All Good Things

This will be my last post on “President Cheri’s Blog.” On June 22, 2011, I will officially pass the gavel to Gaby, and on July 1, 2011 I will assume my new position as Immediate Past President.

It has often been quoted, “all good things must come to an end.” Has this blog been a good thing? I hope it has. I know it has been a good thing for me. It’s enabled me to communicate thoughts that deserved more than an email. It enabled me to share the ups and downs of being the President of a Soroptimist club. It’s enabled me to practice my art – the art of the written word. Even if no one ever read it but me, it was good for me to write it.

This blog has enabled me to consistently reflect on my year as Soroptimist President. Yes, it’s been a good year. Our club has accomplished so very much. The credit goes to the club members who have pushed us to do more and then followed through and done everything we set out to do. And I have grown – as a person, as a leader, as a writer.

So while this is my last post as President Cheri, I will reframe this blog and continue posting on behalf of Soroptimist International of Salt Lake. For those of you who would like to know when I’ve posted something new (or for those of you who can only handle me in small doses), you can follow me on Twitter: @cheri0429.

To my club members, my friends, my sisters – I thank you most humbly for the honor of leading SI of Salt Lake.

Modern-Day Abolitionists

“Our history teachers lied to us – they told us that slavery has been abolished,” Dana Vaughn-Mgunda, director of the Gender Violence Education and Support Services program at the University of Denver, told us during her presentation on Human Trafficking at the Regional Conference in Price.

During Dana’s four-hour workshop we learned that human trafficking is the third largest activity of organized crime, behind drugs and guns. That it’s not always about sex – many trafficking victims are forced to work for low or no wages in poor working conditions. And yes, it happens in the United States. And yes, it happens in Utah. And yes, women can be traffickers.

It is often difficult for law enforcement to identify trafficking victims. Dana reminded us of how controversial trafficking can be. Think about it – a prostitute is a criminal, but a person forced into prostitution is a victim. We frown upon illegal immigrants – but what about “immigrants” who were brought here against their will?

Dana offered some concrete suggestions as to how one person can make a difference. Look for hotels that have anti-trafficking policies. Buy from companies that have – and enforce – policies against forced labor. How do you find them? Look at http://free2work.org , a web site that grades (A,B,C,D, & F) US companies on their policies regarding slave labor. I was shocked at some of the U.S. companies that have failing grades because they do not insist that their suppliers have policies against forced labor. I may never eat chocolate again! OK – that’s a bit rash – found a couple of chocolatiers that made the grade.

Soroptimists all over the world are rallying around the cause of human trafficking, and the SIA web site offers white papers and program information. But to really make a difference, Dana suggested that “change starts with the woman in the mirror.” Are we ready to abolish this new wave of slavery?

A Sea of Pink

Last Saturday, May 7, thousands of men and women gathered in various shades of pink to run/walk in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. And while this wasn’t an “official” Soroptimist event, four Salt Lake Soroptimists participated. “Some angels have wings, some have sneakers” was printed on the bright pink T-shirts Lisa had made for the event, and yes, the men in our group wore the pink T-shirts as well. One of the most awe-inspiring moments of the race was turning around and looking back up the hill to see the sea of pink moving down 300 West Street.

Later that afternoon, the Salt Lake Bees held their “Pink the Park” event, where, once again, looking across the field, we saw a sea of pink. The Bees theme was “Hitting Cancer Out of the Park.” In the movie, A League of Their Own, Tom Hanks tells his team, “There’s no crying in baseball.” Sorry, Tom – there was crying in baseball at this game. Throughout the game, interviews with courageous women facing – and beating – cancer were played on the video scoreboard.

Both events serve as a strong reminder of the power we have to do something about the causes that impact our lives. We are the cure – not only for breast cancer, but for heart disease and domestic violence as well. I am proud to count myself among the sea of blue and yellow that makes up the 95,000+ Soroptimists in our world. We ARE the cure.