by Dan Brose
18. March 2009 10:43
From The Economist: "Bartered Brides" The kidnapping has been going on for some time, and locals talk of a number of cases so far this year. The abductions follow a pattern: a Hmong girl is wooed by an out-of-towner—whether from Vietnam or China is not clear—who speaks her language. She is lured to a rendezvous to be drugged and smuggled into China, probably near Lao Cai, about an hour’s drive from Sapa. Tall, pretty girls are said to be particular targets. One 18-year-old recently managed to get back home to tell her tale after a four-day ordeal. Held captive in China, she escaped through a window and contacted the Chinese police, who returned her to Vietnam. Most do not escape. One of those kidnapped last month was a married woman with a son; friends fear her family may never see her again. There is some tradition of bride-kidnapping among the Hmong themselves, but this gangsterised, cross-border variety is especially cruel. Village girls with little knowledge of the outside world tend to be trusting. And the kidnappers seem to operate with impunity—even, according to one account, seeking a reward for returning two underage girls whom they had failed to sell in China. Within China itself, the abduction and sale of women has long been recognised as a prevalent social evil. Three decades of strict family-planning policies have exacerbated a traditional preference for boy children and contributed to a shortage of marriageable women. Relations between Vietnam and China along their 1,300km (800-mile) border have improved: last month officials from the two countries, which fought a brief but bloody border war in 1979, completed a seven-year effort to demarcate the frontier. This, they hope, will open the way for increased links of various sorts. Stepped-up police co-operation to stamp out an evil little trade in Hmong women would be a good start. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
17. March 2009 10:03
The Burke Museum at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA) has recently opened an exhibit titled "Coffee: The World in Your Cup," which uses photos, maps, texts, selected artifacts, audiovisual presentations, and hands-on demonstrations to explore the fascinating world behind the coffee we drink. The exhibit examines the environmental and social impacts of the coffee industry, recommends ways for consumers to make socially and environmentally responsible coffee-purchasing decisions, and teaches about the impacts of caffeine on our bodies. The following video on "coffee cupping" was produced from one of the educational initiatives of this project. Watch the video in a pop-up window.
Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
16. March 2009 13:39
As I said in a post last week, I have been thinking about begging. This has been on my mind because I will soon be traveling to Africa with a group of people, some who have never before experienced the extreme poverty that we will see on this trip. They will experience begging and beggars, and I'd like to give them advice on how to wisely and graciously react to the inevitable requests for money. Early in my time living in Rwanda, I asked a Rwandan friend how he deals with begging and people asking for money. He said that he typically only gives to people that he knows, and only if he is aware of the problem that is causing them to seek financial help. He also said that when anyone asks for money, it is important to listen, acknowledge their situation, comfort them and give them encouragement. If you feel led to give money, go ahead ... but don't feel pressure to give money if you don't know the person. As I was thinking about this, I remembered the woman in the picture below -- someone I met on a walk in rural Rwanda a few years ago. My first impression of this woman was amazement at the incredible bundle of beans and beanstalks that she was carrying on her head. Next I noticed her cute little baby, tightly wrapped and bound to her back -- peering around to see the white man. And then it dawned on me that this woman's hand was out and she was asking me for money! My immediate and instinctive response was to greet her and say, "Oh, you've got such a beautiful baby ... what is his name?" After engaging her in conversation and showing genuine interest in her as a person, the question of money didn’t even come up. Time and time again, I have found it to be very helpful to acknowledge people who are in need, to take the time to get to know them, and to learn about their situation before responding to their begging or requests for money.  Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
13. March 2009 15:00
The Cascadia Kiwanis Club has recently become an authorized affiliate of Cauzal Coffee, using OurCauze to raise funds for Kiwanis -- a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. To purchase Cauzal Coffee and send 33% of the purchase price to the Cascadia Kiwanis Club, click here.
Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
12. March 2009 15:39
 When I read the following article on BBC's website, I smiled and thought of all the people I have met in Africa who are amazing and resourceful entrepreneurs. It is important to be reminded of the positive and successful things going on around the world, not just the problems and Cauzes that cry out for our help. ____________________________________________________________________
What is the secret of success in business? During Africa Economy week, BBC News asked entrepreneurs across the continent to give us their "top tips". DINAH BINAH, FLORIST, TANZANIA  You have to think fast in business.
If someone asks - "Are you selling your blouse?" Sell it! You can always buy another one. The first day I opened my shop, I only had five bunches of roses. My first customer didn't see the flowers I had - all he saw was water. So he asked me: "Are you selling water?" I told him - "Yes!" That 20 cents he gave me was my first income. You have to be brave. You have to be aggressive. Don't be embarrassed.  SYLVIA BANDA, RESTAURANTEUR, ZAMBIA  Sylvia Banda's first restaurant had no tables. She now owns 16 eateries. | My advice - persevere. I remember very well the first day I opened my restaurant. I did not have any chairs. I did not have any tables. My customers had to eat in a standing position. I told them - you're going to have a "standing buffet". They laughed and continued eating, and that's how my catering business was born. Today, we have 16 eating places in Lusaka and we have opened a college training students in hospitality. It is important to say to yourself - I am as good as the other person. If that person can do it, then so can I. ELISE BATES-WILLIAMS, HAIR STYLIST, NIGERIA You don't need to save a huge amount before you start your business. You can begin working from your house, or even under a tree. We started with a small amount - buying two or three dryers, chairs and other equipment a customer might need. Anybody who came, we gave them good hair. Then, by managing well, we have grown bigger. GAULPHINE NYIRENDA, BOOKSELLER, MALAWI My secret is hard work. Being honest with my customers, telling them the truth, honoring my bills, and knowing what is the customer's need in the area. Now, I not only run a book shop, I also supply women's book clubs, and I'm an agent for major UK academic publishing houses. STANI MUKE, GRAPHIC DESIGNER & ANIMATOR, DR CONGO  Stani Muke set up a successful graphic animations company in DR Congo | You need lots of patience and nerves of steel. When you're setting up a business in virgin territory, you are on your own. Six years ago I set up a small company, producing TV, radio and graphic design for the local market.
We needed the help of the government and private sector.
It hasn't happened yet. There are no structures in place to support local productions.
I feel discouraged. But at the same time I understand the country is in transition. Maybe soon we will reach that point. DINAH BINAH, FLORIST, TANZANIA You have to network, network, network. Families, friends, classmates, schoolmates, the people you met in church, neighbors - they are all your prospective customers. SEBASTIEN NEGY, INSURANCE BROKER, TANZANIA Set goals and go after them. Value your customers - deliver what you promise. Have confidence and believe in yourself. I always go for what people think is not possible. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
10. March 2009 13:23
I have been thinking about begging lately. We have all encountered beggars -- whether on the streets of Nairobi, Chicago, or Boise. In future blogs I will give some of my personal perspectives on begging, but I recently came across the following story about Brother Juniper (1210-1258), who was one of St. Francis of Assisi's original followers. He is known for being one of the most outrageous "holy fools" in the history of Christianity, and this painting of Brother Juniper and the Beggar is displayed in the Louvre in Paris.  "Brother Juniper was so full of pity and compassion for the poor, that when he saw anyone poor or naked he immediately took off his tunic, or the hood of his clock, and gave it to him. (His superiors therefore ordered that he not) give away his tunic or any part of his habit. A few days afterwards, a poor half-naked man asked an alms of Brother Juniper for the love of God, who answered him with great compassion: "I have nothing which I could give thee but my tunic, and my superior has (commanded me) not to give it, nor any part of my habit, to anyone. But if thou take it off my back I will not resist thee." ... The beggar forthwith stripped him of his tunic, and went off with it. When Brother Juniper returned home, and was asked what had become of his tunic, he replied: "A good man took it off my back, and went away with it." And as the virtue of compassion increased in him, he was not contented with giving his tunic, but would give books, or clocks, or whatever he could lay his hands on, to the poor. For this reason the brethren took care to leave nothing in the common rooms of the convent, because Brother Juniper gave away everything for the love of God and to the glory of his name." Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
9. March 2009 14:01
You can tell a lot about a person by what they throw away. Danny is an AIDS orphan that was thrown in the garbage the day he was born. This short video is a strong and emotional call to each of us to examine what we're throwing away ... and why. Watch the video in a pop-up window.
Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
6. March 2009 12:05
One of the most consistent things that I have seen across Africa is that women do the hard work, especially carrying things on their heads -- water, bags of beans, banana stalks -- you name it, I've seen it. It is very unusual to see a man carrying something on his head. These photos from Burundi came to mind when I saw the following facts, which are being publicized ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, 2009: Females in developing countries on average carry 20 liters of water per day over 6 km. Globally, women account for the majority of people aged over 60 and over 80. Pregnant women in Africa are 180 times more likely to die than in Western Europe. 530,000 women die in pregnancy or childbirth each year. Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women.
80% of the world's 27 million refugees are women. Women own around only 1% of the world's land. AIDS sees women's life expectancy of 43 in Uganda and Zambia. Women are 2/3 of the 1 billion+ illiterate adults who have no access to basic education.
Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
5. March 2009 13:31
Furaha Bandu was working in her field with her husband when they heard gunshots. Suddenly, people began running frantically in all directions, screaming in terror. Congo’s brutal conflict had reached their community -- and the rebel soldiers would show them no mercy. As villagers ran into the forest, the soldiers killed any they could find. Her heart pounding, Furaha picked up her two month old baby and ran for cover. She found her husband -- but where were their five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter? In desperation, the young mother begged her fleeing neighbors: “Have you seen my children?”One neighbor stopped in her tracks to break the horrific news -- Furaha’s children were killed by the soldiers as they cried for their mommy. The Will to Live
Furaha and her husband were so filled with grief that at first they, too, wanted to die. But the will to live took over and they pressed on through the forest, eating plant roots and sleeping under the trees at night. “We were so afraid,” Furaha recalls.  When they came to a road, they came across a horrendous sight -- the bodies of people who had been massacred. They walked another 10 miles until they arrived at a church in Kirotshe. There, the pastor told them not to walk any further. With World Relief’s assistance, the church provided food to Furaha and other families fleeing the violence. World Relief built a school next to the church, and today Furaha serves in the church with her husband and trains other women in sewing and dress-making. Furaha is the face of Congo’s war. She has suffered incredible heartache. And yet she has found the courage to press on -- and the faith to believe that God has a purpose for her life. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
4. March 2009 10:55
It is exciting to see Cauzal Coffee becoming known by nonprofits, especially as coffee sales through Cauzal can be used to raise needed support for nonprofits during these difficult economic times. Yesterday Cauzal Coffee was profiled in a blog that is dedicated to nonprofits, the people who run them, and the donors who support them -- Nonprofit Awareness. 
 Today continues our look at for-profit businesses that are doing good. Cauzal Coffee not only employs socially responsible business practices, but also uses their proceeds and resources to help improve the world we live in.
Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. It's an $18 billion industry in the United States alone, with 3 out of 4 American adults purchasing coffee. With that in mind, Cauzal Coffee has committed themselves to using those facts to make a difference. Twenty-five percent of every sale goes to a humanitarian cauze. When you purchase from the company you not only choose from six blends, but also choose the cause you want to support: huger, poverty, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, Disaster: Congo Crisis, or Unclean Water. Cauzal Effect helps people suffering from these tragedies.
The Cauzal Effect is a global movement that encourages generous and responsible living to benefit people in need. Nonprofit organizations are carefully selected; organizations that practice financial integrity and effective aid distribution in the six areas of global need previously mentioned.
The premium micro-roasted coffee starts with responsible sourcing, making organic and shade grown coffee available and using 100% post-consumer recycling materials for shipping boxes. By sourcing coffee through their roaster's Farm Friendly Direct program, Cauzal is able to support poverty stricken communities as they work to build a stronger future. This means paying farmers above market prices for their coffee, in addition to a premium that finances farm and community assistance projects such as tree planting, water treatment facilities, community centers, school buildings, and funding teachers' salaries. Each project is tailored to the needs of the local community. Many of the programs Cauzal Coffee supports aid coffee growing regions.
 Cauzal Coffee also offers opportunities for individuals and nonprofit organizations to benefit from their philanthropic initiatives. Through MyCauze (for Individuals) and Our Cauze (for nonprofits), individuals and nonprofit organizations can have Cazual Coffee support their causes. MyCauze and OurCauze help generate financial support for your humanitarian cause. Purchases by your constituents gains your cause 25%- 33% of the sale proceeds. For more information on the programs and organization criteria please visit Cauzal Coffee.
Please visit Cauzal Coffee's site. It's a wonderful company, and it goes to show how making a simple change in brand can make such a huge difference. They provide great information about the causes they support, including stories about why their work is so important. There is plenty of information on how you can get involved, whether it's by purchasing coffee or fundraising for your own cauze.
|
|