Everyday Justice

I finally finished reading Everyday Justice by Julie Clawson, a book I've been reading off and on for the last few months.  One of the reviews on the back cover (by Nancy Ortberg) gives a terrific summary of the book:

"Every product in our consumer hands has a trail...Julie Clawson skillfully and kindly helps us take seriously the call to justice in our everyday choices.  From coffee to cars, there is a collision of economics and ethics that Christ-followers must take seriously.  By refusing to make justice a liberal or conservative cause, she helps us participate in restoration, ethical consumption and the beautiful pursuit of justice in God's world."

As I read the book, I kept a running list on the last page of things that came to mind - small things that I could do, starting now, to incorporate justice into my everyday life on a more consistent basis.  I tried to keep the list do-able (it's easy to feel totally overwhelmed when you start thinking about this stuff).  I figured I'd be more successful with baby-steps than with a complete overhaul.

So, below is the list of "everyday justice" things that I am committing to.  I realize that lots of people already do these things - and they aren't revolutionary.  But for me, they are new.  And I share them here as form of accountability for myself: once I say I'm going to do them...I have to at least try to do them.  Plus, I thought this would be fitting post for Earth Day!

1.  Plastic-Free Christmas and Birthday presents for my children.  So many reasons for this one, but mostly I think of all the people who are paid unfair wages in far away places to make plastic crap in the form of a toy so that big corporations can market the toy to my child who will play with it for about a week, break it, forget all about it, and eventually throw it away where it will end up in a land fill.     

2.  Less reliance on disposible items, particulary paper plates which in our house are used for all of 10 minutes.  And, we're just about done with diapers in our household, but I wonder if I would have done that whole thing differently if I knew then what I know now.

3.  Eating more locally grown, organic food and eating less meat (realizing that meat is not an essential part of every dinner).  Watching the movie Food, Inc also influenced this commitment.

4.  When the "need" arises to purchase some chocolate, making sure it's slave-free chocolate.

5.  When possible, repair rather than replace electronics.  I've kind of already starting doing this one.  We recently took our DVD player to a repair shop to be fixed rather than throwing it out and buying a new one.  Can't remember the last time we visited a TV repair shop!  And, I'm planning to mail my flat-iron back to the manufactuarer, along with a $35 check, to have it repaired, rather ther buying a new one.

The book also challenged me to think about our purchases at The GreenHouse.  As a non-profit, we often look at the "cheapest" option when making a purchase (cups, plates, snacks, etc), without regard to justice issues.  Instead, we should be searching for the most ethical and just option possible.  Definitely an area that we could grow in.   

And what about our churches?  How can we encourage our churches to be leading the charge in this area?  What about encouraging our churches to purchase fair-trade coffee?  Or using mugs instead of disposible cups?  Any other ideas?   

Julie writes, "Everyday justice begins with staying informed about what is happening to our neighbors around the world."  Awareness is the first step.