The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2014 - (Page 7)

s TorIes themselves perched in a camp tent, beneath the stars, around a camp fire, exchanging stories about their lives and their recent activities. Children, youth and adults, by coming together to experience nature, are able to learn from each other as they explore their world together. "we believe it is important for the children we serve to have the opportunity to come away from the densely populated urban setting in which they live to experience living for a few days in the outdoors," patricia ayres, one of the owners of el Ranchito, says, "and learn about the world which surrounds them." children and youth are able to gain a sense of selfidentity as they learn and grow from their experiences in the camp, finding themselves doing things they never thought they would be able to do, like climbing to the top of a rock, standing ankle-deep in a small river or finding insect life that they never knew existed. El Ranchito oF P eacemakers nurtures a relationship between the environment and the child, helping children to see how beautiful nature can be. as this relationship grows, children are able to see the world around them in a new way, one that they would not have been able to see without this chance to experience nature for themselves. -Natalia Alas is a recent graduate of Baylor University with a degree in Professional Writing and Psychology. A first-generation college student from a Salvadoran family, she hopes to work with disadvantaged Hispanic families while researching and writing about the effects of poverty on mental health. Sources: El Ranchito (www. elranchito.org); The Austin Times (www.theaustintimes. com); Texas Faith and Food (www.texasfaithandfood. org). For more information about these sources, email nalas90@gmail.com. Hershey Company on Track to Keep Commitment to Fair Trade i n late January the interfaith center on corporate Responsibility (iccR) and many investors in the Hershey company were heartened by its announcement that, as of year-end 2013, 18 percent of its cocoa was certified sustainable. due in part to long-term shareholder engagement on this issue, the company had committed to ensuring that 10 percent of its cocoa supply would be certified by 2013. The iccR reported that Hershey was able to surpass its original goal, sending a clear signal of its commitment to ethical sourcing practices. Hershey has committed to sourcing 100 percent of its cocoa from certified suppliers by 2020. Certified cocoa meets comprehensive sustainability standards meant to protect children, workers, communities and the environment. Hershey uses thirdparty certification systems to verify that its cocoa is grown sustainably and without the use of forced and child labor. The certifiers include UTZ Certified, Fair Trade USA and Rainforest Alliance Certified™. iccR members have been in dialogue with Hershey for more than five years about the issue of child exploitation on the cocoa farms of West Africa. This milestone is part of the company's 21st century cocoa sustainability strategy developed with input from iccR members. "The amount of measurable progress Hershey has made in the past year is encouraging, in terms of certified cocoa and in other initiatives meant to improve conditions in cocoa-farming communities," said chris meyer of Everence Financial and Praxis Mutual Funds. "With a 43 percent share of the us chocolate market, we view this milestone as a turning point certain to influence Hershey's peers." iccR members engage companies in high-risk industries calling for increased scrutiny around ethical sourcing, labor practices and potential human rights abuses in supply chains in an effort to promote sustainable agricultural practices. Examples of campaigns include the ethical sourcing of cotton from Uzbekistan and the risks of trafficking and slavery in the sourcing of palm oil, soya and sugar. Sr. Nora Nash, of the Sisters of St. Francis of philadelphia, said, "shareholders are extremely encouraged that Hershey is on its way to achieving its goal of 100 percent certified cocoa by 2020. These commitments ensure the safety and well-being of thousands of children and must be upheld." Hershey also announced that its scharffen berger brand reached its goal to source 100 percent of its cocoa from certified farms by the end of 2013. According to the Hershey statement, all scharffen berger products now use cocoa that is 100 percent sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, joining both Hershey's Bliss chocolates and Hershey's dagoba organic chocolate, which reached this milestone in 2012. -From the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility APR-JUN 2014 Baptist Peacemaker 7 http://www.elranchito.org http://www.elranchito.org http://www.theaustintimes.com http://www.theaustintimes.com http://www.texasfaithandfood.org http://www.texasfaithandfood.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2014

También de este Lado Hay Sueños: This Side Also Has Dreams
El Ranchito: Sharing the Great Outdoors
Good News About Hershey's
The Birth of the Baptist Peace Fellowship
Letter to the Editor
Austin Heights Baptist Church & the Tar Sands Blockade
Future Peace Camp Locations
Remembering Rachel Gill
Inching Toward Peace Between Israel & Palestine
The BPFNA Companioning Program
Reflections From a BPFNA Young Adult Gathering
Wal-Mart Joins Fair Food Program
Resources & Opportunities
2013 BPFNA Highlights
2013 Contributors
Shalom Prayer

The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2014