Chocolate Slavery

I am contributing to child slavery?? Never thought about it like that until recently. I know that kids are sold, taken, and tricked into working in horrible conditions, but most of the things I think about are brick kilns or other slave camps like that. BUT in reality there are thousands of children along the Ivory Coast in Africa suffering all so that I can enjoy my chocolate at a cheap price. It used to be that only the wealthy could afford chocolate, but now we can get it for almost nothing and we can have it whenever we want it....makes you wonder why? Kids as young as 5 years old are being beaten each day. It really is pointless, especially since there IS fair trade chocolate out there. Yes, it is more expensive. BUT I think I can afford to pay more when I am guarenteed that slavery and harsh conditions weren't involved in its production. There are so many places to get Fair Trade chocolate now, so it really is just a decision I have to make and hope that you will make with me. I am also going to look for the email addresses of Hershey, Mars, Nestle, and M&M. They need to know that we are aware of what is going on, their lack of effort to CHANGE the way they use children, and that we will no longer buy their products if something isn't done. Hmmm, something to email ELLEN about. :) HA.

REVERSE Trick Or treating

So I was sent an email today from Not For Sale Campaign (LOVE THEM!) and there was such a cool idea inside that I had to just share it. Global Exchange is having their 3rd annual "Reverse Trick or Treating" campaign. Here is how it works. As you walk your children around to get their goodies, YOU or YOUR CHILD hands the adult answering their door a piece of fair trade chocolate and a piece of paper that explains a little bit about the slavery and harsh conditions surrounding the chocolate industry. For those who don't walk house to house, you can give these treats (with info) out to those who come to your house. This is such a simple way to make people more away of what is going on. Watch a little girl "Reverse Trick or Treat" HERE. If you order by TOMORROW (Oct 8th) than you get a kit FREE!!! Go HERE to do it, I just did. :) Or you can purchase your own Fair Trade chocolate and attach your own informational card. Either way, you are still raising awareness. And believe me, there are so many people out there that have no idea what goes on behind the scenes for these kids in the cocoa fields.

There is also ANOTHER campaign going on along the same lines. This one involves one of my FAVORITE chocolate companies...HERSHEY!!! So back in 2001 Hershey and other leading chocolate companies committed to take “immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor” to end this nightmare by 2005.  WELL, it is now 2010 and not much has changed. Come on Hershey!! You can read more about it HERE. Join the Raise the Bar Campaign, demanding that Hershey bring an end

to this abuse. I mean, they are Hershey, a HUGE corporation...they CAN afford to do this....especially since they pride themselves on supporting children. The few steps suggested are to write an email to Hershey, host a screening of the Dark Side of Chocolate (trailer HERE), and switch to Fair Trade Chocolate. Not too bad! :)