apple seeds

The subject of good causes is near and dear to me. Included here are links for on-line shopping of fair trade, free trade and direct trade commodities of chocolate and coffee; links to organizations dedicated to helping end hunger and thirst; and links on justice organizations dedicated to helping end genocide. Soon to come, organizations dedicated to God’s non-human creatures. If there is a cause you would like to add to this list, by all means give me a reply.

“The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” -John the Baptizer

Chocolate, Cocoa, Coffee and Cotton: If it costs a little more, rest assured that your hard earned money is helping to pay a fair wage to the workers and farmers who grow and harvest the crops, without the government-sanctioned subsidies and tariffs that oppress and perpetuate the myth of their version of global economics. Purchasing a bag of really good coffee is a huge step to helping end the cycle of poverty for our Central and South American farmer neighbors. Cocoa beans are harvested on the backs of children in many African countries. Even the Nestle’s and Hershey’s typical to the American palette has a connection to beans harvested by oppressed labor. When we purchase fairly traded commodities we are saying “No!” to sanctions, unfair wages, oppression and child labor. How’s that for a chocolate high?

Chocolate & Cocoa

http://www.equalexchange.com/cocoa Excellent chocolate. Excellent.

http://www.divinechocolate.com/home/default.aspx

http://www.fairtradefederation.org/

http://www.newdream.org/marketplace/cocoa.php

http://www.dagobachocolate.com/

http://www.canaanfairtrade.com/ Fair Trade Olive Oil

Coffee

http://www.kapeh-utz.com/ Mm-m-m, really good coffee. Directly traded, eliminating middle men and unfair tariffs, and helps to sustain the growers. And it is really good, trust me.

http://www.bdcoffeehouse.com/ I like to blend their hazelnut roast and david’s blend. Oh man, I’m such a java junkie.

Cotton Goods and Other Items

http://shop.equalexchange.com/

Genocide and Darfur: Darfur is a region of the Sudan. Two and a half million men, women and children have been displaced and are “living” in refugee camps, under horrendous and crowded conditions, most of them separated from their villages and families. An estimated 400,000 Darfuris have been slaughtered. We can do more than you might think to help stop this genocide now. Check it out…just do it. Now.

http://www.savedarfur.org/content 

http://www.genocideintervention.net/

http://www.wagingpeace.info/

Poverty and Justice: Global community outreach.

http://www.onedollarwater.com/index.php Did you know that $1 provides clean drinking water for one person for one year? Your simple and easy donation can make a huge difference.

http://www.medsandfoodforkids.org/ Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, due in part to it’s geography and politics. Imagine the suffering of severely malnourished children. 129 of every 1,000 Haitian children will die before they reach the age of 5. Learn more about how this organization produces Ready to Eat Therapeutic Food (and how you can help, too), transforming and curing severely malnourished children. Praise God.

http://www.fullbellyproject.org/

http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp

http://www.compassion.com/default.htm

http://www.one.org/

http://www.motherjones.com/