For the babies.

Brodie baby.

There's a song by Damien Marley that I listened to a lot over the summer at Leoni. It's called "For the Babies" and it's not exactly a nice song, and I don't even really know if it's message is "good" or "bad"-- I can't tell! Mostly cause I just haven't thought about it too much. But when I was really tired on days at camp when I didn't want to be with the kids, I rolled that line around in the palm of my brain-- "this one's for the babies." Doing it for the kids, no matter if it's hard or not.

Most of the research I do- mostly out of curiosity- has to do with human rights. Those that violate them, those that are victims of those violations, people who are trying to fix the problem, those who are ignorant, shocked or indifferent because of lack of hope. Nick and I watched this TED Talk the other day that sank deep down and cemented itself in us. Photographs and descriptions of what it is like to be a slave. Not just a slave to other human beings, but to a broken system of poverty, corrupt government and of fear and silence.

It came at the right time, as we just decided to focus in on Fair Trade practices for Amnesty this year. Where do the products you buy come from? From slave labor? Are they American-made? I was riding my bike home and thinking "where did my tires come from, all the pieces?" And I burst into my apartment, running word-circles around Nick of how we could change the way people are treated by being aware of how our products are made and perhaps giving up some of the things that are produced under poor working conditions and low wages in order to encourage change. I'm not sure what that looks like or exactly how that happens- but I do think there is a way. A way for each of us to do something small (perhaps every day with a cup of coffee) that will grow into something big that will change the lives of mistreated people. If you watch the TED talk and take a look at the IFOAM website, you'll have a basic understanding and I encourage you to do so.

Disclaimer: I also realize that this is not easy. Buying Fair Trade is really inconvenient in a fast-paced society like ours- when we need something, we need it now. But if I truly believe that each person is made in the image of God and worth dying for, I want to think about what I'll change, what I'll give up- for the babies...

"And papas locked in cages
And mamas lackin wages
And this what they're faced with
Upon a daily basis"