Activism, Meet Impact‪.‬ Novel Hand

So we went to the trouble of writing a series on voluntourism, but what does implementing these lessons look like in practical volunteer work? Today on the podcast, Grace speaks with special guest Rose Capin about her roles at Vanderbilt Alternative Spring Break and Repair the World to learn how concerns about voluntourism factor into these service-based organizations. If you would like to continue the conversation with Rose, you can reach out to her at rose.capin@gmail.com This m...

We've all seen a photo on Instagram of a white woman holding an orphan-- and most of us have pretty strong opinions about it. But there's a more difficult question here: how should we interact with humanitarian issues around the world? This March, Novel Hand is exploring our intentions to do good, white saviorism, and how we interact with human suffering through voluntourism.This month's Impactfull series on voluntourism: https://novelhand.com/impactfull-site/voluntourism/ Novel Hand: https:/...

Last week, I started reading about the health benefits of matcha, and decided that I needed to try it. So like every other zombie consumer out there, my fingers typed ‘amazon.com’ into the search bar without my brain even realizing it, I instantly had dozens of matcha options that could be at my door in a matter of hours. However, I was quickly sidetracked from my matcha research by a little green symbol in the search results next to the words, “Climate Pledge Friendly.”Amazon launc...

Your morning coffee might be hurting the environment. When we talk about coffee and sustainability, we often focus on the farming practices of coffee growers. But just as important is the waste that's produced at the point of consumption. Single-use plastic and other trash created from your morning caffeine kick adds up. That's where EcoRate comes in. This app allows you to rate coffee shops based on their sustainability. Today on the podcast, I'm speaking with Alex Morgan, the founder of Eco...

At the end of last month, a Chicago-based nonprofit filed suit against Hershey's and the Rainforest Alliance. Corporate Accountability Lab alleges that Hershey's and it's sustainability certification are violating consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about labor practices in cocoa supply chains. External reports and investigations by CAL show that child labor occurs on farms that supply cocoa to Hershey's.In today's episode, Alexa gives a brief overview of the social and environme...

We're learning about AVOCADOS this month: where they come from, how they affect the environment, and why it matters. On today's episode, Natasha talks with Mattie Gottbrath of the Global Citizenship Program at Washington University about food, cultural appropriation, and white saviorism. They discuss the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation, how to engage with different cultures, and solidarity and charity. Learn more about avocados on Impactfull: www.impactfull.novelhan...