Exciting adventure trips for everyday heroes

The Huma Challenge: A positive social impact adventure from World Expeditions. A new series of travel packages has been created for those who value positive social impact along with adventure. The HUMA Challenge series of adventure trips is a unique hybrid of fundraising initiatives and trekking tours. This initiative was launched as a separate division of World Expeditions, a travel company with an exemplary approach to environmental and social responsibility. World Expeditions has already put in place a concrete code of conduct for low-impact travel and initiated a Community Project Travel program where travelers spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access.

 

The HUMA Challenge works like this: You accept a fundraising challenge for a charitable cause and set out to raise the target amount from friends and colleagues. Once you have achieved your fundraising goal, you set out on an overseas adventure, in places like Peru, China, India or Vietnam, with a small group of people who, like you, have raised money for a cause. In so doing, you've added a valuable social dimension to your trip and you'll enjoy it with people who share the same passions.

To see the full list of available adventures and the charitable causes that are supported, visit

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www.humachallenge.com

Helping the environment with “eco-friendly lunch boxes”

Learn how a caterer made the switch to compostable packaging on ethipedia.net

Summary: 

Founded in 2001, Avec Plaisirs is a corporate catering company with over 60 employees that delivers business meals throughout the greater Montréal area. The company is affiliated with La Maison Traiteurs, a food services business group whose members include Agnus Dei Inc., a special events caterer, and Origine Bistro.

Thanks to owner David Carrier’s concern for environmental issues, Avec Plaisirs has introduced a number of measures to reduce the company’s environmental footprint and do more for the community. One of these measures, launched in 2008, is the “Ecofriendly Lunch Box”, which is made from 100% recycled cardboard and vegetable dyes. Not only is the box itself recyclable, but all utensils and food containers (the latter made from corn starch) can be composted.

The Ecofriendly Lunch box is based on the principles of “eco-design”, whereby the life-cycle of all the box’s components are taken into account: choice of materials, method of manufacture, transport, lifespan, waste disposal, etc. As mentioned above, the lunch box consists of biodegradable containers, dishware and cutlery; furthermore, contrary to most disposable and compostable packaging, the containers furnished by Avec Plaisirs are more solid and last longer. The company also offers biodegradable bags in which to dispose of the box, containers and utensils after the meal is finished.
Hoping to cut down on garbage and avoid wasting food, Avec Plaisirs tries to determine exactly how much food its customers require. In terms of nutrition, the company’s lunch box is aimed at providing healthy and balanced meals. Overall, sustainability is a primary concern for the company, and the lunch box has been designed with the following criteria in mind:
-Social sustainability: high-quality food = better health;
-Environmental sustainability: minimizing the lunch box’s environmental footprint and any waste produced;
-Economic sustainability: the product will help the company move into new markets.

Implementation: 

After months of research and development, Avec Plaisirs was at last able to get its Ecofriendly Lunch Box off the ground. Doing so was difficult, but the company’s employees are proud to have overcome this challenge; if anything, working to make the lunch box a reality has brought them closer together.
When the company decided to move ahead with the project, it hired Pierre Morency of Nova Envirocom, a firm that specializes in environmental programs and waste management.
Avec Plaisirs also worked closely with renowned nutritional expert Isabelle Huot; this partnership has enabled the company to offer a menu full of nutritious and seasonal dishes all year long.

In undertaking its lunch box project, Avec Plaisirs decided to take a gradual approach, without cutting any corners. Carrier speaks of a philosophy that consists of “moving quickly at our own pace”, meaning that environmental initiatives are undertaken in keeping with the company’s rhythm and objectives.

By doing so, Avec Plaisirs has ensured that environmental concerns are integrated into the economic equation. In fact, it is with this philosophy in mind that all of its sustainability initiatives are implemented. Carrier and his team first check to see if a project is feasible and whether it will be beneficial to the environment and society. They also try to determine what returns the company will see on its investment (e.g., costs, employee involvement, improved brand visibility, etc.).

Challenges and Solutions: 

During a presentation to the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal on June 12, 2009, Carrier highlighted the importance of having sufficient “room for error” when implementing sustainable development initiatives. By this he means that a company planning to introduce a sustainable practice has to develop an organisational structure or corporate culture that allows for flexibility. Given that such practices are often innovative and the first of their kind, it is only through trial and error that a high-value and viable product or service can be developed. This is often easier to do for a company the size of Avec Plaisirs than it is for large corporations or government bodies.

However, this process has not always gone smoothly for Avec Plaisirs, and maintaining “room for error” has been crucial. For example, Carrier says the company at one point failed to meet one of the organic decomposition criteria for a certain certification it was seeking, and was therefore forced to begin all over again. He says it was important for him to obtain sufficient certification to ensure that the project was legitimate. It is likely that this episode was rather costly for the company.

In terms of production expenses, some items (such as utensils) cost approximately the same as those made of plastic or styrofoam, but others may be 10-15% more expensive. Everything depends on the volume ordered. The company says that it did not think customers would be willing to pay more, but it believed that the product would be sufficiently appealing to attract new customers.

Social and Environmental Benefits: 

Avec Plaisirs claims that its practice will prevent tens of thousands of plastic containers being thrown away over the next few years. However, we could find no figures to back up this claim, aside from the publicly available information provided by the company.

Results: 

The lunch box project has created a strong sense of belonging amongst the employees at Avec Plaisirs. The initiative has also bolstered its reputation and that of its sister companies. Customers appreciate being able to purchase a product with a low environmental footprint. Avec Plaisirs says in a press release that this initiative has even become one of its trademark products. The company has also become more prominent in Québec’s environmental community, which will no doubt lead to increased business.

Other Examples: 

It seems that the practice’s component of rigorous life-cycle analysis has not been adopted by other businesses, which will thus allow Avec Plaisirs to position itself in Québec as a true leader in terms of sustainable growth. Other lunch box products on the market are often worthwhile with regard to the products they contain, but not necessarily in terms of packaging or manufacturing.

Other companies in Québec’s food and beverage industry that provide catering services, such as Capital Traiteur (Montréal) and Traiteur Fine Bouche (Estrie), now offer compostable dishware.

Java Green Organic Eco-Café, based in Washington, D.C., offers an “Eco Lunch Box Meal”.

In Vancouver, Savoury City Catering offers a range of services that are environmentally-friendly. The company supplies ceramic serving dishes, wicker baskets and utensils made of birch, the latter of which will biodegrade within 45 to 60 days. The same is true for the utensils provided by Avec Plaisirs, but they are not made of wood, which is more solid and appears to be of better quality than standard plastic cutlery.

Savoury City Catering is a member of Vancouver’s Green Table Network, an association of restaurant professionals working together with food producers to develop practical and concrete environmental strategies.

In response to growing demand from consumers, many caterers are now becoming socially responsible. One example is Buffet Insère-Jeunes Montréal, a catering company and bakery that also provides social and professional reintegration services. A member of the Collectif des Entreprises d’Insertion du Québec (CEIQ), Buffet Insère-Jeunes also offers a lunch box product. Another such company is Cuisine Collective Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, also based in Montréal.

Community Justice Thrives in the Villages of Eastern Congo

August 6, 2009, Luvungi, Democratic Republic of Congo: Amid the chaos and lawlessness of Eastern Congo, a local organization has developed an innovative approach to settling disputes and promoting justice, one community at a time.

Arche d'Alliance, a partner of The Advocacy Project (AP) in Uvira, has createdComites de Mediation et Conciliation (CMCs), or conflict resolution committees, in 24 communities across South Kivu. The CMCs function as alternative "courts" for disputes involving property, debts, inheritances, and domestic quarrels, and take pressure off the overburdened Congolese justice system. They also provide an important source of legal help for refugees and internally displaced persons in underserved rural areas.

A CMC consists of 10 members - local municipal leaders, representatives from women's groups, a representative from the Congolese military, a representative from the police, and other community and tribal leaders.  Any individual can bring a grievance to the CMC, which then investigates the matter and renders a non-binding decision.  If one or both of the parties refuses to comply, the CMC will pass the case off to Arche d'Alliance to be heard in court in Uvira. 

At a recent CMC hearing in Luvungi, a small town on the Rwandan border, AP Peace Fellow Walter James heard the case of Zawadi, a young widow(shown at left). Zawadi was second wife to a much older man, and after his death, his first wife's children tried to expel her from the family property - giving her very little land on which to support her own two children. After asking questions of both sides, the CMC told the first wife's son that he was in the wrong because he did not consider the potential fate of Zawadi's children.

"Even though Eastern Congo can sometimes feel like the Wild Wild West, the CMC is like the Lone Ranger, an example of justice and peace that everyone can follow and admire," Mr James wrote in his blog.

An important aspect of CMC decisions is that they follow the law. Arche d'Alliance trains the CMC members on Congolese law and the rights guaranteed marginalized peoples (such as refugees and women) by the Congolese Constitution. Luvungi's CMC has heard 80 cases since the beginning of the year, and ninety percent of the time, the parties agreed to the committee's decision.

Local CMCs also act as distribution centers for information on public health, security, the constitution, and refugee land rights and reintegration. The CMC in Luvungi has been in existence since 2006, and it attracts villagers from as far as 30 km away.

One essential role performed by CMCs is to obtain birth certificates (shown at right) for refugee children who were born abroad. This documentation is required for the children to attend school or inherit property. Securing it normally requires a trip to the Congolese town of Uvira, extensive forms, stiff fees, and a long wait.

Instead, Arche representatives visit a CMC once a week, collect the necessary information, file for the documents in Uvira, and then bring them back to the CMC once they are completed.

"In something as small and simple as helping refugees get documents for their children, Arche is helping re-weave civil society in Eastern Congo," Mr James wrote.

Mr James, a graduate student at the University of Maryland who is volunteering with Arche d'Alliance this summer, is one of three AP Peace Fellows working with community groups in the DRC. A second Fellow, Ned Meerdink, began with Arche in 2008 and now covers South Kivu for AP. Elisa Garcia, a graduate student at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, is working with survivors of sexual violence in Bukavu.

Appointment of New Labor Judges Promises Justice for Palestinian Workers

West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories: Palestinian workers who are wronged by their employers now have a better chance at justice, after the appointment of several labor judges in the West Bank.
 
The announcement came last week (July 13), when the new Palestinian Labor Minister, Dr Ahmad Majdalani, reached an agreement with the President of the Higher Judicial Council assigning specific judges to labor cases in Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus.Palestinian construction workers. Photo credit: Willow Heske
 
The move is a major victory for the Democracy and Workers' Rights Center (DWRC), an Advocacy Project (AP) partner in Ramallah that defends Palestinian labor rights. AP has sent three Peace Fellows to the DWRC, and all have helped the group develop advocacy tools - such as press releases and a website - to amplify the voices of Palestinian workers (shown at left).
 
The DWRC sees the new judges as a positive step towards the creation of a dedicated labor court - a longtime demand on the part of trade unions and labor organizations: "We consider this effort to be a crucial first step toward establishing a specialized labor court where judges with an expertise in labor rights and protection preside," said Mohammed Amarneh, the DWRC's Legal Unit Coordinator. "Without a specialized labor court, the struggle to expedite labor cases and ensure workers' rights will undoubtedly continue."
 
The absence of specialized labor courts in the Territories has forced workers to file complaints against their employers in regular courts, which are not suited to handling labor cases and are also plagued by huge backlogs of cases. This served as a major deterrent for many workers.
 
In 2007, the DWRC analyzed a sample of 200 labor cases filed in Palestinian courts. The study highlighted the extreme slowness in processing labor cases, which makes it difficult for workers to obtain legal representation. Many lawyers decline labor cases due to their duration and meager financial returns.
 
The DWRC will monitor the work of the new judges in the three West Bank cities through its Legal Aid and Human Rights Protection Unit. DWRC is also calling on the Palestinian Ministry of Labor to better enforce labor legislation, and improve its labor inspection department.Checkpoint near Bethlehem. Photo Credit: Rianne Van Doeveren
 
Overall, Palestinian workers face a stagnant economy, exacerbated by the Israeli occupation and severe limitations on the movement of people and goods (such as the checkpoint shown at right). According to a June 2009 report by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the unemployment rate was 20 percent in the West Bank and 45 percent in Gaza last year. These numbers have likely increased following the Israeli invasion of Gaza in January.
 
AP is helping the DWRC to bring Palestinian labor issues to an international audience. Earlier this week, Mira Said of the DWRC visited New York for a radio interview on WBAI's "Wake Up Call" program. She later spoke on the Palestinian labor movement at the New York office of 1199SEIU, a health care workers' labor union. Ms Said's visit was organized by Eliza Bates, who volunteered as an AP Peace Fellow with the DWRC in 2007.
 
Willow Heske, who followed Ms Bates as the 2008 Peace Fellow with DWRC, has returned to the Occupied Territories after completing her Masters degree at Columbia University, and resumed her work with Palestinian civil society. Ms Heske is exploring the possibility of supporting disabled workers in the West Bank with job creation and skills training.
 
Meanwhile, this year's Peace Fellow with the DWRC, Rangineh Azimzadeh, is helping the organization reach out to independent workers, who are particularly vulnerable because they are not affiliated with the formal union structure.

      ● Read the blog of 2009 Peace Fellow Rangineh Azimzadeh
      ● Watch an interview with DWRC Founder Hassan Barghouthi
      ● Learn more about the DWRC
      ● Read the ILO report

Women From Bosnia and Serbia Find Common Ground at Srebrenica Massacre

July 17, 2009, Srebrenica, Bosnia and Washington, DC : Serbian and Bosnian women joined hands last week at the scene of Europe's worst modern-day massacre, in an attempt to transcend the nationalism and bitterness that has hampered recovery from the Bosnian war.

More than 50,000 people attended a memorial service on Saturday, July 11, at Potocari, Bosnia, where the Srebrenica massacre began 14 years ago. They included a delegation from the organization Bosnian Family (BOSFAM), many whose members lost relatives in the killing. One, Sajma Avdic, buried her brother on Saturday.

The event was also attended by activists from Women in Black-Serbia, who made the long journey from Belgrade to reach out to the Bosnian women and express remorse for the atrocities committed by Serbs during the war. Their bus attracted attention from the largely Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) crowd.

"Their presence and solidarity with the victims' families is so precious," said Donna Harati, an Advocacy Project Peace Fellow volunteering with Women in Black. "It proves that not all individuals allow their country's nationalist and hateful rhetoric to define them."
 
Srebrenica, a Muslim enclave, was designated a safe haven by the United Nations during the war. But Bosnian Serbs overran the town on July 11, 1995, and subsequently murdered more than 8,000 men and boys. On Saturday, 534 newly-identified massacre victims were re-buried at Potocari (shown above), bringing the total number of re-buried bodies to 3,400.
 
Women in Black and BOSFAM are both partners of The Advocacy Project (AP) which has supported their efforts in the Balkans and the United States. AP has sent four Peace Fellows to the two groups this summer, and all four attended the Potocari ceremony which they recorded in blogs and videos.

Serbia and Bosnia offer starkly different perspectives on the Bosnian war, with one country being an aggressor and the other a victim. But the two groups have been able to find common ground as women.

Before visiting Potocari, Women in Black held a vigil in Belgrade (shown at left), and called on Serbian President Boris Tadić to declare July 11 a day of remembrance. They were jeered by Serbian nationalists - an event that was filmed by Peace Fellow Simran Sachdev.

On the Bosnian side, BOSFAM has also chosen a distinctive way to help its members to remember and recover. BOSFAM trains survivors to weave carpets, as a form of therapy but also advocacy. Their most celebrated product is theSrebrenica Memorial Quilt, which is constantly growing and now commemorates 120 massacre victims.

Working alongside the Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH), which represents the Bosnian diaspora in the US, AP has shown the quilt in 13 American cities and raised more than $7,000 for the BOSFAM survivors.

The quilt (at right) was shown by BAACBH last week on Capitol Hill, and is currently on display in the AP gallery in Washington. The project has also received support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation of North America. Two AP Peace Fellows, Alison Sluiter and Kelsey Bristow, are now helping BOSFAM to plan for a weaving training center in Srebrenica itself, where new quilts can be produced.

One lasting legacy of the massacre is its impact on AP's student volunteers. AP has sent eight Fellows to BOSFAM and all have been profoundly affected by the deep sadness of the Bosnian women as the July 11 anniversary approaches.
 
"I am overwhelmed by the pain the survivors must deal with everyday, and hope that those who recently buried their friends and relatives are able to find closure,"  Ms Sluiter wrote in her blog after visiting Potocari. "My wish, like that of the organization I have the privilege to currently work with, is that there will never be another Srebrenica anywhere, ever again."

• Read the blogs of BOSFAM Fellows Alison Sluiter and Kelsey Bristow
• Read the blogs of Women in Black Fellows Donna Harati and Simran Sachdev
• Watch videos from the memorial at Potocari
• Learn more about the Srebrenica Memorial Quilt