This morning I heard wind of 'Black Friday' on NPR News 91. However, I also heard the editor of Adbusters Magazine describing the alternate for November 25th, 'Buy Nothing Day.' I smacked my head as I remembered the significance of today, not because I was on my way to work instead of on my way to the mall, but because I hadn't blogged about 'Buy Nothing Day'! I've observed this rejection of American consumerism before, and today was no different. I didn't spend a penny.
Sure enough, when I arrived home from work, I noticed buzz in the blogosphere about 'Buy Nothing Day'. I thought I'd join in by showing you where to read more on the holiday:
Happy Buy Nothing Day! (Blogcritics.org)
Buy Nothing Day: Ignore Black Friday (All Facts and Opinions)
Buy Nothing Day (Official Page from Adbusters)
Buy Nothing Day UK
Google search for 'Buy Nothing Day' if the above links don't satisfy you!
War Is A Force That Gives Me Meaning
While delivering flowers today, in the midst of a soupy fog that caused me to turn on my headlights at two 'o clock in the afternoon, some gears in my mind started turning. I was listening to the This American Life podcast. A handful of American soldiers in Iraq who told their stories in blogs were reading those stories on the show. I was entirely consumed by the combat stories told by two of the soldiers. My reflexes took control of the van as the road I barreled down disappeared. These stories transported me to the battles. Two weeks ago, as an American-raised Afghani teenager spoke out of my radio from the midst of an ambush against US troops in Afghanistan, the same peculiar transcendence had occurred.
I realized then that war is a force that gives me meaning. Bear with me. I read a book just over a year ago called War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning. It is written by Chris Hedges, a New York Times journalist who has lived in war zones that some of us never even knew existed. His book is about the hell that war is and the myths that cover up that hell to enable those in power to wage their wars. His title is all too true. For those that put their body and soul behind the war, the war gives them meaning and purpose- a rhyme and reason behind the dreary day-to-day task of existing. For soldiers like the ones that were heard on This American Life and others living war, such as Chris, war is a drug that destroys mundanity and provides a dangerous, but addicting thrill. For people like me, war is a force that gives us focus by opposing it. How could pacifism be so deeply ingrained in my being if there weren't such a counter weight as war to give my position strength? Pacifism would be an empty concept without war. Without pacifism, an immensely important piece of my existence would be gone. Life would be duller. War gives me meaning.
Its true that I abhor war. But it is just as true that I ingest this drug. I don't marvel at the machinery; the guns and the tanks and the bombs. I don't aspire to discard my ethics in order to hunt a faceless enemy. I do, however, imagine the excitement of breathing in war from within it. I imagine war filling up the emptiness of my life, translating every moment into a struggle for existence. I imagine war sharpening my mind and my resolve against it. I imagine living through the hell to come home and then devoting every ounce of my being to stopping this force that has benefited me so wholly. It's a paradox that I'll never escape. Opposing war gives me meaning. I will lose that meaning if I ever prevail.
I realized then that war is a force that gives me meaning. Bear with me. I read a book just over a year ago called War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning. It is written by Chris Hedges, a New York Times journalist who has lived in war zones that some of us never even knew existed. His book is about the hell that war is and the myths that cover up that hell to enable those in power to wage their wars. His title is all too true. For those that put their body and soul behind the war, the war gives them meaning and purpose- a rhyme and reason behind the dreary day-to-day task of existing. For soldiers like the ones that were heard on This American Life and others living war, such as Chris, war is a drug that destroys mundanity and provides a dangerous, but addicting thrill. For people like me, war is a force that gives us focus by opposing it. How could pacifism be so deeply ingrained in my being if there weren't such a counter weight as war to give my position strength? Pacifism would be an empty concept without war. Without pacifism, an immensely important piece of my existence would be gone. Life would be duller. War gives me meaning.
Its true that I abhor war. But it is just as true that I ingest this drug. I don't marvel at the machinery; the guns and the tanks and the bombs. I don't aspire to discard my ethics in order to hunt a faceless enemy. I do, however, imagine the excitement of breathing in war from within it. I imagine war filling up the emptiness of my life, translating every moment into a struggle for existence. I imagine war sharpening my mind and my resolve against it. I imagine living through the hell to come home and then devoting every ounce of my being to stopping this force that has benefited me so wholly. It's a paradox that I'll never escape. Opposing war gives me meaning. I will lose that meaning if I ever prevail.
The Gaping Hole in Downtown Boise
I recently received an email from a website launched to express frustration over the gaping hole in downtown Boise. If you don't live in Boise then you probably haven't heard that we have such a hole. A few years ago construction began on what was supposed to be the tallest building in Idaho, the Boise Tower. It would include condos, business space, stores and restaurants, parking, and more. However, construction never made it above the ground. For years now there has been a hole at 8th and Main, smack dab in the middle of downtown, with ugly metal foundation structures jutting out. Small walls have been built around it to keep it as much out of sight as possible, but out of sight doesn't translate to out of mind. One can still see the hole, and it doesn't help that on an adjacent building a giant poster proclaims that the defunct Boise Tower is "whats going up downtown!" Visit the The Boise Hole website to read more and express your own frustration over this eyesore and wasted space in our beloved downtown. If I had the power, I'd turn the hole into a public park to add a bit of natural beauty to downtown. Post a comment with your idea, if you feel so inclined.
Local Happenings - Global Write-a-thon
It gets discouraging. Two weeks ago: myself and one other at the weekly Amnesty International meeting. Last week: just me and four empty walls staring back at me. Tonight: I was once again joined by one other fellow activist, but no one else. Even though we are determined to do our small part in changing the world, it is disheartening when support and community are so scarce. But we'll press on, and here is what we are working on.
Amnesty International annually organizes the Global Write-a-thon on International Human Rights Day, December 10th. We'll be taking part, hopefully on a grand scale, by inviting the entire community to join us in writing letters of hope to human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience around the world for the holiday card action. We'll also be taking action on behalf of those same individuals, urging their governments to respect human rights.
If that isn't enough, there will be actions pressuring the United States, China, and the UNHCR to protect North Koreans seeking asylum in China (see Seoul Train) - plus live music and some food and drink. Don't miss it: Saturday, December 10th in the Hatch Ballroom AB at BSU from 3 to 6 pm. I'll keep writing about this event as it approaches. In the meantime, if you live in Boise and are interested in Amnesty International, help us out! If you don't live in Boise, get involved in your local activist scene. This world isn't going to change on its own.
Amnesty International annually organizes the Global Write-a-thon on International Human Rights Day, December 10th. We'll be taking part, hopefully on a grand scale, by inviting the entire community to join us in writing letters of hope to human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience around the world for the holiday card action. We'll also be taking action on behalf of those same individuals, urging their governments to respect human rights.
If that isn't enough, there will be actions pressuring the United States, China, and the UNHCR to protect North Koreans seeking asylum in China (see Seoul Train) - plus live music and some food and drink. Don't miss it: Saturday, December 10th in the Hatch Ballroom AB at BSU from 3 to 6 pm. I'll keep writing about this event as it approaches. In the meantime, if you live in Boise and are interested in Amnesty International, help us out! If you don't live in Boise, get involved in your local activist scene. This world isn't going to change on its own.
Local Happenings - Seoul Train
This evening I attended a screening of the film Seoul Train at BSU. The movie documented the plight of North Koreans fleeing to China for political asylum. China views the asylum-seekers as illegal immigrants moving between borders for economic reasons. That couldn't be further from the truth. The Chinese government refuses to grant asylum to North Koreans and forcibly repatriates them. They are not even permitted to escape to nations such as Mongolia, Japan, or South Korea, which would most likely grant them asylum. When these people are forcibly repatriated they face, at the very least, arbitrary detention. Many are presumably tortured and some are even executed (it is hard to be sure of all of the repatriated individuals' fates, due to the secrecy of the Kim Jong-il regime). The movie utilized footage from activists that have constructed an underground railroad of sorts, bringing North Koreans through China to eventual freedom in Mongolia or South Korea. It was a very emotionally effective film, crammed with both stunning stories of the journey these North Koreans face and in-depth insight and analysis of the issue. Check it out at www.seoultrain.com.
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Events:
- Thursday, November 17th, Amnesty International will meet in the Foote Room of the Student Union Building at 5:00 pm.
- Saturday and Sunday, November 19th and 20th, the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance will be in the parking lot of the Albertsons on State and 17th street collecting non-perishable food items, clothes, blankets, hygiene items, and water for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The collected goods will be trucked down to Baton Rouge later this month.
Our Damn President
This sort of talk from our commander and chief twists and churns my guts (from the BBC):
US President George W Bush has said too much is at stake in Iraq for politicians to make "false charges" about the reasons for going to war.Amid new questions in Congress about the intelligence used to justify the invasion, he said it was "irresponsible to rewrite history".
Irresponsible to rewrite history? Are you kidding me? This isn't a president who is defending his policies, this is a president who is villanizing credible, reputable political dissent during wartime. Legitimate questions have and rightly should be raised about the road to war. The stakes for both the United States and Iraq are very serious, but we can't make good decisions now without understanding what brought us to this point. Bush's attacks are simply a refusal to gain a deeper understanding and frankly, this type of thinking from our commander in chief is a dangerous disease during war.
Fair Trade Part I - New Shoes
(the following information on fair trade is severely limited to what i know. i am no expert on the subject. i am simply trying to provide a resource for people who are interested in fair trade, but don't know where to turn for information.)
A friend of mine had seemingly found a remedy by strictly buying American made clothing. In theory I had found a solution! It became apparent, though, that buying American made apparel is much more difficult than it sounds. I quickly discovered that almost every item of clothing I needed was made somewhere else! Though overseas factories aren't necessarily sweatshops, using this rationale to buy overseas clothing is shaky at best. I might be buying union made, socially responsible clothing, but it is just as likely I'm not. I'm not comfortable with the chances. I've been reduced to buying used clothing for two years now.
Though the used clothing option isn't really that bad (here in Boise there are plenty of great thrift stores and even a trendy boutique of used clothes called The Lux) it does present a few problems. Namely, shoes. Two years ago a friend gave me his shoes. They'’ve brought me everywhere, but it has been raining lately, and my feet never stay dry. Finding good shoes at a thrift store is near impossible. Until just recently, I didn'’t know where to turn.
Just a few weeks ago, a solution fell into my lap. At the weekly Idaho Progressive Student Alliance meeting at BSU, fair trade information was distributed and discussed. I learned more about what fair trade is, where to find fair trade coffee, and about fair trade organizations such as the clothing company No Sweat Apparel. Most importantly, I discovered how to walk in new shoes without, as No Sweat states, "“stepping on the worker who made... [my] shoes."”
My shoes are union-made in Jakarta, Indonesia. A card detailing the wages and benefits of the workers was included with them. Compared to regional labor standards, the people who manufactured my shoes are treated very fairly. With their wages and benefits, there is no doubt they are able to achieve a healthy, comfortable life. (click here to see the wages and benefits of the workers who made my shoes) Not to mention my shoes are comfortable, vegan-friendly, and even trendy!
Check out these websites to learn more about fair trade, or to buy fair trade products:
No Sweat Apparel
FairTrade Labelling Organizations International
Responsible Shopper
In the next installment of this series on fair trade, I'll report on my experience with Ten Thousand Villages, an organization that "provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America." In Boise's Hyde Park there is a Ten Thousand Villages store that relies on volunteers as staff. I'll write about my experience volunteering there as well as generally about the organization. To visit their website, click here.
"Fair Trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalised producers and workers... Fair Trade organisations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade." -from FINE (Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, International Fair Trade Association, Network of European Worldshops and European Fair Trade Association).As I gradually developed in high school from a state of naivete and apathy to an active engagement with the world, I became increasingly concerned with the impact my money was making. I became a vegetarian in an effort to remove my money from the cruel and environmentally unsustainable meat and seafood industries. Eating organic always made me feel good, even though I couldn't reasonably accomplish that on a regular basis. Clothes, however, became my most urgent concern. There was no way of knowing whether or not my threads were manufactured in sweatshops, but I desperately needed reassurance that my money wasn't contributing to the oppression of poor people halfway across the globe.
A friend of mine had seemingly found a remedy by strictly buying American made clothing. In theory I had found a solution! It became apparent, though, that buying American made apparel is much more difficult than it sounds. I quickly discovered that almost every item of clothing I needed was made somewhere else! Though overseas factories aren't necessarily sweatshops, using this rationale to buy overseas clothing is shaky at best. I might be buying union made, socially responsible clothing, but it is just as likely I'm not. I'm not comfortable with the chances. I've been reduced to buying used clothing for two years now.
Though the used clothing option isn't really that bad (here in Boise there are plenty of great thrift stores and even a trendy boutique of used clothes called The Lux) it does present a few problems. Namely, shoes. Two years ago a friend gave me his shoes. They'’ve brought me everywhere, but it has been raining lately, and my feet never stay dry. Finding good shoes at a thrift store is near impossible. Until just recently, I didn'’t know where to turn.
Just a few weeks ago, a solution fell into my lap. At the weekly Idaho Progressive Student Alliance meeting at BSU, fair trade information was distributed and discussed. I learned more about what fair trade is, where to find fair trade coffee, and about fair trade organizations such as the clothing company No Sweat Apparel. Most importantly, I discovered how to walk in new shoes without, as No Sweat states, "“stepping on the worker who made... [my] shoes."”
My shoes are union-made in Jakarta, Indonesia. A card detailing the wages and benefits of the workers was included with them. Compared to regional labor standards, the people who manufactured my shoes are treated very fairly. With their wages and benefits, there is no doubt they are able to achieve a healthy, comfortable life. (click here to see the wages and benefits of the workers who made my shoes) Not to mention my shoes are comfortable, vegan-friendly, and even trendy!
Check out these websites to learn more about fair trade, or to buy fair trade products:
No Sweat Apparel
FairTrade Labelling Organizations International
Responsible Shopper
In the next installment of this series on fair trade, I'll report on my experience with Ten Thousand Villages, an organization that "provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America." In Boise's Hyde Park there is a Ten Thousand Villages store that relies on volunteers as staff. I'll write about my experience volunteering there as well as generally about the organization. To visit their website, click here.
Local Happenings
I spent most of today at BSU for the POV Conference on human rights. Turnout was painfully low, and the Amnesty International table I was at received a miniscule amount of attention. It wasn't really discouraging, though, because it was obvious that the organization of the event was sub-par. However, I did learn of some upcoming events:
- Seoul Train. On Tuesday, November 15th, as part of the Diverse Perspectives film series, the ITVS Community Cinema will show the film Seoul Train in the Barnwell Ballroom of the SUB at 5:30 pm. The film documents a humanitarian crisis as North Koreans attempt to escape their country. Parking is free in the SUB visitor lot. (The film also shows on Nov. 16th at Boise State West in Nampa at the same time in the 2nd Floor Lounge.)
- "War, Peace, and Transformation." The Idaho Peace Coalition is sponsoring this presentation from Iraq War Veteran and Conscientious Objector Aidan Delgado on Veteran's Day. Come to the Bishop Barnwell Room of the SUB on November 11th at 7:00 pm.
- Amnesty International. Thursday, November 10th in the Gipson Room (downstairs in the SUB) at 5:00 pm. Thursday, November 17th in the Foote Room (upstairs in the SUB) at 5:00 pm.
- Idaho Progressive Student Alliance. Sundays at 5:00 pm. There should be a sign on the door of the Boyington Room (upstairs in the SUB) that tells you where to go.
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