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December 19, 2022 - No Comments!

Living Consciously at Christmas

Have you found yourself racing frantically through the shops just before Christmas? Trying to find something (or... anything) to give a family member, or friend? 

Has your hurried quest ended in a poorly-made decision, just to be able to check that person off your list?

I know I have! And quite possibly, those hasty purchases go on to become an unwanted Christmas gift - adding to the 18,000,000 other unwanted gifts like the ones given to more than half the country’s population last year. (In 2021, Gumtree estimated $574 million worth of unwanted Christmas gifts) 

In the rush of the moment, it’s hard to look at Christmas time spending and decision-making objectively. We are influenced by sales, deadlines, price, emotions and fears of not finding, or giving, just the ‘right’ thing. Sneaky expenses like decorations, gift packaging, food and presents all blur into one. And living consciously at Christmas feels hard! But, it’s not impossible!

You can check out last year’s post with 5 ideas about how to have a more conscious Christmas here. 

One way to live more consciously at Christmas is by ‘gifting consciously’. 

Gifting consciously involves moving away from just ‘giving for the sake of giving’ and towards taking the time to consider what you’re buying and the impact the item has on the people who made it, the environment and the person you’re giving it to. 

It’s about thinking of a gift in terms of how it was made, where it was made, what it’s made from, and finally… where is it going to end up? For our team at ZOE, the driver to gift consciously is linked to preventing and ending child labour in industries like fashion, makeup, agriculture (food, coffee), homewares and electrical goods. But we also feel that environmental and health factors are huge drivers for living more consciously too.  

So, how do we consciously gift this Christmas in light of what we know about child labour, the waste factor, our budgets, and the expectations of our families and friends?  And how do we give a gift that will be treasured rather than wasted? It feels like a lot to juggle all those things!

Thankfully, there are tools available to assist us, like ethical shopping apps such as ‘Good on You,’ ‘End Poverty,’ ‘Sweat and Toil’ and ‘Shop Ethical’ which are all available for download. 

But there are other creative alternatives around Christmas spending such as buying less, buying second-hand, reusing existing Christmas decorations rather than buying new ones, and considering what the people we’re giving to, already have.

Last year we asked ZOE supporters to contribute some of their creative ideas on being more conscious in the lead-up to Christmas. And this year we’re sharing some more ideas about how to ‘live consciously at Christmas’ from within our team. 

This year our sweet office manager Sharon has turned to ‘green gifting‘ an alternative to using traditional shiny and glittery wrapping paper (which cannot be recycled and is nothing else but microplastics).  She shared, “I have made my own gift sacks, bought some Christmas-themed material and got the sewing machine out. I made three, one for each of the grandsons, and then I can use them again next year. I made them super big to fit even the biggest present!” In the past, Christmas paper would’ve been ripped apart and thrown into the bin, but now Sharon has found an alternative that shows a grandma’s love for her grandchildren and a simple solution to preventing excess waste.

Hudson recently moved into a new home, but that doesn’t mean she’s buying new decorations. Most decorations contain plastics and can last from 450 to 1,000 years in landfill, so she recommends making your own Christmas decorations! Hudson said, “This year, I asked my nine-year-old niece if she would make a few Christmas decorations for us, as she is very resourceful and creative. She made us some cute gnomes from some wool and leftover felt, and in exchange, she wants me to bake her some sourdough - win, win!” 

After having lived overseas for many years, Andrea was excited to finally have a “real” Christmas tree again but was concerned that the tree might end up becoming landfill, and ultimately not being good for the environment. Not wanting to buy a plastic tree, but also not wanting to create excess ‘waste’ was a dilemma. So, this year she decided to buy a real tree in a pot. She hopes that by caring for it throughout the year, the family can reuse it at Christmas time for many more years to come. 

Gift wrapping has also been a topic of conversation for Jyselle. Instead of buying commercially produced wrapping paper whose supply chains we really don’t know much about, she said, “this Christmas give your gift wrapping a conscious-consuming twist. Swap out the wrapping paper for old newspapers, used magazines, preloved tea towels or preowned scarfs. Neatly tie it together with some second-hand yarn, ribbon or twine from your local op shop and you’ll have yourself the best wrapped presents under the tree.”

Rachael loves being intentional with her gift-giving. She shared her tip, saying, “I try to purchase meaningful gifts using local and small businesses as much as I can.” 

With not much to show under the tree yet, David admits to opting for vouchers, gift cards and homemade coupons this year. “We like to enjoy experiences together, including travel. Our children will be getting lots of coupons to claim on experiences  while we’re away on holidays - instead of ‘physical’ gifts this year.” 

With her extended family, Mesh said they decided to do Kris Kringle instead of buying individual gifts for everyone. She explained, “That way, everyone can suggest a few things that they really want, and we can select something we know our KK will actually be excited about.”

We believe that Christmas is all about celebrating the greatest gift of all - Jesus! And the gifts He gives are peace, joy and love! We hope that you can experience His peace through the busyness, share His joy in being generous, and demonstrate His love for the people placed in your life. 

Merry (conscious) Christmas, from ZOE Australia!

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February 12, 2022 - No Comments!

90% of People Quit Online Courses…

-Here’s why you should finish this one-

You heard about it. Initially, there was disbelief. 

But now, as you research further, you identify an overwhelming sense that you feel passionate about ending child trafficking. 

So late one night, as thoughts and questions race through your mind, making it hard to sleep, you grab your phone and start scrolling, looking for a way to engage and learn more about the topic. 

You click the link on the ZOE website and sign up to do the free, online, self-paced course… “How hard could it be?”... “I have a spare few hours,” you tell yourself. But 6 months later when an email reminder comes, and you recall being only halfway through the first module, you are left wondering why on earth was it so hard to get started - let alone finish.

Despite the statistics, the Pathway to Preventing Child Trafficking course 

is one that you can, and should, actually finish. 

Let’s look at some of the reasons why people might not make it through to the end of the course and brainstorm some possible solutions.

#1 The topic is too confronting.

Solution:

Child trafficking is indeed a very heavy topic. One suggestion is to have a friend or partner take the course at the same time as you so that you not only have some support to get through the hard parts, but you also have someone to discuss the content with and process the information at a deeper level. Take a moment to reflect and remember ‘why’ you started the course. What was your motivation for doing it and what do you need to do to take a step closer to seeing your goal met?  

#2 I got distracted or too busy

Solution:

Think about other areas of your life where you commit to someone else, whether it be picking up your child from school or attending your friend’s theatre production. When you commit to something, you schedule it in the diary, (if you’re like me) you set a calendar reminder and of course, you see it through. 

So, when you think about showing personal integrity, committing to doing something (for yourself) and seeing it through; be sure to also prioritise it. Set aside the time and schedule a weekly reminder to get through the content until you have finished. It could mean ½ hour each week or setting aside one Saturday and getting it all done at once. Ask someone to keep you accountable to your commitment and check in with you as you progress. 

#3 It’s not relevant! Child trafficking doesn’t happen in Australia, right?

Solution: 

“Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking.” By the end of this course you will begin to understand more about human trafficking, be able to define it, and see the important role Australians have in protecting vulnerable children. 

“As an Australian, I am absolutely shocked and appalled at the statistics I have just been informed of. I was never really aware of the involvement Australia had with child trafficking so this has really saddened me to learn this of my country. It raises the question of how our country got to this statistic and was able to harm this many children.” - course participant

So, why is the Pathway to Preventing Child Trafficking course one that you can,

and should, actually finish? 

One way that you can practically stand up for the rights of children is by learning about the problem so that you are equipped with the knowledge to fight it. Along with the online course we have videos, resources, toolkits, school curriculum and social media posts for you to remain informed and connected.  

After finishing the Pathways course you will get a certificate of completion. More importantly, though, you will add another tool to your ‘kit’ to help fight this huge problem.

For more information visit goZOE.org.au or sign up for a course.

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January 30, 2022 - No Comments!

To Do or Not to Do, That is the Question

So often when people hear about child trafficking for the first time, their disbelief is followed by the question, ‘What can I do?’ 

I have asked this question too, and whilst this seems like a practical response, maybe the question we should be asking ourselves is not only, ‘What can I do?’ but ‘Who can I be?’

When we ask what we can DO and there is no clear, straightforward, easy or immediate answer then the problem gets put into the “too hard”, “disbelief” or the “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” basket. 

And we end up finding something else to ‘do’ with our time. 

I would like to propose that if we made a commitment to developing who we want to ‘be’ - then the ‘doing’ part will follow naturally. 

We set goals in accordance with our values. For example, if I value being fit, I will make goals to go running or workout at the gym regularly during the week. 

If I value fairness, child safety, freedom… then I respond through my choices and actions. In response, I set goals to shop ethically, research before I purchase and learn about challenging situations where people are manipulated, exploited or controlled. I make decisions about what to ‘do’ underpinned by my values. 

Who I am impacts what I value, and what I ‘do’ is displayed in the way I live by those values. 

So what’s the answer to the question, What can I do to end child trafficking? I believe that will be determined by who you want to be! 

As each of us work towards becoming the person we want to be, our actions will follow! 

I want to be:

An influencer. I will use my voice to share what I know about child trafficking and make a positive difference in the world.

A conscious consumer. I will use the information available to make the most informed purchasing decisions I can.

An educator. I will understand and be able to explain to others what child trafficking is and how we have a shared responsibility to see it ended in our generation. 

An awareness raiser. I will use my sphere of influence to encourage others to be aware of the problem of child trafficking and challenge them to respond in a personal way.   

A volunteer. I will use my skills and talents to serve in any capacity needed to support and enhance the goals of the organisation. 

A child’s rights advocate. I will promote and defend children’s right to protection because of their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. I will do everything I can so that children can grow up in a safe, healthy and positive environment.

A pray-er.  I will be quick to pray. I am moved by compassion and show love to the best of my ability, putting the needs of others above my own desires.

A donor.  I will use my finances to support and enhance the goal of ending child trafficking.

A supporter. I will promote the resources, curriculums and tools available to my circle of influence as well as attend as many events, updates and fundraisers that I am able to. 

Want to get in touch? You can email one of our team at: info@gozoe.org.au