Arghand

Bill Moyers has got to be one of my most favorite people. Every week he throws down the real deal. It is frequently very difficult truths that he presents in a no-nonsense kind of way. Even though he has been criticized for being too liberal, he presents the facts as he investigates them. I highly recommend this reality check weekly. I rarely watch it live because it airs at 10 pm on KQED (when they are not moving it around and making it difficult for those of us without tivo or other dvr capability to tape).

This week's show featured Sara Chayes who is a former NPR correspondent who is living and working in Afghanistan. Some people talk about it, others do it. For now, I just buy their products to support their good work.

Ms. Chayes has started a coop where women create fabulous artisan soaps and body oils. She has also written a book about her time in Afghanistan as a reporter and since then. She has a wish list of items the cooperative needs .... you can also make a cash donation. Otherwise, you can start your holiday shopping early, that's what I did... of course, I bought some for me, too.

I searched each one of the retailers listed on her site and ultimately had to order from two places in order to get one of each (almost...one won't be available til later in the spring) soap and the body oil. You can buy the soaps and other green gifts here (shipping was free!) or I found more soap and the body oil from a camping store (*pay with paypal, shipping was reasonable, only $10).

I freely admit that I LOVE fairtrade stores, items, etc. But this goes way beyond just economic justice... as one of the online stores said, good for the skin and the soul. Let's clean up this world!