by Dan Brose
21. November 2008 10:31
The Wall Street Journal today ran an article highlighting how the "titans of philanthropy" are rattled by the economy and dramatically scaling back their year-end giving plans. It is in this environment that you, I and millions of other conscientious consumers can make a real difference. Cauzal Coffee's vision is to help you make this happen, by giving you convenient ways to give through simple adjustments in your buying habits. Stacy Harp of Active Christian Media recently interviewed Don Jacobson, founder of Cauzal Coffee. In her blog about this interview, she said, "Thanks to the work of Don Jacobson who is the former owner of Multnomah Publishing, now all of these social issues can and will be helped when you buy Cauzal Coffee. Don and I spoke this morning and in our interview he shares how this idea came about, and how this great plan will be able to help the neediest among us." Click on the icon below to listen to this interview.  Cauzal Coffee is giving back 25% of every dollar to humanitarian causes; hunger, clean water, aids and human trafficking. Cauzal Coffee also offers turnkey humanitarian fund raisers for individuals (MyCauze™), groups, and nonprofit organizations (OurCauze™). For nonprofits, using OurCauze can provide an additional income stream without cannibalizing existing giving sources. Cauzal Coffee gives people and organizations with a compassionate vision for the world a place where they can truly make a tangible difference… because at Cauzal, every sip matters.
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by Dan Brose
21. November 2008 10:20
This video hit me pretty hard, especially as I've been considering how I can respond to the ongoing crisis in Congo. What can I cut out of my "consumer diet", and how can I invest that money (even a dollar) in something more meaningful? Watch the video in a pop-up window. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
20. November 2008 09:05
My last blog entry on Congo has many people asking me what we can do to stop the atrocities in Congo. This is always the difficult question, and it is made especially hard because we often feel that we have to do something major, right away. But I'm convinved that it is ultimately more effective if we start small and just do something! If we keep at it and if we get others involved ... we can create and be part of a movement. Here are my suggestions about what you can do, and let me know what ideas you've got. - learn and become informed (later I'll blog about good books and resources on the situation in Congo)
- tell others what you’ve learned
- advocate and lobby to your elected officials, and support those in government who are paying attention to Congo (more on this below)
- support organizations that are bringing direct relief and assistance in the North Kivu province of eastern Congo, especially those that have a historical and reputable presence in that part of Congo
- don’t disengage when this issue falls off of the news
- keep the pressure on yourself, your network, and your elected officials when people forget about this
- continue to give to reputable organizations working in Congo -- the really difficult problems behind a crisis of this magnitude take decades to resolve successfully
- get to know Congolese or Africans from that region of Africa who live in the US, and have them speak to your network of friends
- commit yourself to this cause
On the subject of supporting elected officials who are trying to do something about the situation in Congo, you should know about a very recent bipartisan resolution in congress that is calling for an end to violence in Congo. The resolution was introduced by Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), and it is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of senators including Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Kerry (D-MA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kit Bond (R-MO), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). If you live in any of these states, please take the time to log onto your senator's website, fill out a feedback form, and thank him or her for supporting this resolution. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
18. November 2008 12:51
I just read an open letter to the United Nations from community leaders in eastern Congo, dated 18 November. I encourage you to read the letter in its entirety, as it is stunning and shocking. Below is a fragment from the letter. Elsewhere in the letter it asks the questions: Who will protect us? Who will help us? Do we not deserve protection? Are we not equal to others? How would you answer these questions ...? Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
18. November 2008 11:03
It is great to see individuals and organizations setting up "cauzes" of their own through Cauzal Coffee. This particular cauze is set up by eight students at Biola University who are going to Rwanda in January 2009 to work with children who have been affected by genocide and war. You can learn more about their work by visiting their page on facebook, and you can support them by buying coffee and giving funds through their cauze at Cauzal Coffee (http://cauzal.com/ourcauze1270).
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by Dan Brose
17. November 2008 20:16
Recent research on child soldiers estimates that more than 300,000 children under 18 years old are fighting in armed conflicts around the world - most notably in Congo. The following video really moved me ... especially as the father of three sons in high school and college. Watch the video in a pop-up window. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
17. November 2008 15:58
 How many of you have been following the unfolding crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Although rape, killing and war in Congo has been going on for several years, it has recently escalated significantly. Click here to read the latest news reports from BBC on Congo. Did you know that 5,400,000 million people have died from war-related causes in Congo since 1998 -- the world's deadliest documented conflict since World War II? This death toll far exceeds those of other recent and more prominent crises, including those in Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur. You can learn much more about the faces and lives behind these statistics by downloading this report from the IRC. Tragically, the situation in Congo has been recognized as the worst crisis of violence against women in the world. Rape is used as a weapon of war to punish and destabilize entire communities. In some displacement camps, more than 70% of the women have been raped, with some being as young as three years old! What response do these statistics provoke in you? What do you think is going through the mind of the Congolese woman in the refugee camp, pictured to the left? Have her daughters and granddaughters been raped? Why aren't we more vocal to see this human catastrophe come to an end? Will you commit to telling someone else about this tragedy in Congo? Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
16. November 2008 09:13
Here is something that my sister, Laurie Cutter, recently blogged about. Her blog tells the story of how we can help save the children of Burundi through simple adjustments in our coffee buying habits:  "When I walked into our front yard in Burundi, I'd sometimes find big squares of brown sack-cloth with coffee beans drying on top of them. And then later, I'd smell the coffee beans roasting. What a great aroma. I remember begging Mom and Dad to give me just one cup of coffee...please! They finally promised I could try it when I turned ten years old -- hoping, I think, that I'd forget their promise or eventually lose interest. But when June rolled around, I claimed my cup of caffeine, filled to the brim with strong brew and milk. Good memories. Here's an easy way to help the children of Burundi while you enjoy a good cup of coffee: In Burundi malaria and malnutrition kill more than 23% of all children before they reach the age of five! World Relief is working hard to saturate a community of 243,000 people in central Burundi with simple health messages to prevent these senseless deaths. Volunteers are taught health lessons every two weeks, and they pass along the life-saving information to their neighbors. Due to a generous matching grant, your gift will be matched three times by another donor! Simply visit this web site and purchase a couple bags of coffee. Cauzal Coffee will give 33% of your purchase price to “Save the children of Burundi” and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your coffee not only tastes good, it does good. I'm thinking this is a good option for Christmas gifts. Yeah?" Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
14. November 2008 13:44
 Let me introduce myself. My name is Dan Brose, and I am excited to share with you and other visitors to this blog about issues and cauzes that are important to me. Much of my life I have lived outside of the US in Africa. I was born in a small country in the center of Africa -- at that time called Ruanda-Urundi. In the early 1960s this small country was divided into two smaller countries -- Rwanda and Burundi -- each about the size of the state of Maryland. Many of you have heard about Rwanda ... genocide in '94, the movie Hotel Rwanda, Hutu and Tutsi tribes, war and atrocities. Burundi is in many ways very similar to Rwanda ... size and geography, tribes, languages, history, genocide, war and atrocities.  In my adult life I have lived and worked in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern Congo -- helping to bring relief and assistance to these needy countries in the heart of Africa. Working for World Relief, I have experienced firsthand the joys and challenges of befriending, working with, and serving those from another culture -- in a country and region that is in great need. After returning to the US in 2007, I have a passion and commitment to share the plight of those living across the world in less fortunate countries and conditions. My greatest and most positive memories are of the many friends that I left behind in Africa ... and I want you to know them through me, their hope and desire for a better future, and their willingness to do all in their power to see their hope become reality. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
by Dan Brose
10. November 2008 15:40
 Cauzal coffee can only be purchased online at www.cauzal.com. The process for buying coffee is very simple, with delivery to your doorstep within days. You can learn more about the sources and great flavors of each coffee variety at the Cauzal website. Even more exciting is that 25% of your purchase price goes to the cauze that you specify. What a difference you can make by a simple adjustment in your coffee buying habits. Enjoy! Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email Share this Blog on facebook
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