Something I've recently come across:

Addressing students at the University of South Carolina, Chief Judge Alexander M. Saunders said, "As responsibility is passed to your hands it will not do...to assume that someone else will bear the major burdens, that someone else will demonstrate the key convictions, that someone else will run for office, take care of the poor, visit the sick, protect civil rights, enforce the law, transmit value, maintain civilisation and defend freedom...What you do not value will not be valued, what you do not remember will not be remembered, what you do not change will not be changed, what you do not do will not be done. You can, if you will, craft a society whose leaders...are less obsessed with the need for money. It's not a question of what to do, but simply the will to do it."

Sometimes we don't take responsibility because we believe others are more qualified. No, those who make a difference in life don't do so because they're the best qualified, but simply because they decided to try.
Something encouraging and motivating for everyone else to read and also for me personally, especially when one is a (reluctant) "qualified accountant" on paper, and not a fashion or design or even a business guru! Have to keep trying & trying!

Found out about this great way of supporting a cause using mobile phone technology - texts/SMSs - and all homegrown here in Wellington, New Zealand!

A group of young entrepreneurs is using mobile phone technology to address world poverty issues.

The win-win situation sees mobile users receiving promotional text messages, relevant to their fields of interest, in exchange for ‘credit’, that can either be used to top-up their mobile phone account or support World Vision education projects.

It’s part of a service called SchmallTxt, provided by Small Change Enterprises. Five Wellington College students established the business, as part of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), with a good deal of initiative and a heart for the poor.

The tech-savvy students understood that many traditional advertising mediums, such as flyers and print ads, are rarely read by young people. By using mobile phone text messages as an advertising medium and tailoring the messages they send, advertisers receive a better response rate.

With the incentive of ten cents credit from each message received to use as airtime or as a donation to World Vision’s education projects, new customers have not been difficult to come by. Happily, one third of new customers have chosen to donate their credit to World Vision.
Click here to read more....or just go check out their website at www.schmalltxt.com

Fair trade chocolate truffles - know of any?

I've been trying to do a google search for fair trade chocolate truffles (of the gourmet kind!), and have only come across this place - can't tell if they post overseas and then again, it might cost a bomb to get it internationally! Anyone know any place they can recommend?

Conscious Style?

I just found out about an Ethical Fashion Day at the Victoria and Albert Museum from Supernaturale.
It has the coolest things happening, e.g.:

  • Swishing - The clothes swap. Swishing is an eco-fabulous way to get a new wardrobe by exchanging your quality fashion items for someone else's
  • Build a Sustainable Fabric Dress - Draw designs and messages on swatches of hemp and attach them to a life- size dress frame to create a dress. Watch the dress grow over the day.
  • Reinvention: Cut and Sew Workshop - Bring your tired, out-of-style clothes and regenerate them with the help of experienced dressmakers and a pair of scissors.
And people well-known in the field of ethical fashion are there, like Katharine E Hamnett (I probably shouldn't be plugging others too much on thehinitiative's blog but I love her slogan tees. And there's no NZ stockist...hmm...)

Pity it's already passed - not to mention it's in South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London......and I'm in Wellington, New Zealand! We need to have something like that in this part of the world! Another hmm...

Ed: Sorry this Vocalize event has now been postponed til further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. We'll let you know when something new is sorted.



Our friends at Vocalize are putting on a party & we'll be there with tees from most of our collections if you want to have a browse, try or chitchat : )

Please come and celebrate the launch of the new PhotoSpace Studio with us! We have heaps of treats and freebies lined up including a free cocktail and goodiebag upon arrival, a whole lot of spot prizes to give away and a celebrity host for the day - Geraldine Brophy from Second Hand Wedding!
As part of the launch party we will be holding a fundraising art/clothing exhibition where a percentage of all sales will go to Vincent's Art Workshop, Wellington City Mission, World Vision and the Mental Health Foundation.

So please get your friends together and come celebrate with us by supporting local artists, designers and musicians.

Booking slots are hourly from 12pm - 8pm and tickets are $15 each. You can pre-purchase by emailing rsvp at vocalize.co.nz. Please select a booking time below. Please note that numbers are limited, so make sure to pre-purchase your ticket asap! Limited door sales only.

Booking times:
12.00 pm - 1.00 pm
1.00 pm – 2.00 pm
2.00 pm – 3.00 pm
3.00 pm – 4.00 pm
4.00 pm – 5.00 pm
5.00 pm – 6.00 pm
6.00 pm – 7.00 pm
7.00 pm – 8.00 pm
8.00 pm – 9.00 pm.

Hope to see you there!

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a global annual charity event held during November. Clean shaven guys get a month to grow and “groom” their Mo while raising money to benefit men’s health.

Our charity partner, Mental Health Foundation, is one recipient for the funds raised this year!

So email your best Mo photo to info (at) thehinitiative.com and at the end of the month, they’ll be up for public vote of Mo’st Memorable Mo on our website. Winner scores one of our Mental Health tees (the one with the Mo of course!) and one other t-shirt of their choice.