Do Your Part to Have an Untainted Valentine's

As the new year is falls into place the next big spending holiday lies right around the corner, Valentines Day, the day which is to give symbolic measure to love.  Millions of couples are looking for that perfect token to show how they feel for their special someone.  While the day may not be  exchanging gifts which symbolize their love and affection for each other.

While the effort to have a slave free valentines day is one to warm hearts the world over, it is a long battle that can begin with you.  UNICEF estimates that some 200,000 children are victims of trafficking each year in West and Central Africa alone, for the purpose of working in the supply chain for products such as; cocoa and coffee.Child trafficking continues to plague the cocoa fields  of West Africa, which is the source of 70% of the world’s cocoa.  Global March Against Child Labor estimates that one in every eight children from 5 to 17 years old, some 179 million, work in the worst forms of child labor.

According to a recent report published by by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) exposes companies like Hershey who are falling behind their competitors in by not committing to policies and practices which ensure that their cocoa suppliers uphold  international labor rights standards.  Hershey has continually failed to obtain their Fair Trade certification, which would show their cocoa supply chain is free of child trafficking and forced labor .

Why is Fair Trade so important?  Fair Trade gives greater transparency to the cocoa industry and helps to ensure that workers in the fields receive a fair wadge, are given increased protections for  their rights, and work to ensure the elimination of child labor and trafficking.

What all can you do to help? The ILRF and their partners have launched a new cocoa campaign leading up to Valentine’s Day:

1. Send Hershey CEO David J. West a Valentine! Create your own Valentine with a personal message calling on Hershey to use Fair Trade Certified cocoa and mail it to the company by February 18th. We also have a Valentine you can download and send to Hershey. This is a great activity for gatherings of friends and family or community, faith, union and school groups! Full details and instructions are online here.
2. Host a Screening of The Dark Side of Chocolate! You can order a copy of this powerful documentary that exposes the ongoing use of trafficked child labor in the cocoa industry in West Africa online here and you can find a screening toolkit here. ILRF and our campaign allies are especially encouraging supporters to host screenings as part of a national week of action leading up to Valentine’s Day from February 4-14, 2011.

Global Exchange and their campaign partners encourage you to:

1. Make valentines (or color in the online pdf version on our website) asking Hershey CEO David West to start sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa.  (Hey, how often do you get a chance to pull out your colored markers, glitter, or construction paper?)  It’s even more fun with a group of friends, at a Valentine’s Day party or at a Dark Side of Chocolate Screening! Or set up a table at your school, place of worship, Fair Trade store, or other public gathering place.  We’ll email you a COUPON for 10% off your purchase at any Global Exchange store if you also scan your valentine and email it to us to be posted online.  Please mail/email all valentines by Friday, February 18.  Visit www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/raisethebarhershey.html for more details.
2. Host a Dark Side of Chocolate Screening, during our second National Week of Action to show the compelling new documentary about the continued use of child labor and trafficking in the cocoa industry! Order a copy for just the price of replication/postage at www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/raisethebarhershey.html
3. WIN Fair Trade prizes by telling educators (of any kind – even youth group leaders!) about Global Exchange’s Fair Trade curriculum to explain the issues of child labor in the cocoa industry, before making valentines for Hershey.  Educators can win prizes by teaching the curriculum, too. Visit www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/ValentinesDay.html
4. Buy Fair Trade chocolate for Valentine’s Day! Which is the fairest chocolate of them all?  Not Hershey, but there are plenty of delicious Fair Trade certified chocolates for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day!  Check out Global Exchange’s Fair Trade stores’ Valentine’s Day shop (www.globalexchangestore.org/category-s/267.htm) and chocolates (www.globalexchangestore.org/SearchResults.asp).
5. A chocolate bar as our gift to you!  Your support makes it possible to hold Hershey accountable.  We’ll send you a delicious Fair Trade chocolate bar if you make a one-time donation of $50 or more or start monthly contributions of $10 or more at www.globalexchange.org/donatefairtrade.
6. Sign the Fair Trade Valentines Day Pledge, were you can also learn not only were to buy your swearheart, or yourself, chocolate, but Fair Trade wines and flowers as well.  Please also take a moment to listen to stories from the children who work in the cocoa fields from the International Cocoa Initiative, here.