The Candy Shop available for online viewing

The Candy Shop
The Candy Shop

The Candy Shop is a finalist in The 2010 Doorpost Film festival and is now available for online viewing.

The movie stars Doug Jones, who some of you may remember from another Doorpost Film, The Butterfly Circus, and Curt Roland.

It’s just under 30 minutes long and will definitely give new meaning to the term “Candy Shop” for you.

I encourage you to take half-an-hour and watch it.
Continue reading The Candy Shop available for online viewing

Help end modern day slavery (2011)

Slavery is wrong
Slavery is wrong

Jan. 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Modern day slavery exists in the world today for 27 million held in some form of captivity. 80% of them are women; 50% are underage children and 70% of the females are trafficked for sexual exploitation purposes.

These are not prostitutes. These are women and girls that are being prostituted.

According to the Trafficking in Persons Report, every year:

  • 200,000 American children are at risk for trafficking into the sex industry
  • 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the United States
  • 5,000-7,000 people are trafficked into the United States from East Asia and the Pacific
  • 3,500-5,500 people are trafficked into the United States from each of the following regions: Latin America, Europe, and Eurasia

On Jan. 12, 2010 a massive earthquake destroyed much of Haiti. Since the earthquake it’s estimated that more than 2,000 Haitian children have been sold into slavery and trafficked to other countries.

Each year, 800,000 people become human trafficking victims and are transported across international borders. According to the Texas Attorney General, 20 percent of those people (or 160,000 people) pass through Texas.

Closer to home, Irving Police busted a man earlier this month for trafficking children through Dallas.

Modern slavery is alive and all around us.

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never again say you did not know.” – William Willberforce

Find out more…

And finally, I challenge you to do at least 1 thing today to help raise awareness. Whether it’s a Facebook status update, changing your online avatar, a Twitter update, sharing a link to this post or one of the great resources listed here… do something.

Recap video from Dallas/Rockwall Freeze Project

The Freeze Project | www.thefreezeproject.com

I meant to get this vidoe/post up earlier today but alas, time wasn’t on my side.

This is the re-cap video from Thursday night’s Freeze Project in Rockwall ::

We had a decent response — 15 or so showed up to take part.

But in the midst of several hundred people (if not thousand) we were a bit over-shadowed. We plan to do it again towards the end of summer — so hopefully you’ll come out and join us if you’re in the Dallas area.

The key was raise awareness about modern day human trafficking (aka Atlantic Triangular Trade — argggh!) and we did that — so that’s what matters.

Find out more and learn how to hold your own Freeze Project at www.thefreezeproject.com

Dallas Area Freeze Project :: May 20th

Dallas JustOne Launch Party
Matt and Jonathan at the Dallas JustOne Launch Party

Next Thursday, May 20th, we’ll hold Dallas’ own Freeze Project at the Harbor in Rockwall to raise awareness about human trafficking.

The Freeze Project is another great initiative of JustOne

The Inspiration:
The idea was inspired by a group in New York called Improv Everywhere. Props to them!

Our Twist to the Idea:

Our twist to this idea would be to use this creative method for drawing attention to social injustices around the world.
Continue reading Dallas Area Freeze Project :: May 20th

Help end modern day slavery (and five ways you can help)

Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day…

It’s also the just a few days away from the 146th anniversary of the day our 13th Amendment was introduced to Congress — which set out to abolish slavery in the United States.

Yet today — modern day slavery still exists — in so many forms.

Sex trade, immigrant farmers working in Florida, children mining for coltan, chocolate and coffee farmers around the world — and so much more.

I encourage you to do a 5 things today…

1. Change your Twitter/Facebook/MySpace avatar to support One Voice to End Slavery:

2. Join One Voice to End Slavery

3. Visit the Human Trafficking section on Change.org and read at least 5 articles

4. Share the link to at least one story from Change.org on Facebook or Twitter

5. Watch David Bastone talk about human trafficking at Google:

Then let us know what you learn.

What impacted you the most? What did you learn when doing one (or all) of the steps above?

What other steps have you taken to end modern day slavery?

Greg Russinger at The Idea Camp #icdc #justicefriday

For #justicefriday ::

Lots of good stuff in there. Well worth the 25 minutes.

You can read my notes from watching it the first time.

What’d you think? What notes did you take? How will you take these ideas and apply them in your community?