Peace Is Sexy wants to make sure that you’re having a peaceful and sexy Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, a few of the things that we tend to associate with the commercialized holiday of Valentine’s Day, namely chocolate, flowers and precious metals and stones, have some pretty unsexy things underlying them like slavery, exploitation and wars.
So here are a couple resources for you to keep your Valentine’s Day all about the love… for all!
Did you know that one of chocolate’s main ingredients, cocoa beans, is often cultivated through slave labor? That’s not so peaceful. But luckily there are many chocolates that are socially conscious. Now that’s sexy!
Sadly, the same thing is true with flowers. The cut flower industry often horribly abuses its workers and takes away fertile land in impoverished countries that could be used for local agriculture. But there are beautiful, peaceful, sexy, socially and environmentally conscious flowers too!
And check out this interview we did with Federico Hewson last spring to find out more about how the Valentine Peace Project and how they’re making the flower industry more peaceful.
But perhaps the most unpeaceful of the industries associated with Valentine’s Day is the precious stone and metals, from blood diamonds to exploitative mining. But luckily there are businesses that are concerned with providing ethical jewelry.
In order to make Valentine’s Day truly peaceful and sexy Federico from the Valentine Peace Project writes, “It’s about a larger hearted Valentine’s Day – so what does that look like to you? Is it a gratitude card or a flower to the Fedex man, the nearby grocer? Is it writing a poem or statement to give to a stranger and brighten their day? Getting a bunch of flowers and going in a restaurant and giving one to each table? Giving a donation to an organisation working on community and social justice? There are lots of ways we can all increase the work of love and the journey of peace – and the deeper values of one Saint Valentine. Love, it isn’t just for lovers anymore…”