Attend This

"Did you know that 70% of the world's supply of cocoa beans comes from West Africa, where there are an estimated 15,000 child slaves who harvest them? Kidnapped, or even sold by their families, they are forced to work under dangerous conditions with little hope for a brighter future. 

Hosted by Not For Sale Minnesota, during this event you will learn to deal constructively with this disheartening situation by becoming an informed consumer of slave-free chocolate. Come and learn about local chocolate sources untainted by slave labor, as well as have the opportunity to sample and purchase slave-free (and guilt-free) chocolate."

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The movie The Dark Side of Chocolate will begin promptly at 7pm. Please come and see this informative clip.

  

WHEN: Thurs, Feb 10  7PM - 9PM   

WHERE: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Minneapolis Office

625 Fourth Avenue S.

Minneapolis, MN 55415

FREE samples of fair trade chocolate will be provided by French Meadow Bakery.

PARKING: Free parking is one block EAST of Thrivent between 5th and Portland.

DETAILS: The event will take place in the first floor auditorium of the Thrivent building. Skyways and all doors will be open for your use.  

Pictures Via The Dark Side of Chocolate

Event Hosted By the Not for Sale Campaign MN Chapter 
Oh, & great minds think alike: Kimmy

It's Madly Fab

Not too long ago I raved about my first issue of MN Women's Press, and kids - my second is equally fabulous. I highly encourage you all to pick up a copy of the July issue (I got mine at Goodwill in Hastings) or visit www.womenspress.com. 

One my favorite articles this month was called Alice's Journey by Lyndall Johnson. Even though I had seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland I never took note of all the girl power! Johnson praises the movie for finally portraying a Heroine the right way -- a woman who defies cultural norms, stands up for the greater good, and follows her dreams - no matter what society says!

Emily and I watched the film tonight, her for the first time and I with a new perspective. Let me tell ya - it rocked my girl power socks right off. I've enjoyed the stories of Alice for a long time - so to now see my dear Alice as a positive female role model - warms my heart.

"From the moment I fell down this rabbit hole I've been told what I must do and who I must be! I've been shrunk, stretched, scratched and stuffed into a teapot! I've been accused of being Alice and not being Alice, but this is my dream. I will decide where is goes from here! ... I make the path."

this-century war movies.

It's official. I need netflix. Badly. Mike & I love watching movies together, and during this visit- I got to choose them!! Thanks to the greatness of netflix we enjoyed: 

The Stoning of Soraya M.: The true story of one woman living in Iran, who was stoned to death after being falsely accused of adultery by her angry, divorce-seeking husband. This movie is heartbreaking, frustrating and eye-opening because while this is the story of one women - stoning still occurs in many Muslim majority nations (I must note, obviously, this does not mean that all Muslim's believe in this deadly, inhuman punishment). 

The Men Who Stare at Goats: Packed with leading Hollywood men, this movie is hilarious & heart-warming. It's about a reporter who finds himself on an adventure with a military secret agent. Only, this agent is part of the New Earth Army - whose mission is to explore psychological warfare, and emphasizes connecting with both the enemy and one's inner flower child. 

The Hurt Locker: A portrait of men who work for the US Military's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit in Iraq. It really goes into the psychological effects of being in war. Inspired by real events, it's innnntense and action packed.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell: The Story of Liberian women who worked and prayed to bring peace to their country by protesting a civil war tearing apart the country. A-maz-ing. Women are going to change this world - a statement that can be signed, sealed, and delivered after seeing this film. 

I knowwww I recently blogged about documentaries ... I swear to you, I'm not trying to be the next Roger Ebert - they were just really good! 

Poetry

Since I've watched, Munyurangabo I've been thinking a lot about it. Well I take that back, just the end. Edouard Bamporiki (a well-known Rwanda poet) reads his work, "Liberation is a Journey" & it is beyond moving. 6 minutes of pure beauty. 

I found myself getting lost in the flowing and powerful sounds of Kinyarwanda, then scrambling to read the subtitles. The poem talks about beautiful Rwanda and the aftermath of genocide. It touches on peace, violence, history, landscape, education, child soldiers/victims, propaganda, moving forward, set-backs, liberation, needs, wants, pride, Hutu, Tutsi, children, orphans, domestic abuse, poverty, goals, prostitution, one culture, etc.

I want to copy it to you alllllll, but, I cannot find it anywhere. I've read/searched interviews, youtube, indie movie reviews, and even a handful of spirituality websites (?) in attempts to find it. No luck. I've resorted to re-watching the poem scene a few times, here is a taste : 

"...That our Rwanda, its beautiful rivers and pools Its beautiful fields with roads and no famine 
Became a cemetery and a shame 
Don't you know that this is injustice? 
... Free us from poverty and illiteracy since liberation is a journey 
I'll start with the family, the foundation 
I condemn the many men 
Who don't allow their wives to have a voice
They hit them and think they're mindless 
Who gains from this? 
... You are killing our vision of a strong nation"* 

Trust me on this one. See it, & feel the aftermath of genocide and the power of revenge through the eyes of one young boy. 

Cheers to Rwanda! & its tea that I'm drinking right now. & tonight's new episode of LOST / African movie night & tomorrow's Rwanda reunion! Obviously, I've had a tiny little country on the brain lately.

*original words by Uwayo Bamporiki Edouard, translated by Ahishakiye Emmanuel, from Lee Isaac Chung's Munyurangabo

c-c-cherry bomb

I just got home from seeing The Runaways with my friend Lindsay (who is much more rock-star than I), and now I'm daydreaming of wreaking havoc on ... anything really. But alas, mass destruction will have to wait because my Grandpa and Grandma are here for dinner. & anyway, I don't have any silver eye shadow.

(Trying)

Something to Do Today: Embrace your inner rock-star. Listen to some loud music! Pick up an instrument! Head bang? 

EducationalEntertainment

Since I've returned from Cairo, I've been attending monthly Refugee Health Task Force meetings put on by the MN Department of Health (I am so grateful that they let a young, un-affiliated kid like me join). I've learned a lot about immigrant/refugee issues in the Metro and made some excellent contacts. Today's meeting was extra special -- when I walked into the room and it smelt like Leah Keino's kitchen I knew it was going to be good -- The Annual Task Force Film Festival / Ethnic Pot Luck Party!

So now, with a strong urge to buy plane tickets to Africa and a lentil/rice filled belly... I'll share with you the titles of documentaries/films that we either watched clips from or simply discussed briefly. Each title is linked so you can easily find more information: 

Middle East/Asia

Blindsight: The story of six Tibetan teens who climb a mountain near Everest, a feat in itself, these teens are blind.  

Born into Brothels: Follows a few children living in brothels within the red light district of Calcutta, India. Each is given a camera and lessons on photography, a powerful film about how children see the world. (Probably my favorite documentary from today - the children are beautiful and talented - it's a heart-wrenching story. I'm anxious to see the whole film). 

To See If I'm Smiling: The story of young girls drafted into the Israeli military. 

I Know I'm Not Alone: Musician Michael Franti travels to Palestine, Israel, and Iraq to look at the human cost of war.
Found: "An impressionistic journey told through old photos, text, animation and home movies, begings with Toronto poet Souvankham Thammavongsa discovers her father's discarded scrapbook that documents the family's escape from Laos in the 1970s"
The Story of the Weeping Camel: Part documentary part film, it's the story of a family of herders in Mongolia and the troubles they face when a camel mother rejects her newborn calf.
Tuya's Wedding: A story about a Mongolian woman shepherd.
The Betrayal: Oscar nominated and a 23 year project, it's the story of one family's forced move from Laos to New York city after the secret US air-war with Vietnam brought violence and chaos to the area. 

Africa

Black Gold: A Film About Coffee & Trade, the film follows impoverished Ethiopian coffee growers and their fight for a fair price. 

Munyurangabo: A Rwandan genocide orphan travels the country to avenge his father's death.

Sisters in Law: Two sisters in the Cameroon use law and justice to help the abused women of the village. 

What are we doing here?: Three brothers and a cousin travel from Cairo to Cape Town to see where the billions of dollars in world aid is really going. (Extremely powerful, educational, emotional, and shocking. I'm hunting this one down for sure - 30 minutes wasn't enough). 

I'm Not Black, I'm Coloured: An educational and historical look at race in Cape Town, South Africa.
Rough Aunties: Follows a group of women who protect and care for abused, neglected, and forgotten children in Durban, South Africa.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell: The Story of Liberian women who worked and prayed to bring peace to their country by protesting a civil war tearing apart the country.

Worldwide

Half the Sky: A movement to empower the world's women, and to end human trafficking, forced prostitution, and gender-based violence. (The Half the Sky movement is more well-known for it's novel form, written by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn).
* Sacred Heart, The Rice, and The Chosen Child were three other films that were mentioned today, but I couldn't find information on them.

You probably won't find these titles in your nearest Redbox, but try your local library! It's raining outside, the perfect time to cuddle up and learn. Happy viewing!