Peacekeeper Truth Serum Blog

Founded in 1987, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a chance to bring together people around the world to join in the common cause of ending violence against women and their children.

The 2012 Day of Unity was celebrated Monday, October 1, and was commemorated with events across the country. Here are a few of our favorite events, activities, and thoughts about DVAM:

• Hungry for Justice: Food Security and Violence Against Women. Author Sarah Kalloch eloquently discusses the disturbing correlations between world hunger and domestic violence. (Note: World Food Day is tomorrow, October 16th; read this essay to see how you can participate.)
• In Tonawanda, NY, the local YWCA is lit up with purple spotlights to increase awareness of domestic violence and women’s support services.
• Bliss Tree made a list of 8 ways to spot domestic abuse.
• If you’re interested in creating an event of your own, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a list of resources and activity ideas.
• And last but not least:  President Obama’s DVAM 2012 Proclamation.

How have you celebrated Domestic Violence Awareness Month?  Leave us a comment sharing your stories.

With Love,
The PeaceKeeper Team
www.iamapeacekeeper.com

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In 1963 Congress passed the Equal Pay Act so that women and men were ensured the same pay rate for the same work; however, almost 50 years later, women are still making 76 cents to every dollar made by a man. The Paycheck Fairness Act was introduced in January 2009 by then-Senator Hillary Clinton and Representative Rosa Delauro to eliminate loopholes in the Equal Pay Act—and to eliminate the wage gap between genders.

 In January 2009, the Paycheck Fairness Act passed in the House of Representatives,  but not through the Senate.  On Wednesday, November 17, the Senate will vote again on this historic bill.

              We at PeaceKeeper are asking you to join us in telling the Senate to “Vote YES!” on the Paycheck Fairness Act.  Because of the pay gap, working women can lose up to one million dollars of hard-earned wages.  The average working woman in America loses $500,000-$1,000,000 over her entire lifetime;  that’s money that could feed an entire family for years, all lost because of wage discrimination.  In the new economy, the woman’s income has become as important as the man’s; without that extra money, entire families are suffering.

With the Fairness Act, corporate pay loopholes will disappear and businesses will need a legitimate reason for paying women less than men. The act will also stop employers from intimidating their employees into staying silent about their wages, so that female workers will understand how their pay corresponds to their fellow employees without fear of losing their jobs.

Here’s what YOU can do to support the Paycheck Fairness Act:

–Sign this petition to tell Congress to make the Paycheck Fairness Act a law!

–You can research more about equal pay advocacy by using this handy Equal Pay Toolkit.

–In support of the Paycheck Fairness Act, Peacekeeper has launched a light golden “Fairness Gloss,” which is perfect for all skin types.  Your purchase is donated to groups for equal pay advocacy!

–Since the Act will take effect 6 months after it passes, you can act now to start your workplace moving in the right direction!  Visit PeaceKeeper’s Paycheck Fairness Act page to find out more about the Act, how to research your fair wage, and more!

              What are some of your experiences with the wage gap?  Have you been a victim of pay discrimination?  Let PeaceKeeper know in the comments section below!

With Love,

The PeaceKeeper Team

(Writer:  Renee Estey.  Editor:  Jessica Smith. 

For more information about PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics, visit www.iamapeacekeeper.com.)

Batter up!  Keep an eye on Eri Yoshida, the hot new pitcher not only known for her incredible knuckleball—50mph!—but for her gender.  Eri is the first woman to play professional baseball in the USA in over a decade!

She started out at age 16 on the Japanese team Kobe 9 Cruise, making history the only female in a league of all-male players.   Her professional debut was the very first game of the Kansai Independent Baseball League—versus the Osaka Gold Villicanes– and was attended by almost 12,000 people at the Osaka Dome, a major stadium in central Japan.  This remarkable opening is enough to have given even the greatest players a bad case of stage fright; Yoshida, though, played a fantastic game, walking one batter and striking out another in a 5-0 victory!

Only a year later, she has advanced through the ranks like wildfire, appearing in a one-inning battle against Japan’s top hitters and pitching four shut-out innings in an Arizona Winter League game against Canada.  In February, she was officially signed to the Chico Outlaws, a California team in the Golden Baseball League (one of the premier minor leagues in the United States).

In preparation for spring training, Yoshida has been training with Tim Wakefield, the pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.  She has stated in interviews that Wakefield is one of her professional idols; though she had been an excellent pitcher before (her fastest clocks in at 63 miles per hour), she only started using her famous knuckleball after watching videos of him playing for the Red Sox.

PeaceKeeper is very excited to watch Eri Yoshida throughout this season.  One more home run for women!

With Love,

The PeaceKeeper Team

(Writer: Renee Estey.  Editor: Jessica Smith.)

Obama’s revolutionary new healthcare plan was accompanied by cheers and controversy alike upon its acceptance, but one of its most groundbreaking and cheers-worthy accomplishments is its elimination of gender discrimination in the healthcare system.

For years, insurance companies have been operating under a double standard for women and men.  Healthcare plans for women-even those without maternity leave-have always been more expensive than those for men; as a result small businesses with mostly female employees have been unable to provide healthcare at all to its employees.  With the passage of the new law, however, this double standard is eliminated AND all policies for women employees are required to include maternity coverage, as the birthing of children is an essential health benefit.

In addition, the new law requires that coverage must be provided to domestic abuse victims and women who have had caesarian sections.  In the past, out of a fear of lawsuits and higher expenses, insurance companies have refused coverage to these women.  In a  recent scandal, for example, the high-ranking Golden Rule Insurance company refused coverage to a perfectly healthy woman because of her caesarian; when she filed a complaint, the company replied that they would only provide coverage if she was sterilized (i.e. if she underwent an operation to prevent her having children).

Most of the benefits of this new healthcare bill will not take place until 2014.  However, the federal government has made sure that all gender discriminations have been rendered illegal, and that people of both sexes will be getting the fair coverage they deserve.

With Love,

The PeaceKeeper Team

(Writer:  Renee Estey.  Editor:  Jessica Smith.)

TRUTH SERUM
Volume 1

Welcome to PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics new blog called Truth Serum. Why call a beauty line’s blog Truth Serum? It is because we need BIG doses of the truth. It is because truth is the single most beautiful quality we have. Truth, when spoken or lived, shines brightly and takes our breath away. Most radically truth helps us see clearly and deeply into what is really important and what is not.

Truth, when lived in every aspect of our lives, creates power in us – but the right kind of power. Yogis say that when one practices truthfulness then ultimately whatever one says will come true. Well, I look at it like this… when someone is really truthful they are deeply trusted; people open their hearts up to them and feel safe with them. When someone is established is real truth, love surrounds them… Now that’s Beautiful!

This is the same for a product brand. When established in real truth, everyone knows it and supports the brand. We see this with Paul Newman’s products and other Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, or LOHAS, brands. So our blog will focus on truth in business, truth in cosmetics and truth in life.

To start with, why is it important to create a brand that gives its after-tax profits to women’s health advocacy and human rights issues? aim is to allow all of us women in the land-of-plenty can help create a bridge to women and girls who, just by chance of birth, can’t even afford food; let alone lipstick. It is because our empowerment is deeply tied to their well-being and empowerment, because its even more fulfilling to take good care of ourselves while helping others in urgent need!

I call this “co-powerment” – not just my empowerment but our empowerment. This bridge that we can build together will enable us to walk over to things that are not so comfortable for us, enabling us to reach deeper into our hearts to the home of compassion and empathy. This bridge will enable our peers who live in great danger to have a more fulfilled, sustainable, non-violent and free lives. This bridge builds what I call “Eternal Equity”. Equity, real equity; that is probably the single most beautiful thing there is … more beautiful than youth, or wealth or fame. Equity enables us all to feel good… not just some of us. ALL of us…Eternal Equity…Equity that turns out to be the Holy Grail. When win/win is found, a type of gentle sweetness prevails.
Equity inspires us to share, to celebrate together… It actually instantaneously removes loneliness… If I could bottle equity, I would! Instead, I want to whisper it to you like a treasured secret… at all times, in all that you do, PLEASE make it as equitable as you can. I promise you, you will feel GREAT every time that you do.

Therefore, the goal of PeaceKeeper’s Truth Serum Blog is to create this bridge, explore the concept of Eternal Equity, explore what real beauty is and to play! We have such enormous hearts… let’s explore these things together to co-create a more fulfilling life!