Is your chocolate someone's chains? - Two steps you can take to be the change

Let’s just start out by saying, I am absolutely in love with chocolate. It is not as much a love as coffee, but put them together and I am transported into another realm. Out of this worlds day to day grind and into a moment of ecstasy. It’s like heaven. A dreamy smooth piece of chocolate followed by the espresso’s contrasting yet complimentary flavor, mmm.
All that to say I am utterly shocked at what I have just learned. Until I heard about this I really had no idea what went on behind the scenes of my silky smooth chocolate treats. Over a third of the world’s cocoa comes from Cote D’Ivoire, West Africa where cocoa production uses child and forced labour (The Department of Labour 2009). In a investigation, “the BBC found evidence of human trafficking and child slave labour.” (BBC Panorama) Kids are literally being taken prisoner, not paid, and forced to work long cruel hours farming the delicious chocolate we enjoy.

There has been some legislation in the past trying to make its way in to put labels on chocolate saying ‘made slave free’, this has come to a halt with no real progress. I think legislation is a part of all of this. However, I think the most powerful force to stop these injustices is if all the consumers stopped demanding normal products, and only demand fair trade or traffic free chocolate, along with other products that cause injustice. The market is completely driven by supply and demand. Companies can only sell their product to the extent that it is demanded. Therefore, if we as consumers began demanding fair trade products businesses, in order to keep selling, would have to adapt to what the market market demand.

Steps you can personally take to stop this:

1. First of all, start buying fair-trade (www.fairtrade.co.uk) and www.transfairusa.org. I will definitely be looking for these symbols whenever I buy chocolate from now on. Though not a perfect system, fairtrade is a great step in the right direction. I literally will not be buying chocolate unless it’s marked fairtrade.

*I will post a follow up blog in the next few weeks with the best places and best chocolate to buy.


2. Learn More about it:
BBC did an entire documentary on this topic. It is incredibly informative.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8583000/8583499.stm


Thanks for taking the time to read this blog,

Justin
See how our company is doing out part to make a difference. - Our Cause

Photos:
Macro Photography - Cadbury Dark Chocolate

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.http://www.ethictravel.com

Social entrepreneurs can rise to the top - The Entrepreneurial X-Factor - E-Myth Worldwide

This is an amazing article that I hope will ignite passion into any potential social entrepreneurs out there. I truly believe that social businesses could be the most successful enterprises in the world. A large part of success is keeping motivated and passionate. There is no better way to do that than to have a purpose. The business or organization is simply the means to accomplish an end. Read this. Get inspired. Think big. Create a vision. Do this in a creative way thinking how you can make an impact in society through it all! Not only that, do this and you will find yourself more fulfilled personally than you could have ever imagined.

Click the link below to read this great article from E-Myth.

The Entrepreneurial X-Factor - E-Myth Worldwide

Welcome video blog: A blog focused on businesses making a difference

Welcome to the Ethic ! Business blog. This isn't a place for me to spew my thoughts, but instead I hope it becomes a place where people gather, read, comment, and connect with other social businesses and people passionate about making a difference. A place where we as consumers can learn how, why, and where we can buy socially impact-ful products and services.

Calling all entrepreneurs, world changers, and history makers

“Potential entrepreneurs are outsiders. They are people who imagine things as they might be, not as they are, and have the drive to change the world around them.” - Anita Rodick

Entrepreneurs have always been innovators, changers, and an influential force throughout history. From them have come a vast array of life changing inventions and ideas, some turn into reality while some stay ideas! We have reached a day and age where a generation of social entrepreneurs need to rise up. Now more than ever, as the world is becoming globalized we have a responsibility. In the recent years many injustices have been brought into the open; human trafficking, child soldiers, poverty, AIDS, extreme poverty, and that’s just to name a small few. 

What if an incredible generation of social entrepreneurs would rise up passionately pursuing solutions to todays social problems? What if potential entrepreneurs realized that it really isn’t money that satisfies the souls longing, but instead giving and helping others fills it. What if every business and consumer began purchasing on ethical grounds! What if throughout our lifetime we could use what we have to truly make a difference in someone's life? If you are going to spend your life doing something, spend it helping others and you will be amazing at how fulfilled you will be. It’s a new age of doing well, by doing good.

 

Videos that wrecked me for good and moved me to action #1

Over the next few months I am going to post some of the videos that have absolutely wrecked me for good after watching them. Videos that shifted something inside of me. There is no doubt about it, there are some major injustices in the world. It can seem overwhelming, but the fact is if we work together great things can happen. These experiences and videos are all a part of why my wife and I decided to go into social business. Coming up with a crazy idea that by offering vacation rentals that build homes for the poor we could build a sustainable business that has a lasting impact.
         I can imagine many thousands of other social businesses rising up creating a new capitalism that brings homes to the homeless, clothes to the naked, food to the hungry. Entrepreneurs are by definition problem solvers. It is a fact that the worlds biggest problem is injustice. I am believing for a generation of social entrepreneurs to rise up and solve these problems!

This first video is a clip of a documentary that I watched a few years ago about the devastation in Uganda called Invisible Children. There are children that have been abducted and forced into being in a militia that goes around killing thousands of innocent people. The clip you are seeing is of children commuting into the city center every night to sleep because they are afraid that if they stay in their homes for fear of being taken in the middle of the night by the rebel army. 

I know it is not fun or exciting viewing. But I hope you let it wreck you for good and move you to action. I believe someone watching this to burst forth with innovative and creative sustainable ideas. Though I highly beleive in creating social businesses giving to charity is also something very important. The organization who created this is doing excellent work in Uganda. Check out what they are doing- http://www.invisiblechildren.com. You can also go to You Tube and watch the full documentary. They have it broken up into 6 or 7 parts, just type in - Invisible Children Pt 1.

If this moves you spread the word. Change starts in our lives and gives us a BIG WHY to doing what we do. Spread this video and blog to more people so they may get inspired, creative, and passionate!

The what and why of a social business

       What is a social business? One group defines it, “As with all businesses, they compete to deliver goods and services. The difference is that social purpose is at the very heart of what they do, and the profits they make are reinvested towards achieving that purpose.” (Social Enterprise Coalition). A business with a purpose woven into its fabric from the beginning. Strategically created, not only, to maximize sales, but to maximize impact as well. 

“About 1.1 billion people are living in inadequate housing conditions in urban areas alone.” (Un Habitat)

“...an estimated 100 million homeless people around the world, available data suggest that increasing proportions are women and children.” (Un Habitat)

The growth of the social business sector is incredibly important to changing the inequalities of the world. If set up correctly, it offers the best of both charitable organizations and efficient business. One challenge that charities face is the continual lack of funding; forcing them to spend their valuable time and effort on fundraising activities. Which takes away efforts to impact their cause.  A social enterprise can overcome this by producing continual revenue through their products and services and directing a portion, or all, of their profits into their chosen cause. 

      Imagine a world where the majority of businesses began operating with a social mission at their forefront. Imagine what kind of change that could bring to those with no future, no homes, no water, no education, and no food. Imagine what it would be like if you knew you were impacting humanity in a great way simply by grocery shopping, or in our case by renting vacation home.  

     That is what I find so inspiring about social enterprise and exactly why part of our business, blogs and podcasts will be dedicated to highlighting other great social businesses to begin using. There are many with equal products, or better than the competitor, but that are doing good by it. It is truly the best of both worlds. Muhammud Yunus, nobel prize winner, states that we can create a new form of capitalism. I like that. 

    Our company, Ethic ! Travel, is mainly focused on providing incredible vacation rentals but we are also dedicated to working with and highlighting other great social businesses, or companies that hold CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) highly. 

To find out more about our company, how we are making a difference, or to find some incredible vacation rentals please visit us at - www.ethictravel.com


Take a moment and sign up to this Blog to learn more about social business.

Social Enterprise Coalition, retreived Sept 1, 2010, http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/pages/about-social-enterprise.html.

Un Habitat, retreived Sept 1, 2010: 06:08, http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp typeid=19&catid=282&cid=789.

Ethic ! Travel Blogging Beginnings

I am pleased to announce our new blog! You will absolutely want to subscribe to this to receive current vacation rental deals, travel stories and tips, as well as interviews and suggestions regarding other social businesses. I am very much looking forward to building an online conversation with each one of you.