The Big Issue Vendor Christmas Parties

Melbourne vendor Craig, getting into the Christmas spirit.

For many, Christmas is a time of giving, sharing belly laughs with family members and indulging or overindulging in Christmas treats. However, for those that are homeless, marginalised or disadvantaged, Christmas can hold a different meaning.

Every night in Australia around 105,000 people are homeless living on the streets, in doorways, squats or temporary accommodation.

This Christmas, The Big Issue has embraced the festive spirit hosting Christmas parties across the country for 350 plus vendors. In Melbourne, vendors were invited to attend a sit down dinner consisting of roast pork, lamb and beef with gravy and mint jelly, roast vegetables, salads, and sweets including Christmas pudding, pavlova and sponge cake.

To everyone’s great pleasure in Melbourne, vendor Owen played an impromptu albeit very talented set on the piano. With little encouragement needed several others busted out their best dance moves while the sounds of laughter and chatting filled the hall. De, another Melbourne vendor reflected on the occasion:

“It was nice to see people that I hadn’t seen for a while … Christmas can be a difficult time but there was a real sense of happiness at the party. It was a big group of happy people coming together as The Big Issue mob.”

The vendors are an eclectic group of people from all walks of life and these gatherings are a truly unique way for vendors, The Big Issue staff and supporters to get together and share a yarn. It’s now back to work for vendors, who get back to selling the magazine, earning themselves an income while also getting involved in the festive spirit across the country.

In a report released earlier this year it showed that for every one dollar invested in the Street Magazine Enterprise four dollars fifty in benefits was generated to the Australian community. Supporting a vendor group of some 350 individuals at any one time, the report showed that in the absence of the Street Magazine Enterprise those individuals would impose additional aggregate demands on society at a cost of around $10 million per annum.

Support The Big Issue this Christmas by purchasing a copy of the magazine from an authorised vendor on the streets for $5. Vendors keep half.

For more information about The Big Issue visit www.bigissue.org.au

Copenhagen deal leaves Australia at high risk

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop
Strong national laws to cut greenhouse pollution and grow clean energy jobs are more important than ever after the Copenhagen climate talks ended in a weak result, the Australian Conservation Foundation said yesterday.

“Even with a weak outcome in Copenhagen it is clear many major economies represented here are moving to dramatically cut emissions and shift to a low carbon future,” said ACF executive director Don Henry from the Danish capital.

“A comprehensive climate treaty that requires Australia to reduce emissions is a matter of when, not if. The smart thing to do is to prepare Australia’s economy now.

“Australia needs a comprehensive set of national climate laws, otherwise there is a very real risk we will be left behind.

“The former government’s Shergold Report found it was better for the economy to put a price on carbon ahead of global action. This recommendation was supported by the former Government, the former Opposition leader and the current Government. We expect them to honour this commitment.

“People around the globe still want strong government action on climate change and world leaders will be arriving home to citizens who will be demanding better.

“Australians who voted for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2007 will expect international leadership from Kevin Rudd to extend the Protocol and build a comprehensive global treaty.

“We urge the Prime Minister to do what he can to make sure leaders come together again as soon as possible next year and deliver a fair, ambitious and binding global climate treaty alongside an extension to the Kyoto Protocol.”

Find out how Australia stacked up against the rest of the world in Copenhagen

Berry Merry Christmas

By Deb Baxter - The Body Shop
For many years now, The Body Shop Retail Support Centre (RSC) has proudly supported the Berry Street Victoria - Berry Merry Christmas Appeal.

Berry Street Victoria has been protecting and caring for children and strengthening families since 1877. Berry Street exists to increase life chances and choices for children and young people who are at risk, or who have experienced the trauma of family violence, child abuse and neglect. Over 1000 children and young people will spend their Christmas with Berry Street this year.

Each year the children from The Body Shop Children’s Centre create a special Christmas tree to assist the staff of RSC in their support of the appeal. Berry Street provides gift tags with suggestions of what to buy for each age group, ensuring the process is simple yet incredibly effective. Most importantly, the Berry Merry Christmas Appeal results in great joy for the children of Berry Street.

If you would like to take part in the Berry Merry Christmas Appeal in the future, contact Damien on 9429 9266 or e-mail info@berrystreet.org.au

Supporting the Berry Merry Christmas Appeal is as simple as picking up an extra gift or two when out doing your Christmas shopping. Your generosity will ensure the spirit of Christmas reaches many disadvantaged children, young people and families in the care of Berry Street

International Human Rights Day

Today marks the anniversary of the United Nation Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Over the years, a whole network of human rights instruments and mechanisms has been developed to ensure the primacy of human rights and to confront human rights violations wherever they occur.

The shocking truth is that Australia doesn't have that much to celebrate when it comes to Human Rights.

I'll leave our shocking treatment of asylum seekers for another day. Today I want to focus on the right to life with dignity for first Australians. A right we're still trampling all over!

Although the Government recently signed up to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, they have suspended the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory to enact the "Northern Territory Intervention".

Our values partners Amnesty International and Australians For Native Title & Reconciliation are both campaigning to end this human rights violation.

If you value your human rights do something to help someone else's!

Amnesty International invited a few of us to attend a special breakfast with Nobel Peace Prize Winner and champion of human rights, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

We felt very fortunate to go and hear not only from His Holiness, but also from a brilliant Aboriginal woman - Professor Larissa Behrendt from the University of Technology Sydney. Larrissa spoke passionately about the injustices of the NT intervention including increases in violence , malnutrition and truancy.

So I encourage you to get the facts about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and check out some of the links above to support their human rights!

THE BIG ISSUE CALENDARS HIT THE STREETS

MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 23 November, 2009
The Big Issue Calendars hit the streets in time for Christmas.

Australia’s best-loved street magazine, The Big Issue, is getting into the festive spirit with its annual calendar hitting the streets today.

On sale until sold out the 2010 calendar is available for purchase from vendors in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and regional Victoria.

At just $5, the calendar is a great gift idea, with the added bonus that half the money goes directly into the pocket of your vendor – sharing the gift of giving.
The 2010 calendar celebrates the talents of some of The Big Issue’s regular cartoonists and contributing artists, including Andrew Weldon, Neryl Walker,Dean Gorissen, Michael Weldon, Keith Burt, Michel Streich and Ron Monnier.

The calendar also highlights, in words, some of the remarkable vendors who sell The Big Issue magazine throughout each year. The calendar will be followed by The Big Issue’s annual bumper Christmas edition, which will hit the streets December 7.

The Street Magazine Enterprise is an initiative of The Big Issue Australia. It uses the publishing model to deliver an independent, sustainable and self-funded business solution to homelessness. By selling The Big issue magazine, homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people have the opportunity to earn an income and be actively included in society. Authorised vendors buy the magazine for $2.50 from the The Big Issue and sell it on the streets for $5.

In a report released earlier this year it showed that for every one dollar invested in the Street Magazine Enterprise four dollars fifty in benefits was generated to Australian society. Supporting a vendor group of some 350 individuals at any one time, the report showed that in the absence of the Street Magazine those individuals would impose additional aggregate demands on society at a cost of around $10 million per annum.

The Body Shop Copenhagen Menu for Climate Change

Plenary room, Bella Centre, COP15 Copenhagen taken yesterday via: Australian Science Media Centre

We are just ordinary people working at The Body Shop Australia.

Our company strives to lighten it's environmental footprint. We've become carbon fighters too.

We hope the people with power converging on Copenhagen today understand their awesome responsibility.

We pray they use this chance in our history to just do the right thing for the common good.

In honour of this historic occasion our in-house cafe has designed a special Copenhagen Menu for lunch! Yay! The “Princess Mary’s favourite steamed dimmies” makes me LOL.

If you have a minute, quickly make Don Henry from ACF your proxy at Copenhagen!


Copenhagen Conference Menu December 7, 2009


Danish Chicken and basil rice, with sun dried tomatoes and lemon sour cream
Dansk kylling og Basilikum ris, med solen tørrede tomater og citron syrnet

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Copenhagen egg salad sandwich with bacon and parsley
Copenhagen æg salat sandwich med bacon og persille

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Danish beef sausages with grandmother’s sweet and sour red cabbage, potato mash and gravy.
Dansk oksekød pølser med bedstemors søde og sure røde kål, kartofler mask og sauce.

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Baked pumpkin, cheese and spicy bean parcel, with cucumbers in sour cream.
Friskbagte græskar, ost og spicy bønne parcellen, med agurker i syrnet

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Steamed market vegetables
Dampet markedet grøntsager

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“Princess Mary’s favourite steamed dimmies”
"Prinsesse Marys favorit dampet dimmies"

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Hot chips and friet sauce
Hot chips og friet sauce

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Danish sour cream potato salad
Danske syrnet kartoffel salat

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Tivoli salad, with Havarti cheese, ham, peppers and tomatoes
Tivoli salat, med Havarti ost, skinke, peberfrugter og tomater


God appétit

The Big Cheese team (The Big ost team)

Greenpeace ads with aged politicians in 2020 apologizing for climate change

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager



If you can't see the slideshow above click here
Via TckTckTck & Greenpeace Italy

Also, you have to see this video: Captain Planet goes to Copenhagen it's very funny and Australia relevant:

We’re still saying yes to safe sex

Over the last three years, The Body Shop has worked with MTV Networks International to create a global campaign to help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

We’ve informed millions of young people worldwide of the importance of safe sex. World wide we’ve also raised more than AUD$3.2 million for the Staying Alive Foundation, which supports young people to pass the message on to their peers.

Your generosity has helped 149 innovative projects to date around the world, raising awareness of the many threats that HIV and AIDS pose in communities.

Thank you!

We couldn’t have done it without you. Many thanks to everyone who supported the campaign.


For more information about these projects, go here.