Peacekeeper Truth Serum Blog

I’m sure anyone in the sciences would find flaw in such a statement, but I have recently found myself in a rather interesting sociological situation. For those of you who don’t know, I have been a proud member of the women’s rugby team for my entire collegiate career. While rugby is a rather dangerous sport given the amount of contact, I’ve been extremely lucky to remain uninjured during these four years—at least until last week. With minutes left in the first half, a teammate and I collided while trying to take down one of the larger members of the other team. Her chin went straight into my left eye, leaving me with quite a remarkable black eye.

From black eye

I’m fortunate that no bones were broken, but as I sat in the emergency room watching my cheek swell to epic proportions, I couldn’t believe how ugly I looked. It was amazing how quickly the colors changed from blue to an angry red. My coach sat with me as I waited for the results of my CAT scan and recounted a similar injury during her college years; “You’ll get plenty of looks with a bruise like that. Sympathy grimaces and concerned questions. But the worst looks of all are from the people who don’t ask questions.” And she was absolutely right.

I decided to give my professors a heads up as to what happened via email the night before my Monday classes. As my history professor pulled me aside at the end of class to express his concern, it was clear to me that he hadn’t checked his email. At first I was peeved. I disliked being singled out in front of my peers and having to explain my situation a second time. But the more I thought about it, I realized how important his reaction was. What if I had been victimized? His concern illustrated his willingness to get involved and help.

Most of my friends found my situation comical, and among people who knew how it happened, it was. But I soon found how incredibly uncomfortable it made me as well as other people when assumptions were made by strangers. The blatant staring in a crowded elevator, the sideways comments made by people on the bus, the eyes of pity from the woman behind the counter of the bodega near my apartment… they all made me feel like I was weak and unable to stand up for myself. I couldn’t believe how many dirty looks were directed at my boyfriend when we walked together holding hands, as well as the many concerned expressions from those who believed I was staying in an abusive relationship. When shopping with my mother, a retail-worker told me that shopping was a great way to boost self-esteem when one is going through a rough time. When I told her that my injury was from rugby rather than abuse, she seemed simultaneously surprised that someone of my size played rugby and relieved that her assumptions were incorrect. In her defense, the first reaction is pretty typical; a lot of people don’t know how popular rugby is with women in college.

A few passer-bys offered some relief. I got some makeup tips from a woman on a subway. One man asked me how my opponent faired in comparison to me; another asked how anyone could beat on such a pretty face. Men at a bar on the Lower East Side constantly came up to me throughout the night to tell me how sexy I was, which I found surprising given that most of them didn’t ask how I got such a shiner. Quite possibly my favorite comment was made while I was walking down 5th Avenue on the phone with my boyfriend happily planning our rendezvous when a man commented to his friend not-so-subtly: “That’s the happiest battered woman I’ve ever seen!”

It’s been over a week now. My face has gone through the entire color spectrum, what was once a mélange of dark reds and blues has now transitioned to more pleasant yellows and greens. This experience really opened my eyes (such a terrible pun, please forgive me) to the stigma society places on victims of domestic violence. From my experiences, I feel like many are hesitant to ask questions and get involved in someone’s “personal matters” and subsequently try to ignore the issue. I’ve thanked every single person that has asked what happened because it shows me that they care enough to risk the possibility of hearing a not-so-pleasant answer. The prevalence of violence against women around the world is unacceptable. While each nation has to address the issue on the domestic level, it is incredibly important for the international community to address violence against women. There are thirty days left to sign UNIFEM’s Say NO! to Violence Against Women petition and I implore you to put your name to this cause. Offer a helping hand to women in need by declaring that violence against women is never justifiable.

Peace,

Alice

The World Bank estimates that more than 2.5 billion people live on $2 a day or less. In India, 80 percent of the population lives below this line; the total is 72 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. PeaceKeeper has been very involved with the fight against inequality. Our Eternal Equity lip gloss donates one dollar from every unit sold to women and girls who live on a dollar a day or less. While the U.S. economy has affected millions of Americans, we can’t lose sight of those for whom poverty is an accepted reality.

Peace,

Alice

Howdy PeaceKeepers!
Wyclef Jean has written a follow up on Anderson Cooper’s 360 blog on his trip to Haiti with fellow celeb Matt Damon after the island nation had been devastated by four hurricanes in two weeks; “Imagine Katrina’s impact on New Orleans and multiply it by 1000.” His diary of his time spent in Haiti in mid September is merely a glimpse into the lives of humanitarian actors who are sent to help during natural disasters. His realization “it then hit me that these people have been in this water for days with nothing on and no food. There is no clinic or hospital to care for them. It had been washed away too. We need to act now I kept saying to myself, but how can I get people outside of Haiti, with no attachment to Haiti to care? How do I get them to pay attention to the forgotten?” represents the dilemma of humanitarian action—how do you make people listen? His organization, YELE HAITI objective “is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage.” Yele Haiti has organized projects that range from school building and food distribution to creating after-school sports programs for Haitian children. Click here to find out how you can help Wycleff and Yele Haiti.
Peace,
Alice

Hi PeaceKeepers!

I thought I would pass on this fabulous link that I stumbled upon the other day called Treehugger.  Treehugger is the one-stop shop for all information on being “green,” from sustainability in design to politics and business. Their blog is updated multiple times a day, and their search engine gives you access to a myriad of archives.

Peace,

Alice

One of my co-workers tipped me off on this great new documentary on human slavery called “Call + Response.” This isn’t like other movies I’ve seen on the subject, as the director/musician Justin Dillon uses a “rockumentary” approach to inciting responses to modern-day slavery. Dillon partnered with fellow PeaceKeeper Daryl Hannah after a tour in Russia that exposed him to exactly how prevalent slavery still is. Amassing a panel of humanitarian experts from Julia Ormond to Madeline Albright, the ingenuity of “Call + Response” channels the spirit fueling LiveAid by inviting musicians to respond to this dire issue. Did you know, PeaceKeepers, that there are 27 million human beings held captive by slavery in the world today? This number is unprecedented, even in comparison to the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the past 400 years. Some of my favorite musicians like Imogen Heap and Moby participated in the making of this film.

In an interview given to the Washington Post, the director said something that made me think: “You will be given an opportunity to engage in the issue before you ever leave your theater seat. That’s the whole point of this film and the point of the people in this film and the people working on that is that we’re not just here to provide “awareness.” We believe that awareness is a 90s word. We’re here to give tactile action to it. Part of our action is to show that this is happening and give people an immediate response to it…Immediate opportunity to get involved. Our hope is that people will be able to find their own response to this because we all are going to react to this issue, but are we going to respond? That’s the question.”

I think this is a revolutionary idea for the way humanitarian aid is being conducted today. In the age of the internet, it is getting easier and easier to become knowledgeable about human rights abuses around the world. “Call + Response” suggests that the next step is to apply this information at our fingertips. What good is information if you can’t use it?

It opens today in select cities! I can’t wait for this film to get to New York City, but click here to see if it’s being screened in your area!

Peace,

Alice

Hello PeaceKeepers!
I was sitting in class the other day, planning out my week as I often do. I’ve always used lists to help me prioritize, plan, and unfortunately, to procrastinate sometimes. There is something extremely satisfying of reducing a long list of tasks one by one with a solid check at the end of each line, don’t you think? As I was doing this, I realized that I’ve never written down my long-term goals. Why should they be any different than a laundry list of to-dos for any given week? Shouldn’t they take precedence?
Having clear and identifiable goals is crucial when it comes to making changes and achieving results. Without a plan of attack, I’ve found, the best of goals get lost in the murkiness of idealism when unchecked by reality. The UN’s work with the Millennium Development Goals is a fantastic example of a well-researched and achievable plan of action.
For those of you who are not familiar with the MDGs, the UN came up with eight goals that they found essential to improving quality of life around the world. Here’s a great link that outlines all eight! Let’s take a look at the MDGs for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality.
Why does the UN think gender equality is crucial for achieving the Millennium Development goals?

Women have multiple roles. At any given time they can be mothers, leaders, students, decision-makers, farmers, workers, voters and much more. In each of these roles, the ability to be educated and healthy, to have voice and influence, and to enjoy opportunities and choices are critical to the attainment of the Goals. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to achieving the MDGs because without these capabilities and opportunities, women are less able to reach their full potential, live a life of dignity, and be productive citizens…There is solid evidence that progress in gender equality in one goal often contributes simultaneously towards progress on a number of other development goals.

Stressing the importance of women as a powerful and essential part in achieving the MDGs, UNIFEM and the UN provide specific examples and statistics to illustrate what needs to be done.
For example: In one third of developing countries, women constitute less then 10 percent of members of parliament. How does one begin to address such an astounding inequality? According to UNIFEM, there are five steps:

1. Educate Women and Girls
2. Overcome barriers to schooling for girls
3. Promote mechanisms that give women a voice in politics and governance institutions
4. Enact and implement equal economic rights for all
5. Count women’s work

How can you help the UN and UNIFEM achieve these goals and help empower women around the world? UNIFEM’s petition Say NO! to Violence Against Women is crucial to making sure that gender equality issues are a priority for the UN, so sign up today! Send it to your friends!

Yours in PeaceKeeping,
Alice

Greetings all!

Today I got to have a lovely chat with fellow PeaceKeeper Karim Orange. Karim is a fabulous makeup artist who has worked with celebrities from Barbara Walters to Lil’ Kim. Karim and Jody have collaborated on several occasions, and PeaceKeeper wants to share her knowledge with you!

PK- So first and foremost, if you were a nail polish, what color would you be and why?

KO- [laugher] Orange, of course! It’s bright like the sun, like laughter. Orange is very me; all day, every day.

PK-So how did you wind up in the makeup business? Did you ever expect to live a bi-coastal lifestyle and work with Hollywood’s finest?

KO- No, I never expected this at all. It was more of a progression, I would say. My whole family was in the music business. I grew up playing several instruments, I studied dance for years. I was always good with my hands, and with color. I think the eighties had a lot to do with it as well, it was a really fun makeup time. You had Cindy Lauper, even Boy George with crazy eye shadows, big hair and bright clothing. I never expected to start working with celebrities, I started out as an assistant to another celebrity makeup artists in around 1993 and it went from there.

PK- Do you have any favorite celebrity that you’ve worked with?

KO- Ah, I’d have to say Mary J. Blige… Lil’Kim as well. They both are extremely adventurous—not afraid to be daring.

PK- But you don’t do much work with celebrities anymore, do you? Organic Orange Studio works with everyday women for the most part, correct?

KO- True. I kinda burned myself out after 9/11, I almost quit makeup forever. But I rediscovered makeup while I was working at a department store. There was one woman who would come to the shop just about every other day. She would buy tons of things, you see she as very lonely. She came to the store to talk. She had cancer. She bought makeup because it was important for her to go to the numerous doctors appointments looking beautiful. Before I started working with everyday women, my work with makeup was very superficial. But the shift to a holistic approach to makeup really changed my view point.

PK- So not only do you have your own consulting business, you also have a line of makeup brushes. Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?

KO- Yes, absolutely. Right now I’m redeveloping the line to be completely vegan by using synthetic fibers rather than animal fur. I started the brush line because I found that I could show women how to do their makeup, but without the proper tools, they wouldn’t be able to recreate the results. Now with Organic Orange Studio, women send me their top makeup products and I research the ingredients to see how toxic or safe they are. What you put on and in your body is incredibly important for your health. I recommend women safe makeup—like PeaceKeeper to replace some of their more toxic products.

PK- Is the entrepreneurship difficult for you?

KO-Absolutely, it can be really difficult. As soon as you think you have one thing lined out completely, the next day something else comes up that needs to be ironed out. I can’t just focus on the easy part, being creative.

PK- When you work with women, are there any questions that you get all the time?

KO- Ah, “What can I do to look younger?” I get that all the time. You can’t erase wrinkles without invasive plastic surgery, but personally I find so many women of many ages to be ageless based on what they absorb in life, what they let go, what they smile about. Sleep is important, staying hydrated and making sure what you put on your face is safe is important for retaining that youthful glow. Although I will say, flattering lighting always help. Another frequent question I get is “how can I get my lipstick to last all day?” As I say—If it does last all day than you don’t want it anywhere near your lips. Some of these 16-hour lipsticks are practically shlack, it’s not healthy. I tell women as think of it as being feminine—you reapply. It allows you to take a minute and breathe. Be a woman.

PK- So being “green” is important for you?

KO- Yes and no. Green is too expensive. In this economy, I feel like a lot of people are moving backwards now. When people are moving their houses, they aren’t thinking about spending fifty cents more if it’s better for the environment. Organic should mean going back to basics, doing things that we’ve known all along to be good. Plant a garden and grow your own tomatoes. Go back to what your grandparents did to get by. But people have to be sensible as well. If you can’t grow your own produce, local farmers markets are a fantastic resource. Be less wasteful, conserve energy.

PK- As a mother of a young daughter, how do you feel about the media’s influence on body image and self-esteem?

KO- Well, I guess my daughter sees music videos and such, but we don’t have cable. I think that the longer you can keep children away from television the better. It allows kids to be focused and stay grounded. You really have to challenge their perceptions of beauty. I point out women of all shapes and sizes to my daughter that I think are beautiful. I ask her what’s so beautiful about them. Through explanation and questioning, it allows girls to develop a strong sense of what real beauty is, and what defines it.

PK- Do you have any causes that are close to your heart?

KO- Other than safe cosmetics? I’d say organizations that reach out to young girls. Girls Inc is a fantastic organization. It teaches girls to be strong, daring and responsible. Not only does it work with girls on body image and related topics, it goes further and teachers girls to being responsible with money. Women are so strong in this society, and many of us give this power away. Women need to take ownership of what we consider beauty.

I never had a chance to meet you Mr. Newman.

I met your daughter a few times. She’s calm and smart and earthy

.A lot like you, I imagine.

She’s savvy and generous – she didn’t even know me and gave me her home number the second time I met her…. I felt like she would feed me home cooking if I came by for a visit.

I never had a chance to meet you but you have been the single most influential power in my business life.

Yes, I saw Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid about a million times growing up and The Sting and the Color of Money…. But that wasn’t when my crush on you started.

It started the first time I held your salad dressing in my hands and my legs became weak. I stared at the bottle for minutes. I spun it around in my hands. How could salad dressing and pasta sauce raise $70 million for kids’ charities? This was in 1997 and I was stunned and in awe. Now, of course, your company Newman’s Own has raised over $250 million. $250 million! That’s a quarter of a billion dollars from the sale of something everyone loves.

You, Mr. Newman, were my spark, my mentor, my shining light into what the future of sustainable business could look like. At the time, I had just finished writing a screenplay about Female Genital Mutilation. I had seen an article in Time Magazine about a little girl wearing patent leather shoes and a ruffled skirt kneeling on a kitchen table whaling while the adults around her were laughing and applauding and I was shocked by the image. I became obsessed. Why was that mother, who was laughing and applauding, so happy about severing her girl’s clitoris, her pleasure center and infibulating her? … I wanted to know, not from a judgmental Western point of view, but from that mother’s point of view. After much research, I wrote a screenplay which was ultimately endorsed by George Soros’s organization, the Open Society. I then had to decide whether I should produce that important film or did I want to do something more global, universal and powerful to help women and girls?

And, that is when that “Ah ha” moment came to me at the grocery store while holding your salad dressing. Woman and girls around the world love make-up. In fact, make-up has an archetypal quality to it because women feel that when they put make up on, it transforms them. And this felt to me like an even larger platform than a movie to advocate for women. I wanted to change negative messaging about what real beauty is and that is why I trademarked the saying “Now That’s Beautiful” because real beauty is not your looks; it’s ones humanity, ethics, philanthropy – one’s heart.

When selling make-up merged with your concept of philanthropy Mr. Newman, my mind became crystal clear. I could create an eco-green cosmetics line that gives its after-tax distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human right issue. This would be the best platform to help women. You called it Enterprise Philanthropy. Your inspiration became my fuel and my fire.

I could see sourcing the raw materials from farmers the way you source your foods from farmers all over America. I could see our cosmetics line being fun and hip and using concepts that blew out of the water old, stale ideas about beauty. I wanted to have a huge company like yours so that I had Madison Avenue dollars to show the difference between love and mutuality in relationships… to show men and woman what real love is and to address the underlying problems that causes domestic violence and the exploitation of women and girls.

Your work Mr. Newman propelled me forward in these ideas like I was simply a channel for them to come through. Your work was my map… I always felt that if you could speak with buyers about philanthropy, so could I. If you could inspire consumers with your generosity, maybe my brand would inspire women as well to use their buying power to heal our planet. I always felt that I could, based on your example, build a global brand that would heal this world.

With your passing, I won’t be able to tell you that we are now in over 500 stores in the USA and Canada and have given away over $100,000 in cash and in-kind donations. I think you would have dug this news.

One day, when we launch our men’s line, I hope to name a product after you. Thank you Mr. Newman for your humanity, your outside-the-box thinking, your humor and your vision. You are my guiding light.

Peace Until The End,

Jody R. Weiss

CEOPeaceKeeper Cause-Metics

October 1, 2008