Compassionart: Joining the dots between art and poverty

For those of you who follow this blog regularly, I just firstly want to apologise. I completely forgot to post yesterday, as I was completely caught up with packing! I am moving tomorrow on very short notice, so things are a bit hectic my end!

Today’s post is about Compassionart, a charity that joins the dots between art and poverty. It raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice.

This is how Compassionart’s describes its beginnings:

It all started with a sense that music really ought to be able to sit well with justice. Yet in a world of album sales and royalty cheques, it can be hard to see how the two link up. So, a plan evolved; create a little music (and eventually, quite a bit more) and use all of the proceeds from album sales and royalty cheques to support those working among the world's poorest communities.

These thoughts came first to the heads and hearts of Martin and Anna Smith. Martin's years at the front of the stage with Delirious have given him a unique perspective; across every continent he has seen at first hand the potential that music has to connect. And he has seen poverty – the crushing sort, the type that chokes hope and suffocates life. And he has seen remarkable people doing remarkable things to break poverty's hold.

In January 2008 – after more than a year and a half of planning – Martin and Anna were joined by 11 other songwriters from the world of Christian music for a week of writing. Out of it came 22 songs, but something much more; a sense that there might be something in this – that compassion and art might just be a relationship worth investing in.

You can support Compassionart by shopping online or donating. Or why not take a leag from their book and create music, or any other kind of art, that supports and promotes a cause that you are passionate about! The four main causes supported by Compassionart are:

·      Joyce Meyer’s Hand of Hope

·      Ray of Hope

·      Watoto

·      Stop the Traffik

Please support this cause, or take inspiration on how to support another!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands.” {Psalm 100v1}

Stop the Traffik: People Shouldn’t be Bought and Sold

Men, women and children are trafficked within their own countries and across international borders. Trafficking affects every continent and every country, whether it's an origin country where people are trafficked from; a transit country where people are trafficked through; or a destination country where people are trafficked to. Often a country will be all three.

Due to the hidden and illegal nature of human trafficking, gathering statistics on the scale of the problem is difficult. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime stated that “People trafficking is the fastest growing means by which people are enslaved, the fastest growing international crime, and one of the largest sources of income for organised crime”.

Find out more about the scale of human trafficking and read some real life stories.

Today’s post is about an organization called STOP THE TRAFFIK. Stop the Traffik is a global movement of individuals, communities and organisations fighting to prevent human trafficking around the world.

Every instance of trafficking involves a person being trafficked from a community into a community. Therefore the community must work together to prevent it. Stop the Traffik are turning communities into places where it is harder for traffickers to hide their activities and their victims. They work to inspire, inform, equip and mobilise communities to:

•               Know what trafficking is and how to identify it

•               Know how to protect themselves and others

•               Know how to respond

They aim unite people around the world through our global campaigns and promote the motto that we are stronger and can create greater change when we work together.

Stop the Traffik campaigns to:

•  Target decision makers to exert their influence to prevent human trafficking

•  Build the global movement by continually reaching out to new people 

•  Raise money for projects that protect those who are most vulnerable

•  Gather information from the community to develop up-to-date information to rival the trafficker's network

STOP THE TRAFFIK was set up in 2006 and has over 45, 000 members in 257 countries around the world.

To get involved, visit the Take action section of their site. You can also

find groups, activists and campaigns near you to get involved with!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” {Isaiah 61v1}

Heaven’s Attic: Shop to Free those Trapped in Slavery!

Heaven's Attic is an online shop selling unique gifts, accessories, jewellery, funky rings, bags, aroma products, home, interior and inspirational gifts. They are a social enterprise fighting the injustice of human trafficking. Your purchase of the products on this site helps to support charities.

Heaven’s Attic passionately believes that, by making right choices, we can make a real difference in our world and add value to others. Where possible, they aim to source products from disadvantaged communities around the globe. This is an area of their business that intend to develop further as they continue to grow.

They partner with a few key charities that are fighting against human trafficking, rescuing girls from the sex trade and lobbying to change legislation. You can now choose where you would prefer your purchase's contribution to be donated to. 12% of every online sale (excluding P&P) is given away - that is the 1st thing they do!

Here is a list of Heaven’s Attic’s Partners and their associated purchase codes. Enter your preferred charity's code on your Shopping Bag page before you proceed to Check Out:

•               The A21 Campaign- A21

•               unseen(uk) in Bristol - UN03

•               STOP THE TRAFFIK - STT07

•               The Salvation Army - SAID06

The main charity partner is The A21 Campaign (this is also my charity/organisation of choice), so if you do not use a Charity Code, that is where 12% of your sale will go. The A21 Campaign is comprised of individuals, organisations, government officials and people like you and me that are committed to abolishing injustice in the 21st Century. Their goal is to raise awareness, take legal action and offer rehabilitation services to rescued victims of human trafficking in order to fight this injustice from a comprehensive approach.

Shop online for:

·      Jewellery

·      Accessories

·      Interior decorations

·      Gifts for girls

·      The Aroma Range (smellies/toiletries)

·      Decorations and other festive items in time for Christmas

Like Heaven’s Attic on facebook or follow them on twitter (@HeavensAttic) to stay updated.

Let this online store be an inspiration and a challenge to you to do what you can: you can’t do everything, but you can do something to make a difference. Now, find that thing and be the change you wish to see in the world!

Blessings!

Ronell x

P.S. remember The Big Give Christmas Challenge starting today and ending 8^th December!

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” {Apple Inc.}