My lead picture today is of a bracelet I purchased this past Friday evening. I decided that it was the appropriate lead-in for my 2012 Blog Action Day post for this year's theme of The Power of We. I've been participating in Blog Action Day for a few years because, well, I think it's a tremendous idea. From the organization's website:
Founded in 2007, Blog Action Day brings together bloggers from different countries, interests and languages to blog about one important global topic on the same day. Past topics have included water, climate change, poverty and food with thousands of blogs, big and small, taking part.
In 2012, Blog Action Day will be held on October 15. This year our theme is the Power of We.
I first participated in 2009, writing about wind farms when the topic was climate change. At the time we lived next to one of our country's largest wind farms and it seemed a natural subject for my post, "Wind Farms on the Altamont-Blog Action Day '09." That post was on the business blog I used to write. [the link will still take you there]
I didn't look too closely at the organization's description of what they thought this year's theme could mean...I wanted to cogitate on what it means to me. So after I signed up Mosaic Mandalas a couple weeks ago as a participating blog, I let the idea simmer. This past Friday evening I attended a dinner at our church at which was a speaker who'd been to Haiti, helping at one of the orphanages there. I don't think it's news to anyone that Haiti is a country so in need of so much help in so many ways...not the least of which is the care of its children. So many orphans. The speaker had brought with her a large basket filled with bracelets that had been crafted by women in Haiti. As I have an interest in such things I took a closer look.
Each bracelet had a card attached that 1) told about the woman who had made that particular bracelet [cool!] and 2) told about the 'Made In Haiti' information. The bracelet I chose was made by a woman named Nadine. The card says of her:
Nadine is a single mother of four living in a tent after the earthquake destroyed their home. She is working to be able to take care of her children and rebuild her home.
Now, during my adult life raising my children, I was a single mother of two. And I know how difficult it was for us. But I couldn't put myself in Nadine's shoes because I did not have four mouths to feed and the opportunities for housing, help and a job were indeed available to me. The other side of the card told about the 'Made In Haiti' part:
Through our artisans' program, educational programs, and relief work we are dedicated to: Helping parents rise out of extreme poverty in order to keep their children, responding to Haiti's orphan crisis and the needs of parentless children, and making the needs of Haiti apparent to potential helpers through media & the arts.
See, I'm loving the "& the arts" part. Now, here's something so very cool and interesting about that bracelet - the beads are made of paper. So, not only is the
bracelet itself handmade, each bead creatively chosen and placed, each bead is handmade...and what a wonderful way to 1)recycle paper and 2)use a bead making material not costly in nature.
In August of last year I wrote about finding art in unexpected places and said, "...I love the idea of supporting artisans from other countries. Yes, it is difficult to make a living in today's economy in the United States, especially for those in the arts. But it's even more difficult in other places of the world...." I then wrote about another piece of jewelry I had purchased that was unique. I mentioned a necklace that was made of Zulugrass beads...the beads and necklaces made by Maasai women of Kenya.
So, what does all this have to do with this year's Blog Action Day theme of the Power of We? To me it means that: we help one another however we're able.
Why do I purchase jewelry made of grass and paper? My heart is touched by the desire of women [wherever they live] to support their families by doing what they can with what they have. Do I love the beauty of a rare gemstone ring or necklace? Sure I do. Do I appreciate the artistic craftsmanship of fine and expensive jewelry? Of course. However, I prefer to wear jewelry that has meaning to me, both as a citizen of this planet and as an artist. If you were to look in my jewelry box you would find nothing you would want to steal and take to a pawn shop or fence as nothing I own has much monetary value. However, my jewelry has tremendous intrinsic value...the value it holds for me.
The Power of We? It's the Power we all have to uplift one another in a difficult world.
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