the question: What Can We Do That Is Truly Nourishing, Empowering, Liberating and Sustainable? 

Further Reading
Famine Persists in Niger, But Denial is Past
Niger’s Markets Are Full, Yet Famine Shadow Looms
You, Too, Can Help Find Niger’s Famine
Famine Early Warning Systems Network
One Website Issue Brief on Agriculture
On Philantrophy in Developing Countries

I’m Over At Passionate Homemaking Today, Talking About The Awesomeness That IsTravel

June 16th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Happiness + Growth, Nourishing Lifestyle, Nourishing Moms No comments - Tags: ,

Oops, I forgot! Please come by and check out my post at Passionate Homemaking onHow To Be Well Travelled Without Leaving Home.

Hope you are all having a much better weather than our Seattle Gloom.

~ Vina

Please Don’t Pass Sterility To Your Children

June 15th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Nourishing Food, Real Food + Eating Well 4 comments - Tags:

Photo by Kevin Dooley

Last week, I talked about my determination to be a GMO-free household, and my husband brings home a box of donuts laden with ingredients I don’t even want to think about. Sigh. So today, I spew off some studies I found that I think have convinced him never to touch that stuff again (which means I have to come up with a healthy alternative to all that stuff he likes to eat without breaking bank!)

Sterility and Oral Hair Growth May Just Make Our Case in Point
So in case your significant other needs more reasons why it is essential to steer clear of processed food in general and non-organic food items (although I have to make a note here that some farmers don’t go through certification but still utilize organic methods, which is still organic in my book), here are some articles you may want to read:

A new study done by Russian scientists suggests that Genetically Modified Food may cause long term sterility, that is, sterility in second and third generations. The scientists used hamsters for this research and divided them into groups. One group of hamsters was fed a normal diet without any soy products, a second group was fed non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soy, the third ate GM soy and the fourth group was fed an even higher amount of GM soy than the third.

“This study was just routine,” said Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov, in what could end up as the understatement of this century. Surov and his colleagues set out to discover if Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) soy, grown on 91% of US soybean fields, leads to problems in growth or reproduction. What he discovered may uproot a multi-billion dollar industry.

After feeding hamsters for two years over three generations, those on the GM diet, and especially the group on the maximum GM soy diet, showed devastating results. By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies. They also suffered slower growth, and a high mortality rate among the pups.

And if this isn’t shocking enough, some in the third generation even had hair growing inside their mouths—a phenomenon rarely seen, but apparently more prevalent among hamsters eating GM soy.

“Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others. We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity….These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown.”

Wait. It Gets Worse.

So, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, I believe. The U.S. Government insists that GMO is safe. Of course, you need to know that Michael Taylor, former Vice President of Monsanto (the Big Guys behind GMO’s) is the new Deputy Commissioner at our lovely Food and Drug Administration (FDA.) Curious, isn’t it? I am not a conspiracy theorist of any kind, but there’s something suspect about this. But maybe not? What do I know, right?

This Blog is Part of Two For Tuesdays Blog Hop, Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

10 Nourishing Ways To Serve The World From Home

June 11th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Happiness + Growth, Nourishing Lifestyle 2 comments - Tags: ,

Photo by Brother Magneto

Who says you need to travel thousands of miles to make a difference? As mothers, right here right now is the best place to start.

1. Find Your Passion
Passionate people are driven to make their mark in this world. Find what is absolutely, certainly, righteously true for you and live it out like there is no tomorrow. What angers you about this world? What kind of wrong do you want to make right? What are you called to be and do? The best possible way you can serve the world is to own this passion without apology and offer it with abandon.

2. Slow Down
The world benefits greatly when we live light, and slowing down is a sure way to do that. On an individual level, slowing down helps us live more mindfully (see #4) and we are able to consciously make better decisions for ourselves and consequently for the world. It also helps us make more space for the kind of stuff in our lives that reduce our harmful impact on the environment while significantly increasing meaningful connections that give us Life.

3. Live simply.
Owning less stuff is not only a means to declutter our house, but it frees up our financial resources to give more (#6). Not only that but we also contribute to the revolution of the empty, which is the absolute way to turn this world around. Start with eliminating the unnecessary and focusing on the essential.

4. Eat mindfully.
Recently, I wrote about how fighting for real food is fighting for freedom. And when we slow down to eat mindfully, we are able to make choices that benefit the next generation. Not to mention identifying with the other side of the world that struggles not with obesity but with empty stomachs and parched throats. Good eating starts in the mind.  Think before you eat.

5. Spend wisely.
If we see our spending money in terms of power (as in who does our money empower), would we be more mindful of the crap stuff we buy? Frugal is not necessarily cheap, so I say. Get out of debt, quit spending money you don’t have, be honest with your financial situation and live within your means. Or even better, live below your means so you can give more and buy fair trade.

6. Give generously.
I have nothing against sponsoring a child, but what about sponsoring an entire village? We like to have to faces to our causes, but thinking of transformation in terms of whole families and communities is a truly much more nourishing way to give. Invest your money in organizations that empower especially women, who are the shapers and nurturers of future change-makers (see #10). Give more hand-ups (like a Kiva loan or VIttana) than hand outs as much as possible. And above all, just give.

7. Practice radical hospitality.
We have many opportunities to practice hospitality beyond tea parties and formal dinner gatherings. In fact, raising children is a radical act of hospitality. As well as opening our homes to the aliens and strangers in our land. Consider communal living with other families or take in single folks. Host international students. Whatever is right for you. The question is, do you open your home to people who won’t be able to extend an invitation back? That’s tough.

8. Share your gifts.
What are you fantastically good at? What are your greatest strengths? Offer it to the world. Are you good with numbers? Maybe your local food bank could use a hand with paperwork stuff. Are you the mentor type? Maybe some local kids could use some help with tutoring and mentoring all the same. Or go global. An old co-worker of mine volunteered her accounting services for free to a couple in Thailand running a community health program. Someone from my old church used to give free haircuts to the folks at a local mission. The possibilities are endless, if we only are willing.

9. Advocate for change.
Words are powerful. Send a letter to those in positions of powers, whether in government or big corporations. We can leverage our citizen and consumer status by advocating for change in government policies or corporate practices. I subscribe to Sojourner’s Action Alerts among others. There, I can join the campaign for a Comprehensive Immigration Reform, ask the President to consider a new approach in Afghanistan or urge Kroger to fair pay price to Tomato workers.

10. Raise a revolutionary.
Lastly, but certainly not the least, embrace with white hot fervor this most important life-transforming role of your life: motherhood. We’re not playing house here and blowing happy bubbles on our nicely manicured white picket fenced lawn anymore. No desperate housewives here. Just ordinary moms who are ravenous for a change in the world, so we start with ourselves and with how we do laundry in the house. We’re washing our cloth diapers to dry on the clothesline, raising vegetables, creating and modelling a life that is nourishing not just to ourselves and our little wee ones, but eventually the world. So go ahead, raise the next Gandhi. Mothering for world peace IS your job title.

Thoughts? Stuff to add? By the way, this post is first addressed to me. This is the way I want and strive to live, but do I fall short! And so I keep writing and reminding because I forget. Oh, if you liked this post, kindly spread it around. Feel free to repost, but please give credit where its due and link back! Have a restful nourishing weekend!

Frugal Does Not Necessarily Mean Cheap

June 4th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice 2 comments - Tags: ,

Photo By Project 404

I’ve been reading Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell, and oh boy! It’s been such an eye-opening ride! Like I’ve confessed before when wrote about Buying Second Hand, I’m a pretty thrifty person. Or at least I try very hard to be. Which means price is a very important factor in my decisions when it comes to buying stuff. But lately, this is going through some sort of refining as I see the error of my ways. I’m still down with second-hand shopping, but I’m beginning to realize that you do get what you pay for and more. Especially when it comes to food and everything else mass produced.

Why I Think I Might Be Ending My Relationship With IKEA
I’m an IKEA freakazoid. I love their stuff and even their food! Our house is mostly furnished with IKEA, our beds, tables, couches, dressers, chairs and so much more. Because we are on such a tight budget, I don’t know how we could have afforded even just the basics (maybe if we had skipped the mortgage and rented instead? aaah, for another post!) But their stuff, no matter how stylish, will probably not outlive us. Not the kind of stuff that gets immortalized and passed down to the next kin. I don’t really care about leaving stuff to my daughter as much as I do with memories, but Shell makes a very compelling case in her book that is challenging me to reframe the way I think of IKEA, Old Navy and Target, just to name a few. In regards to losing craftmanship in the products we settle for, in losing our uniqueness in the standardization of the stuff we don’t think twice of buying, in regards to perpetuating the demand for low cost by masking the true cost somewhere down the line far far away from my pocketbook. Ikea, Old Navy and Target have succeeded in marketing themselves as stylish and uber cool design for less. And we bought in.

So What’s The Alternative?
Second hand quality stuff. Learn to make your own. Etsy. Trade. Barter. Do without. To not be afraid of defining what’s styling and cool on my own terms. To risk creating, finding and discovering the beautiful elsewhere instead of being limited and dictated by Big Bucks Discount Stores. Sigh. Would I really ? Could I? I am in need of some indoor drying rack, a kid easel and a new dresser to replace our IKEA one already worn down only after 4 years of light use. Can I still be frugal without going cheap? Let’s hope classy becomes me.

Why Fighting For Real Foods is Fighting For Our Freedom

June 1st, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Nourishing Food 3 comments - Tags: ,

 

Photo By Found Drama

I have to confess. I still sometimes buy conventional products and turn a blind eye to foods that are possibly genetically modified for the sake of convenience. And of course, price. I know that corn is probably the most popular genetically modified food and I still sometimes don’t think twice about getting that type of corn when it’s on sale. Only when I watch something like this (please watch it too!) or read something like this do I remember why it’s essential that I bring forth to life my intentions of only consuming real foods. Intentions are worthless if I don’t put then into action.

And so I turn to you, my dear readers. To help me be accountable for my choices. Because I want to stand up for Real Food in my spending and in my eating. I want to stand up to Monsanto and tell them, enough. I want to stand up and take back from the government the power to choose. I want to stand up for my family, for my children’s family and for the entire world and say that no, the answer is not in a mechanistic view of the world where everything can be manipulated to suit our whims and wants. The answer lies in our ability to embrace and respect Intelligent Design, and that includes caring for the Earth and the food it produces for us.

If Peasant Farmers In Haiti Can Do It, We Can Too

I read this article today about how Haitian peasant farmers are refusing Monsanto’s seed aid package and have even threatened to burn them. And they won’t be the first either. Yeah! If our brothers and sisters are able to fight back so passionately, and with so much more at stake, then we can too.

It’s not just about eating healthy, folks. It’s about fighting for a way of life that spells F-R-E-E-D-O-M. The government and big corporations are driven not by what is nourishing for all. They aren’t thinking, love but profits and power. Money and control. And lest we think this is a battle for farmers and not for us, think about genetically altered seeds, which are then fed to cows, or made into stuff that sweetens or preserves food, eventually makes its way in our bodies through food or drink. 

How To Fight For Real Foods (And Consequently Our Freedom)

  • Fight with our pocketbooks. Let’s patronize companies that are committed to GMO-free products. Whenever possible, let’s buy only organic foods. Yes, it takes more planning and creativity especially when we have tight budgets but it can be done. I’ll have to write another post for what I’m learning how to make this happen. Here is a Guide for Buying Non GMO Products.
  • Leverage our consumer power. How about rounding up our favorite food products and contact manufacturers to ask whether they are GMO-free or not? Let’s give them a piece of our mind about our intolerance for GMOs. 
  • Reframe our idea of low-cost food. The next time we are tempted to choose cheap over health, let’s ask ourselves at what true cost. Conventional non-organic products may be cheaper in price tag, but in the long run, it will cost us more health wise.
  • Let’s just quit that Kit-Kat already. I’m serious. I haven’t had Kit-Kat in years but in case some of you are still not over those, here’s the list of ingredients:
    “sugar, wheat flour, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, chocolate, refined palm kernel oil, lactose (milk), milk fat, contains 2% or less of: soy lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier), yeast, artificial flavor, salt, and sodium bicarbonate.” Oh my. Switch to Theo Chocolates instead. Yummy Fair Trade Organic Goodness.
  • Avoid the “Big Four” GM Products: Corn, Soy, Canola and Cottonseed. If the product is made out of anything with these products (corn syrup, soy lecithin, etc) and it’s not organic or labeled non-GMO, then it’s probably genetically-altered food.
  • Advocate when we are eating out. How about talking to the restaurant manager and ask if they know whether their sources of food are GMO-free. Let’s express our opinions loud and clear about GMO foods. Here’s an article you might find helpful.
  • Get political. Tell Congress to support Labeling and Safety Testing of GMOs. Tell them you prefer to see stricter measures of control on testing, manufacturing and marketing of GMO products. Send President Obama himself a letter. It makes a difference! Someone in the know said that one letter represents the voice of 10,000 citizens. (Can someone confirm?) 

Are you in? What do you think? Is this worth fighting for?

Be Doubly Generous This Mother’s Day: Go Global

April 26th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Nourishing Lifestyle One comment - Tags: , , ,

Photo by DFID

Mother’s Day is fast approaching. How do we honor the generous mothers in our life? There is more than one way, yes, but this year, I want to encourage you to consider multiplying your generosity with gifts that not only give once, but twice and perhaps more.

I know we’ve all heard of fair-trade coffee and chocolate but what about cruelty-free leather journals, or jewelry made by women who are at high risk of human trafficking? I love the idea of handmade gifts, buying local, as well as supporting our fellow mamas on Etsy, but I’m also a big advocate of global spending, for as long as our money nourishes the well-being of our neighbors across the globe. Especially those who have to work harder against systemic injustices. Enter Fair Trade.

Fair Trade: More Than Just Fair Wages
What is fair trade? From the Fair Trade Federation:

  • Paying a fair wage in the local context
  • Offering employees opportunities for advancement
  • Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices
  • Being open to public accountability
  • Building long-term trade relationships
  • healthy and safe working conditions within the local context
  • Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible
  • Ensuring that there is no abuse of child labor

But what is the essence of fair trade? That everyone who walks on this earth have equal dignity and right to what’s fair and good. That all our actions affect each other. And that we are all accountable to each other and for each other. That’s my simple definition of fair trade.

And what better way to model this to our children by honoring the mothers in our lives with a gift that ultimately symbolises the essence of motherhood: holistic nurturing, care for all. So without further ado, here are some gifts from Global Exchange for you to consider giving this Mother’s Day. (You can click on the banner on the upper right column if you want to go to their site. And, oh yes, I am an affiliate and buying any item through my links will earn me a teeny bit of commission for a cup of coffee!)

Some Nourishing Gifts For Your Consideration

Raw Silk Scarf Raw Silk Scarves Raw silk shawls add just the right touch to that little black dress and can add chic glamour to a white t-shirt and jeans. Beautifully textured, each shawl is handwoven and eco-dyed. Brought to you by Kopnoi, which means Little Frog in the Lao language, is a Fair Trade business located in Luang Prabang, Laos. Kopnoi’s mission is to promote the best that Laos has to offer on the world market. Income generated through craft sales helps sustain Laos’ economy and provide villages a better quality of life. It also encourages the celebration of Lao culture and keeps it alive for future generations.

Gemstone Bracelet & Earring Set from Bali Gemstone Bracelet and Earring Set These hand-crafted sterling silver lotus earrings were made in the Balinese village of Singapadu. Each piece is exquisitely handcrafted, using unique and painstakingly detailed techniques, which are passed down through families for generations. Paradiso, a long-time Fair Trade partner, has worked closely for two decades with small families in this village. As each piece is entirely hand-fabricated, no two are exactly identical; each is an individual work of art.

Singaraja Turquoise Earrings Singaraja Turquoise Earrings These Turquoise Earrings feature hand-formed sterling wire and tiny silver balls in a solid silver square shape. Each of the silver balls is individually crafted and affixed, and the delicate placement of even one tiny ball would be a tremendous challenge to even the most highly skilled metal smith! As each piece is entirely hand-fabricated, each is an individual work of art. Turqoise is the birthstone for December. Choose a Native Leaf Jewelry Bag to make your gift extra special!

Simple Sampler Gift BasketSimple Sampler Basket The Fair Trade Simple Sampler offers a small taste of different Fair Trade commodities, beautifully displayed in a Natural Hand-woven Kaisa Grass Basket from Bangladesh. Filled with: Equal Exchange Organic Breakfast Blend Coffee Equal Exchange Organic Hot Cocoa Mix Divine Milk Chocolate bar x1 Choice Organic Earl Grey Tea All Global Exchange Gift Baskets are packaged using 100% Bio-degradable and recycled materials.

Rwandan Laptop Sleeve Rwandan Laptop Sleeve Rwandan Laptop Sleeve is vibrant, quilted and offers padded protection for your laptop. You can carry it as a clutch or in your favorite tote, pack or briefcase. Secured with a large fabric-covered button closure and available in the classic Rwandan fabric known as wheat flower – simple flowers and leaves in warm tones of orange and navy with ruby highlights, swaying against a background of soft wheat- the inside is lined in navy blue. The women of the INEZA cooperative are survivors of genocidal rape, but rather than focusing on the horrors of the Rwandan genocide they are speaking to the power of their communities and working towards a better future for themselves, their families and their nation. INEZA was founded by WE-ACTX to develop a sustainable source of income for women on HIV treatment. The women who make up the cooperative are paid weekly wages, receive transportation and food supplements, and are provided with HIV care and treatment – and yoga!

Laptop Bag LapTop Bag This durable laptop bag is great for work or school. Each bag is designed with two cushioned sections that protect your laptop. Each bag features one large zipper pocket, two small pockets, and two pen holders. Adjustable strap has extra padding for slinging over your shoulder. A lightweight flap protects and secures your laptop with Velcro fasteners. Bags are brought to you by Handmade Expressions. Handmade Expressions promotes high quality hand-crafted goods created by artisans in India. Their goods are sourced through Fair Trade and they partner with artisan cooperatives, helping them create products that are tailored for international markets and provide them with sustained employment. The artisans produce art forms native to their regions and use natural dye and fiber materials wherever possible.

Cruelty Free Leather Journals Cruelty-Free Leather Journals The perfect journal, featuring 100% tree-free paper sheets made of recycled cotton rag, and a slip on cruelty-free leather which comes from animals that died naturally, and it can be refilled with new blank refills. Choose from two different hand embossed journals: A journal with inspirational wording such as “BE yourself, BE happy, BE positive” or the journal with the entire globe beautifully drawn on the back and front cover. (See alternative view pictures)This group trains the local villagers in paper art and provides sustainable employment, fair wages and good working conditions. The journals are made in Rajasthan, India, an area that is mostly vegetarian, and where animals are great assets around the households, so killing them for their skin does not make sense, however using the leather when the animal has died does.

Kitchen Apron Kitchen Apron Stay clean while cooking with this full length 100% cotton apron. Two spacious patchwork utensil pockets to hold all you need and a pocket for you cell phone! These aprons are made in a cooperative headed by a retired art teacher in Thailand. All members are women, and the primary goal is to encourage the younger generation to carry on the art of sewing and handwork despite technological advancement. Choose from Black with blue pockets, light brown, green or red (see alternative views). Color of patchwork pockets may vary.

Yoga Mat Bag from Guatemala Yoga Mat Bag Perfect for the Yogi on the go, this hand-woven yoga mat bag has a traditional Guatemalan Solola patterned pocket with zipper for storing keys or your cell phone. Also includes a shoulder strap and double pull-cord side closure. Made by Mayan women using the Ikat tie-dye technique. The female producers from this Fair Trade cooperative, primarily widows and their daughters, came together after the violence in Guatemala during the 1980’s to earn a living by weaving finely woven back strap pieces using traditional techniques.

Personal Aromatherapy Gift SetAromatherapy Gift Set Sit back, relax, and let everything go. An aromatherapy gift set will help you unwind. Designed and handmade in a women-owned candle making business in Chiang Mai, Thailand.Mini Aromatherapy Gift Set comes packaged in a handmade mulberry paper box and includes: Three Colorful Handmade Candles Ten Musk Scented Incense Ten Jasmine Incense Cones Ceramic Leaf Incense Holder

Nourishing Justice Wednesdays: Identifying With Refugees Part 2

April 14th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Faith + Spirituality No comments - Tags:

Photo by Hdptcar

Last Monday evening , I attended an informational meeting at the Lutheran Community Services for potential foster families of refugee and immigrant children. My husband and I are considering becoming foster parents for unaccompanied refugee children awaiting entry to the U.S. I was scheduled to attend last month, but my little girl was sick and had to cancel. Coincidentally, the next available meeting falls on the week I am wrapping up my post on refugees. Throughout the meeting, I felt uneasy and totally out of my league. Could we really do this? Am I making this up? What am I doing here?

That same Monday, I took my daughter to the beach in the afternoon. We bumped into a mom with twin girls around my child’s age. I found out they were adopted from the foster care system. We chatted some more about her experience, and she has six total. My mind was swirling and heart was beating unusually fast. I didn’t tell her about the event I was to go to that evening.

Synchronicity. Divine Coincidence. Serendipity. God’s Will. Whatever suits you. But stuff like that is hard for me to ignore. Obviously, there is something about refugees and their life that seize my heart and compel me to act, move and share with others.

Why I Care About Refugees Or Redefining What Nourishing Justice Is About

After writing last week’s Nourishing Justice post, I realized that I focused on trying to convince everyone else to care about refugees, and had failed to communicate why I care. Because let’s face it, we will all care about different things, and for good reason. There’s simply so much injustice in the world that to collectively care only about one thing is in itself unjust. We all have something we are passionate about, and for as long as it is something that involves caring about the dignity and lives of our neighbors, of strangers within our greater human family, of those the world tend to ignore, mistreat, forget, that’s nourishing justice for me. And my “cause” doesn’t have to be yours. Or vice versa. Better yet, we shouldn’t have a “cause” because people get lost in a “cause.” It’s not about a cause. It never is.

The bottom line is that, we have to see ourselves in them. The Others. We are them. When they hurt, we hurt. When they meet injustice, we meet injustice. Our lives are linked to their lives. Our happiness is woven in theirs. We are all in this together. This is what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are our neighbors.

Small Little Things That We Can Do

Because Statistics Don’t Tell The Story
Statistics are worthless, really. Stories are way better. Perhaps you’ve seen this documentary, but if not, I’ll leave you with a snippet of “God Grew Tired Of Us” about the Lost Boys from Sudan. It’s worth watching:

P.S. I’m rethinking how I’m going to do Nourishing Justice Wednesdays…I realized doing a four week series on “issues” isn’t really the best way to do it. So stay tuned. Ideas? Email me.

Nourishing Justice Wednesdays: Identifying With Refugees

April 7th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Faith + Spirituality One comment - Tags: ,

 

Photo By Wen Yan King

 

As promised, we’re kicking off Nourishing Justice Wednesdays. I’m looking forward to what you all think. And oh, what about the blog design? Are you liking it? 

 Imagine having to flee your home all of a sudden, without knowing if you will ever get to come back. Imagine not having time to even pack your belongings. Imagine having to be separated from your husband and children without warning to find refuge for yourself. Imagine having to find a safe place to hide. Imagine having to live in crowded temporary warehouses and depending on strangers for food, shelter and protection. Imagine not knowing where your family is or whether they made it somewhere alive. Imagine finding yourself in a foreign place to begin your life anew.

Imagine yourself a refugee.

Who Is A Refugee ? 
The official definition of a refugee comes from the 1951 Geneva Convention, relating to the Status of Refugees, commonly known as the “Refugee Convention”

A refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…

There are about 34.5 million around the world uprooted from their homes. Each person has a story, a face, a name. Many flee their own countries and find themselves living in a temporary camp in another land, not quite hostile but not quite hospitable either. For some, these temporary places of refuge become a long-term place to live. Most of them desire to return home when conditions are favorable once again, but only a few ever do do. Only less than 1% resettle in another country, like the U.S to begin a new chapter in their lives away from everything they had known.

Why Should We Care? 
Oh, there are so many reasons. Because for many of us who follow Jesus, he asks us to do so. Because it’s simply part of what it means to belong to God’s family. Because this is true hospitality, to care for and protect the most vulnerable. But today, I want to focus on a reason that unites even more of us: simply because we are mothers.

Because mothers know that the home is the most important place on earth.
Home is safety, protection, care, warmth, sustenance. And to be a refugee is to be homeless of greater proportions.  Often, refugees are subject to discrimination, attacks and gender based violence. In 64 countries, our homeless and stateless brothers and sisters do not have access to judicial systems that can protect them. 

Because mothers care about the small people of the world.  
About half of refugees in the world are children. Children, who are at risk of being recruited by armed groups and forced to become child soldiers or workers. In 132 refugee camps, 31% of children 6 to 11 are not enrolled in school. Can you imagine your child learning how to hold guns and kill people when they should be learning how to read?

Because mothers care about basic nourishment of people.
More than 50% of refugee camps do not meet the minimum water standard of 20 litres per person per day. Many have high levels of malnutrition and inadequate sanitation. Mortality rates are extremely high in 27 countries. 

Because mothers care about the rights of women and the essential livelihood needed for families to thrive.
In 23 countries, the displaced not only lack the work opportunities they need to earn a living (women, especially) but they are denied the right, by law, to use their skills to earn a living. With the loss of a job comes the loss of dignity and the ever dependence on others to survive.

What We Can Do 
In the following three Wednesdays of this month, we’ll be delving into the different ways we can advocate for, give to and serve the homeless, stateless men, women and children, from our home. For those of you who believe in prayer, join me in remembering the refugees this month of April.

Nourishing Justice in the Kitchen

January 25th, 2010 · Vina Barham · Everyday Justice, Faith + Spirituality, Nourishing Food, Real Food + Eating Well No comments - Tags: ,

Photo Courtesy of Vanessa Pike Russell


Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to love my neighbor in the kitchen. I thought of the “as yourself” part of the sentence, I wondered, what if I was as passionate in bringing nourishing food to the world as much as I am passionate in serving it to my family? What would that look like?

For many people, having something, anything to eat everyday is the issue. And that just breaks my heart.

When I think about this fact, the first impulse I have is to give money. But is that the most helpful thing? Giving financially to programs specifically feeding those in extreme poverty, those who need food now (like our brothers and sisters in Haiti) is necessary. It’s eat or die.

But then there’s digging deeper. There’s me asking whether what I’m eating is life-giving to others, me wondering if I’m somehow complicit in other’s hunger. Because I probably am in some way. When I bite into a Mcdonald’s cheeseburger, or when I eat a Reeses’ Pieces, I am sending a message to the world. That my preference for mass production of beef and for cocoa is more important than anything else, than the inhuman treatment of cattle, misuse of resources or child slavery. That the cheap price I have to pay for these things mean that somewhere along the line, something and someone is paying for the real cost. Being mindful of how my choices are connected to the betterment or destruction of the Earth and of other’s well being make it a bit harder to enjoy that burger or that piece of chocolate. Knowing the issues about food production and politics is a good start. Who does my food affect?

But knowing and doing aren’t exactly the same thing.

For example, I’ve learned the issues about bananas . And as much as I try to buy fair-trade ones like these at PCC, but often I am seduced by the cheap ones at the big chain supermarkets. Sigh. It’s not easy, isn’t?

It’s easier to give money, than to change our spending and eating habits. So much easier.

I know that the issues are far more complicated than how I understand it all, and that there are systemic injustices that need to be addressed on a worldwide scale. But these small, daily choices do add up. Choosing homemade meals over commercially produced ones, slow foods over fast foods, local and seasonal over those traveling long distances, grass-fed and humanely treated meat over mass-produced ones. These choices have power and it starts with me.

So will you join me in practicing nourishing justice in our kitchen? Baby steps, accountability, humility, and willingness will get us going towards a better nourishing world.

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