In a new report by the organization Plan International, it has been revealed that children in Malawi are forced to work in the tobacco industry and are being exposed to extreme levels of nicotine poisoning. This is another picture of what modern-day slavery looks like in our world.
View the BBC article, in images, by clicking here.
The Not For Sale Campaign is pleased to announce the opening of its Washington, DC Office! Kilian Moote (Policy Director) and Allison Trowbridge (Communications Director) have just returned from our nation’s capital, where they furnished the office and prepared for its launch.
With over 45 State and Province Directors now in North America, the office will serve as a key focal point for connecting operations from the East coast to National Headquarters in San Francisco. The office will also serve as the hub for the upcoming Advocacy Days: March 2010, where Abolitionists from across the globe will gather to lobby their nation’s leaders and state representatives. Mark your calendars now for this multinational event! 
An office launch party is scheduled for later this year, so you can help us with the necessary house-warming for our new East coast abode. Until then, the office will be used for Not For Sale’s DC and Maryland Operations. If you are in the region and would like to get involved, contact Becca Feehs (rfeehs hailing from notforsalecampaign from the TLD of org) or Katie Hoffman (Katieh hailing from notforsalecampaign from the TLD of org) respectively.
And finally, to answer your most pressing question: Is the furniture actually orange?
…You bet it is! (Would you expect anything else from NFSC?).
Uganda has been plagued for over twenty years by internal war between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army. The war has caused untold numbers of abductions, torture, rape and deaths throughout the northern regions of the country. Many of the women were directly affected by the war. They, or family members, have been abducted from their villages and many suffer from HIV/AIDS due to these atrocities.
Over one-million of the Acholi people have been displaced, many forcibly entered into refugee camps. The camps provide little refuge due to poor security and lack of healthcare, proper sanitation, and jobs. The endemic poverty is hardest on the children who often go hungry and have little opportunity to grow out of their current situation.
Yet in the midst of this suffering, women are finding creative ways to provide for themselves and their families through the art of jewelry making. This gorgeous line of hand-made pieces is difficult to sell in the region (as there is little market for boutique jewelry) – so the Freedom Store is proud to announce itself as the newest avenue for sales!
In the face of ongoing war and the struggle to provide basic necessities, these women demonstrate beautiful determination and immense hope.
To view more of their jewelry or to support them through your purchases, click HERE.
State Director Nadia Lucchin has been on the move in Ohio! The state operation has commenced with its first official Not For Sale Ohio meeting, seeing a fantastic turnout of impassioned volunteers.
Here are just a few highlights of what’s happening at NFS Ohio:
It’s remarkable to see all that is already happening in Ohio. If you are interested in joining forces regionally, or pursuing a Not For Sale Ohio internship, contact Nadia — Nadial hailing from notforsalecampaign from the TLD of org
Announcing! The next 100 registrants to the Global Forum on Human Trafficking will receive a FREE audiobook copy of “Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade and How We Can Fight It” by David Batstone.
The inaugural Global Forum on Human Trafficking will be held this October 8 & 9 in San Diego, CA. Abolitionists from around the globe will come together to convene on the issue of modern-day slavery. Register today under Early Admission (a 40% discount) to be a part of this momentous event.
Announcing more Outstanding Abolitionists from across the Globe!
Imagine…
…a woman gives 2 street kids her business card…and 600 children show up in her office looking for safe haven. Today that same woman runs one of the most dynamic aftercare programs in Latin America. Lucy Borja is just one of the many forerunning Abolitionists who will be featured at the Global Forum, Oct 8-9 in San Diego.
Remember…
…that just this month over 50 children, aged 11-17 were rescued out of slavery on chocolate farms in the Ivory Coast, an area continuously effected by forced labor and slavery. Unjust labor conditions and lack of transparency in the global supply chain are perpetuating modern-day slavery. As a consumer no product is safe, not even the chocolate we eat.
Bama Athreya, global labor rights expert and Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum, will join a celebrated list of experts to discuss how best to end slave labor in the global supply chain, making the “Monitoring Supply Chains” panel discussion a must see!
You can join Lucy, Bama & many more at the inaugural Global Forum on Human Trafficking.
NEW! The next 100 registrants will receive a FREE audio copy of the book that began the movement!
Space is limited! But there is still time to receive the 40% discounted rate and secure your place at this momentous event.
* * *
Checkout the new Global Forum website where we’ll keep you posted on updates, featured news, and all the details as the forum approaches.
Massachusetts Co-State Directors Anita Coco and Sarah Durfey are drawing on their state’s abolitionist history to build an active operation working to re-abolish slavery in their own backyard. The Not For Sale Campaign’s local operation in the state launched less than a year ago, but it takes two Directors to stay on top of all of the exciting events and activities. Coco and Durfey bring their own strengths and skills to the investigative, educational, and outreach initiatives.
Here are some of the highlights:
* Durfey and one of her volunteers recently completed the Investigators Academy and are now developing a comprehensive mapping project within Boston
* Coco staffed a Freedom Table at a recent 4th of July parade; and
* Both are recruiting volunteers to lead Bible studies and educate congregations about modern-day slavery.
Last week Not For Sale served as the ministry sponsor of SoulFest, New England’s premier Christian music festival. Coco and Durfey were instrumental in the event’s success, meanwhile recruiting a new wave of impassioned abolitionists ready to engage in the Massachusetts area! Events for the second-half of the year include the Topsfield Fair, the Break the Chains concert in New York, and a fair-trade fashion show.
If you live in the Bay State and want to lend your skills and strengths to NFS-MA, check out the Not For Sale Massachusetts website or contact Anita Coco atanitac hailing from notforsalecampaign from the TLD of org or Sarah Durfey at sarahd hailing from notforsalecampaign from the TLD of org.
Earlier this month over 50 young kids, ages 11-17 were rescued out of slavery on chocolate farms in the Ivory Coast, an area continuously effected by forced labor and slavery. As reported on Interpol’s website:
“The children had been bought by plantation owners needing cheap labour to harvest the cocoa and palm plantations. They were discovered working under extreme conditions, forced to carry massive loads seriously jeopardizing their health. Aged between 11 and 16, children told investigators they would regularly work 12 hours a day and receive no salary or education. Girls were usually purchased as house maids and would work a seven-day week all year round, often in addition to their duties in the plantations.”
As a consumer we need to do our part to help end forced labor within the chocolate industry! As a consumer there are three things Not For Sale Campaign will engage you to do:
Use your power of choice to change demand by joining a community of consumers engaged in this fight on Free2work.org.
Order or download “proof of non-purchases” to encourage your favorite retailer to stock freely made chocolate
Not For Sale Campaign has partnered with Sweet Earth Chocolate to create a fundraiser that will support you in your fundraising goal while also supporting NFS Ghana, and the best part is all the chocolate is produced using fair labor practices! For more info email freechocolate hailing from notforsalecampaign from the TLD of org
Bama Arthreya, Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum and World-wide leader on labor rights issues will be joining an unprecedented list of speakers at the inaugural Global Forum on Human Trafficking. Ms. Athreya keynote address will touch upon her work at the International Labor Rights Forum and the importance of partnerships when operating in different social and cultural contexts. In addition, Ms. Athreya will be a part of a panel discussion on how best to monitor and engage supply chains to ensure forced labor is not occurring in the production of goods.
To read more about Ms. Athreya, learn who else is presenting at the Global Forum on Human Trafficking, or to register to attend the event Click Here:
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