Make Things Monday: magic

Posted on by February 29, 2012

Last night I heard my 6 year old ask my husband (who is completely wonderful, but also sees the world in black and white terms and is skeptical of all things unexplained) if he believes in magic. I was in the other room and just waited to hear what the answer might be.

Questions about magic, unseen creatures, and unknown mysteries have been quite the talk of the first grade carpools and after-school activities. It has been interesting to hear and also hear the other parents’ reactions. Is it a lie to teach your kids to believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy? Is it the wonder of a magical season? Is it something else?

My husband replied with the best answer, in my humble opinion, “Well, what do you think?”

magician

The boy launched to a whole tale about how Grammy explained to him that magicians do tricks that look like magic, that look real, but all they are is just fake, fake, fake. This is also the kid that told his brother he had such a big imagination for believing the ski instructor about the Abominable Snowman. This is the kid that told me he knows the Tooth Fairy isn’t real because a book he read stated that fairies are mythical. Skeptic.

This is not what I want for him. I want him to see the magic that exists in the world, for what it is and what it could be… and I believe it starts with the magic of childhood. Belief in the known and unknown…

aurora

The Aurora Borealis

photo credit: flickr

I want him to see the magic and mystery of the natural world… marvel at how no two snowflakes are alike, wonder at the sailing stones of the Mojave Desert, delight in the fantastical beauty of an aurora, celebrate the unusual and incredible flora and fauna of this planet, and be astounded at the man-made wonders of the world.

stonehenge

Stonehenge

photo credit: flickr

We don’t know everything about the world, how it works, what is out there… There is so much we can’t see and believe in anyway. Dark matter completely confounds me, as does much about wrapping my mind around time and space. But I believe in science, even though it isn’t perfect. And yes, I believe there is magic in science.

Hubble's dark matter map

Hubble's Dark Matter Map

photo credit: flickr

I want him to experience the magic I felt when I walked down the aisle and saw my husband-to-be for the first time that day, in my dress, surrounded by loved ones, surrounded by a gorgeous setting, and all I saw was his eyes.

I want him to experience the magic I felt when each of my babies was born, when I watched them sleep, when I watched them learn and grow and be simply amazing.

I want him to experience the magic of love.

I want him to let his imagination run wild with possibilities of things seen and unseen.

I want him to believe in magic and magical creatures because they do exist, although perhaps not as a child might expect. I want him to believe in the idea that we know little, but desire more. I want him to understand that he is both tiny and huge in this world and beyond. I want him to use this belief and knowledge to do more, be more, and expect more.

I want him to be curious and questioning, but always remember the magic and miracles of life. There is more to life than only believing what you can see…

So my challenge for you for this “Make Things Monday” is to make a little magic for someone around you. What magic will you make?

Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa and businesses that put profits over people

Posted on by May 31, 2012

Fifteen years ago today the Nigerian activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight other Ogoni leaders were executed by the Nigerian military government in collaboration with Shell. I can remember clearly writing my letter to Shell condemning their actions. I wish I still had the response. To call it patronizing would be an understatement. To call it PR spin would be generous.

Mural of Ken Saro-Wiwa

Shell worked with the Nigerian government to kill and torture many other Ogoni protesters by providing vehicles, patrol boats, ammunition, as well as planning raids on Ogoni villages. They did this because the Ogoni people were protesting the extreme environmental degradation to their land.

Nearly 3000 separate oil spills occurred in the Niger delta causing irreparable damage. Gas flares burn 24 hours a day near the Ogoni villages, sometimes as long as 30 years causing noise, water, and air pollution. Pipelines are rerouted through what was once agricultural land, further oppressing the Ogoni people.

Every year people gather to commemorate the brutal executions of the nine Ogoni leaders protesting these injustices. Many years, including this one meet violence. The Nigerian police exercise brutal and excessive force. And the human rights abuses continue.

International pressure has made some progress. In 2009 many activists that had been tortured and illegally detained were released. Also in 2009 Shell agreed to pay $15.5 million to settle a legal action accusing them of colluding with the Nigerian government in the deaths of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders.

So why am I talking about this? Yes it is the 15th anniversary. Yes this event was a pivotal moment in my early activism. Yes this why I still boycott Shell. But more than that, this is an example of what happens to a huge company without real checks and balances. What happens when a company does something that harms people, harms children?

But more on that tomorrow… for now, what is the role of the consumer? What is the role of business, government? What message do you send when making your purchases?

Nestlé and the other reasons I support the boycott

Posted on by April 19, 2012

Water.

Water has been declared a human right by the United Nations. People should be able to have access to the clean water we all need for survival, and yet predictions are that nearly 3 billion people will be severely short of water within 50 years. Water is one of the biggest issues we will have to face in our lifetime. The question becomes who should own the rights to this precious natural resource and who should profit?

Nestlé is infamous for moving into down-on-their-luck communities with promises of jobs in exchange for:

Bottled water is one of the greatest marketing scams of all time. Its effect on personal bank accounts and the environment is horrifying. The production of bottled water uses 7 times more water than the amount available to consume. The plastic is not often recycled. Bottled water is no safer, cleaner, or more pure than the tap water it is. In fact, we have seen many recalls of bottled water because of the contaminants that enter in the manufacturing process. And please don’t believe Nestlé in their claim that if their bottled water was not available, Americans would only consume soda and other sugary beverages. Do they really think that we’re that stupid?

What is really in bottled water?

Nestlé’s proposed to bring a water bottling plant to a community very close to me in the Columbia River Gorge. The community of Cascade Locks has fallen on hard times and the prospect of jobs is more than appealing. However, history shows just how far Nestlé will take advantage of this community.

Nestlé has already demonstrated a lack of respect for this area’s native fish which sustains a large percentage of the population. On the first day of testing to ensure their plan for the fish would be safe, they killed all the fish. This relationship won’t be good for anyone, except Nestlé.

The Fish Ladder near Cascade Locks

Just look at what an independent economic analysis found in the town of McCloud (a town that has experienced firsthand the deceit and harm that a Nestlé water bottling plant can bring):

The 63-page report found Nestlé would pay a fraction as much for McCloud’s water as elsewhere; that the jobs and revenues promised by Nestlé in other communities never materialized; and that McCloud’s board failed to factor in the costs the plant would exact in terms of wastewater, truck traffic, and air pollution. “There is a great risk that McCloud will be giving away too much for too little in return,” the report stated. “We find that rather than provide an engine for economic growth, Nestlé’s proposed facility would impose costs and obligations on the community that would outweigh the benefits.” -www.businessweek.com

Please stop buying bottled water. Stop buying Nestlé products.

Learn more:

Stop Nestlé Waters
Food & Water Watch
World Water Wars
Flow The Film

But it is Halloween and to end on a light note, I hope you can all enjoy a Nestlé-free holiday!

Nestlé sources cocoa from the labor of enslaved children

Posted on by February 29, 2012

And this is the second reason why I choose to boycott Nestlé.

The Ivory Coast is the source of half of the world’s cocoa. 90% of cocoa plantations use slave labor and trafficked children who are beaten and forced to work 80-100 hours a week to produce this cocoa. The work is dangerous and grueling. These children not only lose their freedom, but also the right to a basic education.

Those participating in this week’s International Nestlé-Free Week have been asked why just Nestlé?

That is a very good question. On this issue? There are a couple of reasons. For one, this week gives me an opportunity to discuss the broader issues surrounding some of the biggest companies in the world. For another, Nestlé is the biggest of the bad. They are leaders in industry that can either create change or fight it. Lastly, they have shown such a blatant disregard for human health and safety that it cannot be ignored.

In 2005, The International Labour Rights Fund (ILRF) filed a lawsuit against Nestlé on behalf of the children of the Ivory Coast using U.S. legislation on ‘crimes against humanity’. Nestlé was the target of this lawsuit because there was solid evidence that demonstrated knowledge of the horrifying labor practices of the cocoa plantations they choose to do business with. Nestlé’s defense? Child slavery is not a ‘crime against humanity.’

Watch this, it is only a few minutes of your life:

Now if you feel so moved, and I can’t imagine who wouldn’t be. Participate in the International Nestlé-Free Week now and beyond consider purchasing fair trade chocolate whenever possible.

Learn More:

Baby Milk Action
Global Exchange
International Labor Rights Forum
Stop The Traffik