Challenge: Ethical Valentine's Day

The mystery surrounding who Saint Valentinereally was is quite fitting to the often-mysterious image surrounding the idea oflove. Most stories peg Saint Valentine as a man who either secretly married Christiancouples at a time when Christians were being persecuted and were unable to doso, or, he secretly married couples so the husband wouldn’t have to go off towar. Most of these stories of individuals secretly pledging their undying love end with Saint Valentine landing himself in jail. The only bit of information that seems known is Saint Valentine died on the date we know as Valentine's Day, February 14th.

The mystery surrounding Saint Valentine and the way wecelebrate a holiday with little knowledge of it, bear shocking similaritiesto how we celebrate the holiday with chocolate, sweets, flowers and cheaplymade themed goods. The mystery of how chocolate is harvested and made is amystery to most of us; how flowers can be fresh and alive year round andavailable especially at grocery stores at such low prices is a riddle we often cannot answer; and that generic gold heart necklace is made by who? is quite the conundrum. Instead offinding out the truth we often just buy the items in the prettiest package togive to the person we deem valuable enough to bestow the over-the-top lovethemed goodies to on Valentines Day.

The tricky part about Valentines day is it’s not a holiday you find really necessary to celebrate (like preceding Christmas and approaching Easter), yet so many people arecaught up in the adorableness of red and pink hearts, sparkles, andmini-everything including animals with cute sayings on cards that make you justwant to go “awweeeheeee!”. People indulge in special menus at restaurants priced higherthan normal, establishments who normally don’t cater specifically to couples aresuddenly hosting events and every store is encouraging you to spoil that‘special someone’ with whatever items they happen to be in the market to sell.

We can get caught in the middle of this awkward area not really knowing what to do and often end up grabbing something last minute because wesuddenly feel the need to participate. When that happens we are ill preparedto make ethical choices and end up feeling bad for two reasons:

Reason #1:  Did we really just walk into our local grocerystore or super centre and pick up a miniature stuffedbear/kitten/puppy/gorilla/sloth/fish that sings “My Heart Will Go On” with aheart shaped box of chocolates strapped to its chest with the sentiment ‘Be MyValentine’ on it?

Reason #2: We have no idea where anything actually camefrom—is that chocolate good to be eating, both for the waistline and the ethicsof the person I bought it for? I just found out a few paragraphs ago that Ican’t even trust flowers! Gold and diamonds are that expensive and there isstill slavery?

We know the facts...

• Thereare between 27 and 30 million people in slavery today.
• 78% of victims involved in slavery are in Labor Slavery.*
• Onein six children 5 to 14 years old — about 16 percent of allchildren in this age group — is involved in child labor in developingcountries.*
• Inthe least developed countries, 30 percent of all childrenare engaged in child labor.*
• Worldwide,126 million children work in hazardous conditions, often enduringbeatings, humiliation and sexual violence by their employers.*
• Anestimated 1.2 million children — both boys and girls — are trafficked eachyear into exploitative work in agriculture, mining, factories, armedconflict or commercial sex work.*
• Thehighest proportion of child laborers is in sub-Saharan Africa, where 26percent of children (49 million) are involved in work.
• Amillion diamond diggers in Africa earn less than a dollar a day.**
• 60% ofall flowers sold in the U.S. come from Colombia, the second largest flowerexporter in the world. The majority of Colombian flower workers receivearound $8 a day, which is not enough to cover the cost of a family's most basic requirements.***
• 66%of these workers experience health problems associated with the chemicalsinvolved in their work.***
• AnILO Survey conducted in 2000 estimates that 20% of Ecuador’s 60,000 flower workers arechildren. Many of those between the ages of 14 and 18 work in the industryinstead of attending school.***

...And we also know that being prepared is the key to success!

And yes, even though Valentines Day is right around thecorner *cough-afewdaysaway-cough* you can still take a smidge of time right nowto be prepared!

Tip #1: Research.

When researching for these Ethical Challenge posts I find Ioften come across the same information. However, this year a new website poppedup and I couldn’t help but be pleased to see it! World Vision’s No Child ForSale campaign has a site called GoodChocolateGuide.ca. On this site they listbrands of chocolate that are fair trade or have other certifications that makeit ethical. Finding this website is like striking gold. So often people have no ideawhat to buy or where to buy it. This website does both! Upon investigatingthe chocolate options they present, I’ve found a few that I am 100% sold on andam looking forward to tasting (or tasting again… like Giddy Yo-Yo).

I also found an awesome article titled 'Valentine's Day Gifts That Aren't Evil'. This short and sweet piece provides backgroundinformation on the forms of slavery found in Diamonds, Flowers and Chocolate, andprovides ethical alternatives! 

Tip #2: Wait… do you really want to buy your significant otherchocolate?
Take a brief moment and decide if you want your significant other to receivechocolate from you as a gift? Chocolate may be the generic ‘go-to’ gift but ifyour lady or man of choice is say, trying to stay off sugar after the holiday season or is trying to get inshape before your upcoming getaway in the sunshine, perhaps sugar isn’t the best option…. Just sayin'...

Tip #3: Love Local
After you complete your research on companies you want to support, and have an idea ofwhat your love may want, find a local place to get it. Also take a moment toresearch if any local companies are featuring enchanting options for your sweetheart!Shoot out some emails to Bakeries or Chocolatiers in your area—what kind ofcocoa do they use and are they offering anything special? I work at a bakery thatprovides chocolate goodies that are hand-crafted with organic, fair-tradeingredients! To top off their awesomeness, they even partnered withtwo other local businesses to offer Valentines packages!

Tip #4: Send with Love!
You have an ethically sourced gift of perhaps chocolate and flowers and kissesand teddy bears and generic all-out, full-fledged love! Now be a dear and sendit with love! Add a cute card, draw a heart on a piece of paper and write Ilove you, or add a bow you found in a non-frequented corner of your current place of residence left-over from Christmas.

As the debate to celebrate or not celebrate Valentine's day continues, remember, you shouldn't wait for an occasion to tell that special someone how much they mean to you. The kind words you share only during special moments should be spoken often. Love that has sparked in you a fire of passion, commitment, and daily gratitude of being with an individual who always attempts to understand you, continually enjoys spending time with you, and is blessed enough to share with you the joy of life's adventures deserves to be celebrated every day.

Image found on Pinterest.

* Information from Compassion 

** Information from Brilliant Earth

*** Information from Free2Work