Cocoa Campaign presentation, discussion, and free hot cocoa!

Join the conversation at the Peace & Justice Center on February 6th, from 3-4pm 

at 60 Lake Street:

Human trafficking, child labor, and slavery are hard topics to talk about, and these are not the first things that come to mind when you think of Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, these issues are fueled by many of our chocolate driven holidays.Join us this Saturday for a presentation about the many players within cocoa production chain and how the system perpetuates the exploitation of children.

Eight of the world's largest chocolate companies have made non-binding commitments to eradicate the worst forms of child labor and have failed to make improvements. In contrast to these corporate giants, we will take a look at cooperatives, direct trade, and the Fair Trade movement which protect human rights and empowers communities. The following discussion will provide an opportunity to talk about what we can do as consumers to create demand for ethically sourced cocoa!

We are so excited to be offering our Nonviolent Activism 101 workshop in Winooski in partnership with the O'Brien Community Center on two consecutive Thursday evenings this month. This program was piloted in September and is designed to help people in the community access and explore the strategy of nonviolence movement building in the hopes that this information will be used in various local efforts.

The workshop is broken into two parts and there is some homework so folks are asked to register in advance and attend both parts. February 18th will focus on exploring violence and systems of oppression so that the group can see how a nonviolent strategy is effective in taking on oppressive systems. February 25th participants will select a locally inspired campaign and develop a coordinated nonviolent response to a particular oppressive policy, institution, structure, and/or practice within our community.

We are looking forward to learning with all participants and building skills and strategy to lift up movements and local efforts that contribute to a just and peaceful world. If you are involved in efforts locally that could be used as a real example for the second day of the workshop, please contact Kyle at [email protected] or 863-2345 x6. To register click here or call 863-2345 x6. Also click here to see some of the things that folks shared after our September workshop.

• 3-4pm Cocoa Campaign Presentation at the Peace & Justice Center. This presentation focuses on the issue of child slavery and human trafficking in the cocoa industry. It is designed to educate, brainstorm solutions and create tangible action steps that fit within the comfort zone of each participant. For more information contact Amy Crosswhite via [email protected] or call 802-863-2345 x3.