The Body Shop Activist

The Body Shop Wins Sustainability Award

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:38:00 PST

By Adam Valvasori

On Wednesday Jane Harris (Customer Service Manager) and I went to the Victorian Employer’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (VECCI’s) Grow Me The Money AWARD FOR ACTION lunch held at the amazing Charcoal Lane in Fitzroy.

Grow Me The Money is the fantastic program we’ve been using to structure our Green Team’s meetings and activities. There’s a representative from every department on the team.

The participating company’s Green Team Action Plans were judged by a panel of experts and I’m proud to announce The Body Shop won in our category of +100 employees. Yay us!

The real work is just beginning, but made easier by the award money ($5,000) we won which will be put towards implementing some of our 16 (award winning) enviro action ideas.

More of our workings and achievements will be shared with you in due course but the recommendations in the Action Plan target improvements to reduce our energy, transport, water and waste.

Thanks to everyone on the Green Team who contributed so much to winning this great industry award. We’re really looking forward to continuing our work to improve our sustainability.

“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

www.growmethemoney.com.au

Girl Power

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Valvasori) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:06:00 PST

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager

Image via Care Australia

Today I was lucky enough to go to a lunch and hear from Professor Muhammad Yunus, one of my favourite, real-world, super heroes.

He's the guy who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for establishing the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. It began with a loan of $27 to a group of impovrished women and now the bank lifts millions out of poverty by disbursing $6.6bn in tiny loans to millions of people living in poverty.

Yunus' bank has been copied across the world and microcredit is now a mainstream strand in dealing with poverty. You've heard me bang on about Kiva.org before - well that's all because of Yunus!

Friends of The Body Shop, I can't encourage you enough, if you want to help fight poverty - INVEST IN WOMEN!

When you give women in poverty a chance. When you remove the barriers of discrimination. When you give them a chance of education and employment... they have been proven to be better than men at feeding, sheltering and educating their family. In other words women are one of the keys to making poverty history.

Monday was World Women's Day and I thought I would share these great videos from Plan Australia from their Because I am A Girl Campaign. You should also check out Care Australia's I Am Powerful campaign which also targets women who are disproportionately affected by poverty.

C'mon! The least you can do is loan a sister $25 through Kiva!

JOIN THE HUMANE CHAIN - End the Intolerable Cruelty of Live Sheep Export

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:30:00 PST

Join the Humane Chain Public Forum on Live Sheep Exports

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is hosting a Humane Chain forum to highlight the ongoing inhumane and economically damaging live animal export industry in Australia.

The event will also present evidence collected during WSPA's recent investigation into the mistreatment of Australian sheep. Investigators have documented cruelty throughout the live export supply chain, from transportation on ships, through to holding yards and abattoirs in the Middle East.

Grant Courtney, Federal President of the Australiasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) will be discussing the negative economic and social impact of live animal exports on rural communities. And will highlight the more humane and economically viable alternatives to the trade and how the Australian Government can protect Australian jobs.

WSPA invite you to come along and learn more about the live sheep export trade, meet like-minded people and find out how you can help end the intolerable cruelty of live exports.

Where: Parliamentary Theatrette, NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney
When: 10am for a 10.30 start until 12pm, Wednesday, March 10, 2010
RSVP: Limited seats available and allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Please RSVP by emailing jessicaborg@wspa.org.au.
WSPA will email all RSVP's approximately one week prior to the event to confirm seat allocation.

Together we can end this unnecessary cruelty - www.humanechain.org.au

Jessica Borg
Programmes Officer
WSPA Australia
02 9902 8000

Behind the Scenes at Vendor Support

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:14:00 PST

Prepared by: Sunny Oliver-Bennetts, The Big Issue

It is a real treat purchasing The Big Issue Magazine from a vendor on the street. But have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at The Big Issue? There are over 350 authorised vendors around Australia that are supported by a Vendor Support team in each State. Here is a snapshot of a day in the life of Vendor Support …

Vendors call or text in from 8am to 4pm to book their pitch for the day. When I dropped in for a visit, Jules was on the phone wearing a huge grin and giggling away. It was Nick, one of our many vendors with a wicked sense of humour; he also goes by the name of nick.com/http. Nick was calling to book his usual pitch which he calls ‘The hard basket’ – located on Hardware Lane and the Hard Rock Café in Melbourne.

Vendors pop in and out throughout the day to purchase their copies of the magazine for $2.50 which they will then sell on the streets for $5, keeping the difference. Some vendors will just drop in for a chat, seek some wise advice from Kirstie (who has been with us for over thirteen years) relax with a coffee and share a few stories from their pitch. This day-to-day interaction and ongoing support boosts their self-esteem, builds a sense of community and promotes social inclusion for vendors.

Generally there will be 1-2 new vendors a week that Vendor Support Manager Gemma will put through an induction and training process getting them prepared to sell. No matter what their background, everyone is welcome to sell The Big Issue magazine. After signing a code of conduct vendors receive their official The Big Issue badge.

Flat chat on a ‘release day’ (when the new edition hits the streets), the team were organising stock for distribution points (such as long-tern partners The Body Shop) and food for the fortnightly BBQ that afternoon.

On my way out, Jules shoots a big smile my way as she picks up the phone again, and I leave feeling yet again in awe of the dedication, patience, energy and unwavering commitment to vendors our Vendor Support teams around the country demonstrate every day for those who are homeless, marginalised or disadvantaged.

Earthquake in Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Valvasori) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:14:00 PST

Our thoughts go out to the people of Chile as they recover from the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit them on Saturday, killing over 100 people, and triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific, including Australia.

As with the Haiti disaster, Australian aid agencies have already launched their emergency relief teams to help on the ground.

"This quake won’t be the same as the January 12 earthquake in Haiti," said Madeline Wilson, Emergency Communications Specialist for World Vision, who is currently in the Dominican Republic after spending a month responding the earthquake in Haiti.

"Haiti was concentrated and that led to the challenge of tons of aid and hundreds of aid workers being sent into a small zone. This quake off the Chilean coast has potential to reach remote areas. It will take some time to assess the number of deaths and amount of damage.”

Since 1980, World Vision Chile has been implementing development projects reaching about 100,000 children and adults within the country's poorest, most marginalised communities, including a focus on education and microfinance opportunities for poor entrepreneurs.

Here's what you can do:

Read more about the Chilean Earthquake and current emergencies World Vision is responding to.
Donate to World Vision's Emergency Relief & Preparedness Fund.
Read blogs from Emergency Relief Workers like Madeline Wilson - On the Ground in Haiti.

Images via The Boston Globe

Information is Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Valvasori) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:52:00 PST

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager.

Hello it's 2010 - welcome to a "future" without jetpacks but a tonne of information to wade through everyday!

For Activists like you, it can sometimes be difficult to access concise and clear information. Your time is precious and your anxious to do something and you can't be expected to read through the entire back catalogue of Scientific Reports of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

That's why the Information is Beautiful website is genius and one of my most frequented bookmarks. Its the brainchild of David McCandless an independent data journalist and information designer from the UK.

As you can see from the above image they take complex information like the Haiti Earthquake Aftermath and design it into a Visual Map that's easy to understand. They even have competitions to see who can design the information most beautifully. After all that's what design is for!

Check them out! They've also done an amazing jobs at simplifying:

WWF : Knock-on Effects (Dominoes)

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Valvasori) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:47:00 PST

via scaryideas.com

WWF Knock-on effects (Dominoes) from Wyld Stallyons on Vimeo.

Wyld Stallyons were approached by design agency, Bostock and Pollitt, to create an animation with the aim of encouraging people to become activists.

With concerns about climate change at a more acute point than ever before, The World Wildlife Fund wanted tell people how their opinion can really make a difference. Even the smallest action, such as sending an email to your MP, can form part of a much bigger picture.

The idea played on the domino effect - illustrating the point with our character, Colin the Campaigner. While going about his daily life, Colin has concerns of his own that he wants to express. By the simple act of writing, Colin and others like him can have a far-reaching impact on the wider world.

Wyld Stallyons worked in collaboration with directors Yann Benedi and Celine Desrumaux to produce the animated video that is currently featured on the WWF site.

Credits:

Director and Animator YANN ET CELINE
Writer JASON ARBER
Storyboards CHRIS SAYER
Music PAUL JAMES (WAFER AUDIO)
Sound Design JASON ARBER
Creative Director WYLD STALLYONS
Producer for Wyld Stallyons NATALIE BUSUTTIL
Creative Agency BOSTOCK AND POLLITT
Producer for Bostock and Pollitt JONTY ROOTS
Account Manager JO THORPE

Counting Sheep

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:44:00 PST

Sorry we've been quiet for a while... We've been busy counting sheep!

Our next campaign will be launching 14 March and we'll be trying to get as many customers to count sheep as possible...

Not the happy sheep above either :(. More like these ones:

4 million sheep a year shipped on a grueling journey from Australia to the Middle East.

The industry admits there's about a 1% death rate on this journey from crushing, dehydration or starvation.

That's 40,000 a year dieing inhumanely! Those that survive the journey face a worse fate at their destination.

It's Australia's biggest animal welfare problem and together, we're going to stop it!

Find out more by watching the two videos below and join the Humane Chain here:
http://humanechain.org.au

Or wait for our exciting, new campaign to start in-stores in March!

If you can't see the videos below - please click here.

Providing Opportunities for those that have Fallen through the Cracks

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:02:00 PST

Aaron is all smiles as he casually strolls into The Big Issue office to give one of his stellar talks for The Big Issue Classroom. His dog Levi is just as friendly and easy going, sticking close to Aaron’s side. However Aaron’s story, which he courageously shares with school students each week, isn’t all smiles.

Aaron recalls that his early childhood days were pretty similar to that of any other kid growing up in suburbia – nice house, friends with the neighbours and a sibling who adored him. Things started to change pretty quickly though once his Dad joined the army and the family was forced to shift every few years. This strain of moving and coupled with his Mum’s bipolar disorder meant Aaron’s home life became troubled. With the constant worry of what was going on at home, he had difficulty concentrating at school and started to slip through the cracks as teachers became frustrated that he couldn’t keep up. This was only fuelled by bullying in the schoolyard – which Aaron felt was no longer a safe place.

Aaron had been skipping school for three months when his parents found out. His dad had always told him that violence wasn’t the answer but once the cat was out of the bag about his absence at school Aaron was beaten badly. His trust for his parents was broken. Having nowhere else to go, Aaron lived in bus shelters, trains, parks and alleyways. Even now he admits that at 15 he was still a little scared of the dark and being on the streets is a scary place – for anyone. Aaron combated his fear by hanging out with a tough crowd for protection but as an off-set he was pressured into crime.

Over the next 10 years there were some ups – getting into a youth refuge, going back to school, being involved with Arts’ programs – but it’s a tough cycle to beat when you’re homeless from a young age and lack positive role models. After struggling to feed and clothe himself, being placed in unstable Government housing, being exposed to drugs and alcohol which lead to a heroin addiction, and spending time in jail Aaron eventually realised that a life of drugs and crime were not what he wanted for himself. And while he knew he had a lot more to offer he was unsure how he could overcome this destructive cycle he was immersed in. However, a chance encounter with an old Youth Worker and a referral from a friend who worked for The Big Issue turned out to be his saving grace.

Aaron felt quite embarrassed selling The Big Issue at first. But as more customers stopped to chat and pat Levi, his self-esteem grew as did his self-respect. The word got around that he was doing well. Aaron was offered housing; a one bedroom flat for him and his dog. He was given the chance to go back to school and study Youth Work where he met good friends and his lovely partner. They have just brought a beautiful baby girl into the world – and Aaron is a very proud father.

Aaron’s involvement in The Big Issue doesn’t stop with selling magazines. He uses his personal story as powerful teaching tool in The Big Issue Classroom and he can regularly be seen participating in the writing workshops and attending the vendor BBQs. The Big Issue Classroom challenges secondary students to break down stereotypes surrounding homelessness and encourage tolerance and empathy towards all people. Students attend a one hour interactive group session where discussions, games and fun activities are used to explore homelessness in Australia, discrimination in our society and what means to be marginalised. The Big Issue offered Aaron a hand-up and now he is not only an active member of the community but a role model for hundreds of secondary school students.

You can find Aaron selling magazines on the corner of Flinders Lane and Degraves St in Melbourne on Tuesdays and Thursdays after 2pm and on Saturday’s on the corner of Flinders St and Elizabeth St.

Dr Seuss sums up Copenhagen climate talks

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:29:00 PST

Marcus Brigstocke on BBC Radio 4’s Now Show reporting on the COP-15 meeting in the style of Dr Seuss.

I think it's genius!

Shows exactly how childish and petty we were. What a wasted opportunity! If you like it - pass it on to your friends... your MP! Sheesh, hasn't he world's leaders watched Dr Seuss's The Lorax?

If you can't see the video below click here.

Blast from the Past!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Muraca) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:16:00 PST

By Rachel Muraca

As hard as it is to believe, 2010 marks The Body Shop’s 34th year in business! What began as a little shop in West Sussex, England in 1976 has grown into a company that spans countries and continents. Not bad for what started with a dream and $6,000 for founder Anita Roddick! So, to celebrate the reemergence of our some of our old time favorites with our Originals line, we’re going to revisit some blasts from The Body Shop’s past.

First of all, look at this photo from 1976 of Anita Roddick standing in front of the first The Body Shop store in Brighton. Check out all of the baskets and bottles of product in the background! The story goes that she used to drizzle scent trails in order to entice people into the store. If you’ve ever walked by one of The Body Shop stores that is burning fragrance oil outside of the door, then you’ve noticed that we still adhere to Anita’s tradition!

Anita’s flagship store was located right next to a funeral home, which gave her lots of free press because of the dark humor of the coincidence. Anita handled it with her characteristic quirkiness and good nature, spinning it into a boost for The Body Shop’s PR.

A frugal conservationist, Anita saved money and avoided waste by having customers return their empty bottles to be refilled. The company was still using this practice when it made the jump across the pond to the United States. Most of the products were wrapped in hand-written labels, and they were offered in 5 sizes so that she could fill her shelves! You may recognize the bottle in the photo below if you’ve been a Body Shop fan for awhile.

What are your favorite memories of The Body Shop and our products? Leave your responses in the comments below, we’d love to hear them!

Thousands of animals perish in live export tragedy

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:25:00 PST

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop
It was devastating to hear the recent news that nearly 30,000 animals – 10,224 sheep and 17,932 cattle – were drowned when the Panamanian-flagged ship Danny F II sank off the coast of Lebanon. While the tragedy has taken an immense human toll, with more than half of the crew members missing, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and animal welfare organisations around the world have been highlighting the plight of the animals that have met this horrific death after having suffered a needless journey.

There have been numerous tragedies of this kind throughout the history of the live export trade. It is a harsh reminder of the perils of transporting thousands of animals across long distances – not to mention the often inhumane conditions on board such ships during these journeys. Previous WSPA investigations on the Danny F II and other similar cargo ships have shown how animals are packed tightly into the ship’s hold, with limited access to food and water, suffering great distress, injuries and dehydration before they arrive at slaughterhouses at their destination.

The live export industry claims that 99% of Australia’s exported animals arrive fit and healthy at their destinations and that we set a global benchmark for the rest of the world in terms of animal welfare. As the world’s largest exporter of animals for slaughter, Australia cannot continue to ignore the evidence that live exports are cruel.

We know that every year tens of thousands of sheep die on the journey from Australia to the Middle East alone. And for many of the sheep that survive the trip, a terrible fate awaits them in countries with no or unenforced animal welfare laws, where they are handled and slaughtered in ways that are neither legal nor tolerated within Australia.

As WSPA has repeatedly shown, the live export trade can be phased out and replaced with chilled and frozen meat products derived from animals humanely slaughtered at their point of origin. Apart from significantly improving the welfare of the animals concerned, this move to chilled meat products would also bring economic benefits to countries at both ends of the trade.
When will the Australian Government recognise the inherent risk and cruelty of the live export trade?

Body Image

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:16:00 PST

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager.

Image: Fairfax

"Arguably, the ''real women'' concept began with Anita Roddick's 1997 Body Shop campaign featuring Ruby, the size-16 Barbie doll, and the tagline, ''There are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only eight who do''. That year, then Cosmopolitan editor Mia Freedman instigated the mag's famed ''Body Love'' policy, allowing ''real women'' of sizes 6 to 16 to feature in fashion stories."

"Dye v Hawkins: a fatuous argument over slim women"
- CLEM BASTOW, Fairfax.

Thanks Clem for the nod. If anyone would like to find out more about The Body Shop's Real Beauty campaign, go here.

So, wow... lots has been happening on this issue over the summer break. I guess there's never been a better time for us to reinforce one of our core values of striving to activate our customers' positive self esteem...

BTW: The Body Shop does not use models who are very young or thin, nor do we extensively retouch our model shots. We always ensure our models look as natural and realistic as possible and do not digitally alter or distort the true image of the model.

The Body Shop doesn’t want to change the way you look. We want to change the way you feel about the way you look.

"Self-esteem is truly the route to revolution. We are not in the habit of making the connection between self-esteem and democracy, dignity, political activism and freedom of sexual expression – but in the future we will be."
- ANITA RODDICK 1997 Full Voice Magazine

For anyone reading this who thinks body image isn't important, listen up!

The above quote shows Anita knew just how vital self esteem is before all other issues. It hadn't clicked for me until I met with Julie Parker - General Manager of The Butterfly Foundation in 2009. Julie wisely pointed out that without a healthy self esteem, people find it challenging / impossible to focus on any other external 'global' issues such as human rights, animal welfare or the environment (topics we so passionately campaign on).

This is evidenced by Mission Australia's National Youth Surveys - where young people have been consistently rating body image as one of their top three issues of concern to them. At first I was surprised and frankly angry. How selfish of them to put their own vanity above other life and death issues like climate change and poverty. But I'm slowly learning and it makes sense to me now... if you can't love yourself, how can you love your fellow man, animal or nature? I think this is true regardless of age.

So, we're really looking forward to working with The Buttefly Foundation on a public campaign in May 2010 for positive self esteem, with a focus on body image. Who knows, maybe Ruby will even make a reappearance.

Read Julie's Blog; Beautiful You for more informed commentary on the debate. Check out this great Public Service Announcement I found by: Vianca Lugo from the USA... it touches on some interesting facts and more truths about Barbie and even G.I Joe. I love the quote at the end!

Body Image PSA from Vianca Lugo on Vimeo.

"EVERYTHING HAS BEAUTY, BUT NOT EVERYONE SEES IT"
- CONFUCIUS

Demand Dignity

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:24:00 PST

Photo from Amnesty International

Poverty is a violation of human rights. Every person, everywhere in the world, has a basic right to an adequate standard of living – the right to food, water, housing, health and education.

The Amnesty International Demand Dignity campaign aims to hold national and international leaders accountable for the human rights violations that drive and deepen poverty; and it will defend every person’s right to live with dignity.

The experience of people living in poverty is defined by a lack of income, but also, very importantly, by a combination of deprivation, insecurity, exclusion and powerlessness. These are abuses of human rights.

Birth and Death in Sierra Leone
The birth of a child should be a cause for celebration: of new life and of women’s sacred role as mother and nurturer. Tragically, many women in Sierra Leone spend the final months of pregnancy and agonising hours of childbirth fearing for their lives.

Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world - one in eight Sierra Leonean women dies from treatable complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

"These grim statistics reveal that maternal deaths are a human rights emergency in Sierra Leone," said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Irene Khan. She travelled to Sierra Leone in September 2009 to launch the report Out of reach: the cost of maternal health in Sierra Leone (pdf 1.1MB).

"Women and girls are dying in their thousands because they are routinely denied their right to life and health," she said, "in spite of promises from the government to provide free healthcare to all pregnant women."

Low status
Women in Sierra Leone confront discrimination in all aspects of their life. Their low status is refl ected in the lack of priority given to their health needs and the denial of their right to make decisions about how, when and where they want to have a child.

Laws prohibiting domestic violence and child marriage are routinely flouted. Girls as young as 10 are married. These girls are at particular risk of complications - pregnancy related deaths are the leading cause of mortality worldwide for girls 15 to 19 years of age.

It is widely believed in Sierra Leone that an obstructed labour is caused by a woman’s infidelity. Time is often wasted trying to extract a confession instead of getting the woman, in agony and unable to deliver her child, access to emergency obstetric care.

Broken healthcare system
Healthcare centres and hospitals across the country are woefully understaffed and ill-equipped for managing emergencies. Amnesty International’s research found that not one primary healthcare facility provides basic emergency obstetric care because staff are not trained to perform assisted natural deliveries.

Many hospitals also have no running water and only 10 per cent have a reliable electricity supply. Doctors and nurses told Amnesty International that they frequently wait many months for their salaries, which means they have no choice but to charge for their services. Corruption is rampant but desperate patients have little choice except to pay the fees demanded.

Poverty barrier
The decision to access healthcare is made more difficult by crippling and pervasive poverty.

More than 70 per cent of Sierra Leone’s people live on less than $1 a day. Yet according to the UN Children’s Fund, Sierra Leoneans pay more for healthcare than anyone else in sub-Saharan Africa. This is despite a 2002 Presidential decree exempting pregnant and lactating women from having to pay for healthcare.

Women in Sierra Leone need access to good quality antenatal care and need prompt access to emergency obstetric care when complications arise. They also need the government to ensure that their family’s poverty will not prevent them getting the life-saving treatment they need.

As a signatory to many of the human rights treaties that guarantee a woman’s right to healthcare, the Government of Sierra Leone has an obligation to take targeted steps to guarantee the highest attainable standard of health.

Needless loss: Adama Kamara
Adama Kamara was 25 when she went into labour prematurely in December 2008 in the village of Kapairo.

She struggled in agony to deliver the baby for two days before her family took her to a government hospital.

The trip cost $16, which her husband borrowed from neighbours. At the hospital Adama Kamara had to pay $1 for registration and $4 for a hospital bed, in addition to charges for medicines. There was no doctor on duty.

Adama Kamara delivered her child the next day, but it did not survive. She was bleeding heavily. Despite the fact that this was an emergency situation and despite the government’s free healthcare policy, the nurse in charge told Adama’s husband, Pa Abu Kamara, that he had to pay for medicine for Adama or "she will die".

Pa Abu Kamara told Amnesty International: "I didn’t have any more money. I just took Adama out of the hospital and took her home. She did not look good, but also I did not want to pay the hospital charge for her body, which is at least $26".

Adama Kamara was too delirious to speak for herself. She died at home the next day.
Article by Katie Hamann for Amnesty Interntional Australia

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Become a member of Amnesty International
Donate to Human Rights
Stay Informed - Sign up for email updates
Other ways to get involved

The Big Issue Vendor Christmas Parties

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:35:00 PST

Melbourne vendor Craig, getting into the Christmas spirit.

For many, Christmas is a time of giving, sharing belly laughs with family members and indulging or overindulging in Christmas treats. However, for those that are homeless, marginalised or disadvantaged, Christmas can hold a different meaning.

Every night in Australia around 105,000 people are homeless living on the streets, in doorways, squats or temporary accommodation.

This Christmas, The Big Issue has embraced the festive spirit hosting Christmas parties across the country for 350 plus vendors. In Melbourne, vendors were invited to attend a sit down dinner consisting of roast pork, lamb and beef with gravy and mint jelly, roast vegetables, salads, and sweets including Christmas pudding, pavlova and sponge cake.

To everyone’s great pleasure in Melbourne, vendor Owen played an impromptu albeit very talented set on the piano. With little encouragement needed several others busted out their best dance moves while the sounds of laughter and chatting filled the hall. De, another Melbourne vendor reflected on the occasion:

“It was nice to see people that I hadn’t seen for a while … Christmas can be a difficult time but there was a real sense of happiness at the party. It was a big group of happy people coming together as The Big Issue mob.”

The vendors are an eclectic group of people from all walks of life and these gatherings are a truly unique way for vendors, The Big Issue staff and supporters to get together and share a yarn. It’s now back to work for vendors, who get back to selling the magazine, earning themselves an income while also getting involved in the festive spirit across the country.

In a report released earlier this year it showed that for every one dollar invested in the Street Magazine Enterprise four dollars fifty in benefits was generated to the Australian community. Supporting a vendor group of some 350 individuals at any one time, the report showed that in the absence of the Street Magazine Enterprise those individuals would impose additional aggregate demands on society at a cost of around $10 million per annum.

Support The Big Issue this Christmas by purchasing a copy of the magazine from an authorised vendor on the streets for $5. Vendors keep half.

For more information about The Big Issue visit www.bigissue.org.au

Copenhagen deal leaves Australia at high risk

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:58:00 PST

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop
Strong national laws to cut greenhouse pollution and grow clean energy jobs are more important than ever after the Copenhagen climate talks ended in a weak result, the Australian Conservation Foundation said yesterday.

“Even with a weak outcome in Copenhagen it is clear many major economies represented here are moving to dramatically cut emissions and shift to a low carbon future,” said ACF executive director Don Henry from the Danish capital.

“A comprehensive climate treaty that requires Australia to reduce emissions is a matter of when, not if. The smart thing to do is to prepare Australia’s economy now.

“Australia needs a comprehensive set of national climate laws, otherwise there is a very real risk we will be left behind.

“The former government’s Shergold Report found it was better for the economy to put a price on carbon ahead of global action. This recommendation was supported by the former Government, the former Opposition leader and the current Government. We expect them to honour this commitment.

“People around the globe still want strong government action on climate change and world leaders will be arriving home to citizens who will be demanding better.

“Australians who voted for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2007 will expect international leadership from Kevin Rudd to extend the Protocol and build a comprehensive global treaty.

“We urge the Prime Minister to do what he can to make sure leaders come together again as soon as possible next year and deliver a fair, ambitious and binding global climate treaty alongside an extension to the Kyoto Protocol.”

Find out how Australia stacked up against the rest of the world in Copenhagen

Berry Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:13:00 PST

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop
For many years now, The Body Shop Retail Support Centre (RSC) has proudly supported the Berry Street Victoria - Berry Merry Christmas Appeal.

Berry Street Victoria has been protecting and caring for children and strengthening families since 1877. Berry Street exists to increase life chances and choices for children and young people who are at risk, or who have experienced the trauma of family violence, child abuse and neglect. Over 1000 children and young people will spend their Christmas with Berry Street this year.

Each year the children from The Body Shop Children’s Centre create a special Christmas tree to assist the staff of RSC in their support of the appeal. Berry Street provides gift tags with suggestions of what to buy for each age group, ensuring the process is simple yet incredibly effective. Most importantly, the Berry Merry Christmas Appeal results in great joy for the children of Berry Street.

If you would like to take part in the Berry Merry Christmas Appeal in the future, contact Damien on 9429 9266 or e-mail info@berrystreet.org.au

Supporting the Berry Merry Christmas Appeal is as simple as picking up an extra gift or two when out doing your Christmas shopping. Your generosity will ensure the spirit of Christmas reaches many disadvantaged children, young people and families in the care of Berry Street

International Human Rights Day

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:41:00 PST

Today marks the anniversary of the United Nation Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Over the years, a whole network of human rights instruments and mechanisms has been developed to ensure the primacy of human rights and to confront human rights violations wherever they occur.

The shocking truth is that Australia doesn't have that much to celebrate when it comes to Human Rights.

I'll leave our shocking treatment of asylum seekers for another day. Today I want to focus on the right to life with dignity for first Australians. A right we're still trampling all over!

Although the Government recently signed up to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, they have suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory to enact the "Northern Territory Intervention".

Our values partners Amnesty International and Australians For Native Title & Reconciliation are both campaigning to end this human rights violation.

If you value your human rights do something to help someone else's!

Amnesty International invited a few of us to attend a special breakfast with Nobel Peace Prize Winner and champion of human rights, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

We felt very fortunate to go and hear not only from His Holiness, but also from a brilliant Aboriginal woman - Professor Larissa Behrendt from the University of Technology Sydney. Larrissa spoke passionately about the injustices of the NT intervention including increases in violence , malnutrition and truancy.

So I encourage you to get the facts about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and check out some of the links above to support their human rights!

THE BIG ISSUE CALENDARS HIT THE STREETS

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:40:00 PST

MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 23 November, 2009
The Big Issue Calendars hit the streets in time for Christmas.

Australia’s best-loved street magazine, The Big Issue, is getting into the festive spirit with its annual calendar hitting the streets today.

On sale until sold out the 2010 calendar is available for purchase from vendors in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and regional Victoria.

At just $5, the calendar is a great gift idea, with the added bonus that half the money goes directly into the pocket of your vendor – sharing the gift of giving.
The 2010 calendar celebrates the talents of some of The Big Issue’s regular cartoonists and contributing artists, including Andrew Weldon, Neryl Walker,Dean Gorissen, Michael Weldon, Keith Burt, Michel Streich and Ron Monnier.

The calendar also highlights, in words, some of the remarkable vendors who sell The Big Issue magazine throughout each year. The calendar will be followed by The Big Issue’s annual bumper Christmas edition, which will hit the streets December 7.

The Street Magazine Enterprise is an initiative of The Big Issue Australia. It uses the publishing model to deliver an independent, sustainable and self-funded business solution to homelessness. By selling The Big issue magazine, homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people have the opportunity to earn an income and be actively included in society. Authorised vendors buy the magazine for $2.50 from the The Big Issue and sell it on the streets for $5.

In a report released earlier this year it showed that for every one dollar invested in the Street Magazine Enterprise four dollars fifty in benefits was generated to Australian society. Supporting a vendor group of some 350 individuals at any one time, the report showed that in the absence of the Street Magazine those individuals would impose additional aggregate demands on society at a cost of around $10 million per annum.

The Body Shop Copenhagen Menu for Climate Change

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:44:00 PST

Plenary room, Bella Centre, COP15 Copenhagen taken yesterday via: Australian Science Media Centre

We are just ordinary people working at The Body Shop Australia.

Our company strives to lighten it's environmental footprint. We've become carbon fighters too.

We hope the people with power converging on Copenhagen today understand their awesome responsibility.

We pray they use this chance in our history to just do the right thing for the common good.

In honour of this historic occasion our in-house cafe has designed a special Copenhagen Menu for lunch! Yay! The “Princess Mary’s favourite steamed dimmies” makes me LOL.

If you have a minute, quickly make Don Henry from ACF your proxy at Copenhagen!

Copenhagen Conference Menu December 7, 2009

Danish Chicken and basil rice, with sun dried tomatoes and lemon sour cream
Dansk kylling og Basilikum ris, med solen tørrede tomater og citron syrnet

Copenhagen egg salad sandwich with bacon and parsley
Copenhagen æg salat sandwich med bacon og persille

Danish beef sausages with grandmother’s sweet and sour red cabbage, potato mash and gravy.
Dansk oksekød pølser med bedstemors søde og sure røde kål, kartofler mask og sauce.

Baked pumpkin, cheese and spicy bean parcel, with cucumbers in sour cream.
Friskbagte græskar, ost og spicy bønne parcellen, med agurker i syrnet

Steamed market vegetables
Dampet markedet grøntsager

“Princess Mary’s favourite steamed dimmies”
"Prinsesse Marys favorit dampet dimmies"

Hot chips and friet sauce
Hot chips og friet sauce

Danish sour cream potato salad
Danske syrnet kartoffel salat

Tivoli salad, with Havarti cheese, ham, peppers and tomatoes
Tivoli salat, med Havarti ost, skinke, peberfrugter og tomater

God appétit

The Big Cheese team (The Big ost team)

Greenpeace ads with aged politicians in 2020 apologizing for climate change

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:14:00 PST

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager

If you can't see the slideshow above click here
Via TckTckTck & Greenpeace Italy

Also, you have to see this video: Captain Planet goes to Copenhagen it's very funny and Australia relevant:

We’re still saying yes to safe sex

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Valvasori) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:43:00 PST

Over the last three years, The Body Shop has worked with MTV Networks International to create a global campaign to help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

We’ve informed millions of young people worldwide of the importance of safe sex. World wide we’ve also raised more than AUD$3.2 million for the Staying Alive Foundation, which supports young people to pass the message on to their peers.

Your generosity has helped 149 innovative projects to date around the world, raising awareness of the many threats that HIV and AIDS pose in communities.

Thank you!

We couldn’t have done it without you. Many thanks to everyone who supported the campaign.

For more information about these projects, go here.

Make ACF Exec Director Don Henry your Proxy at Copenhagen

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Valvasori) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:17:00 PST

Make Don Henry Executive Director from the Australian Conservation Foundation your official proxy at Copenhagen.

If you're tired of all the hot air.
If you want action based on the science of climate change not industry lobby groups.

You can:

Meet Don Henry from ACF (pictured below).
Watch this video of Don explainig why Copenhagen is so important for Australia and the world.
Read ACF's response to the latest CPRS developments in Canberra.
Email your PM!
Make Don Henry your proxy in Copenhagen!
Don't let the Coal Industry have all the lobbyists! Donate to ACF so they can lobby the government at Copenhagen on your behalf.

Climate Activists Get Naked for Climate Change

noreply@blogger.com (The Body Shop Activist) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:47:00 PST

What's with Greenpeace and getting naked? Do you think it's an effective activist tool? Maybe it's just a Euro thing? Do you think using this type of tactic helps draw attention or detract from the message? Click here if you can't see the videos below.

Have your say!

WHITE RIBBON DAY - NOVEMBER 25

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Baxter) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:53:00 PST

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW)

White Ribbon Day was created by a handful of Canadian men in 1991 on the second anniversary of one man's massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. They began the White Ribbon Campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.

Today hundreds of thousands of white ribbons are worn by men and women across Australia - men at work; men and women in all Australian police forces; men in national and local sporting matches and organisations; men in the media; men and women in politics; men in the defence forces; men and women in capital cities and in rural and regional Australia.

The campaign continues to go from strength to strength and now boasts more than 230 white ribbon Ambassadors Australia wide, as well as more events across the country and more organisations and individuals participating year upon year.

Through partnership with the White Ribbon Foundation, The Body Shop continues to support White Ribbon Day by selling White Ribbon merchandise in all stores across Australia.

The campaign aims:
• To raise funds for the White Ribbon Foundation.
• Increase community awareness of the need to prevent violent and abusive relationships.
• Change community attitudes so that men and women have healthy relationships free of violence.
• Get as many customers (particularly men) purchasing and wearing White Ribbons as we can.
Why?
• Statistics indicate that one in four women who have ever been in a relationship have experienced violence by a partner. This is an issue that is of major concern in the world today, in Australia, in our local communities, and among our friends and families. Through our support of White Ribbon Day we have continued opportunity to bring this issue out from behind closed doors.
• A study found that family violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness for women aged 15-44 years. It is responsible for more of the disease burden than many well-known preventable risk factors such as smoking, obesity or high blood pressure. (Vic Health, 2004)
• There is no excuse for abuse.

There are a number of ways you can get involved in White Ribbon Day

Take the White Ribbon Challenge

Send an E-Ribbon

Donate to the White Ribbon Foundation

Volunteer - Support is welcomed.

Visit your local The Body Shop to purchase a White Ribbon or Wristband. All proceeds go direct to the White Ribbon Foundation.