Sunday, July 27, 2008

"Not just a cup, but a just cup"


Imagine this:  You're a coffee farmer and a musician from Uganda and you're in New York for the first time.  It's September 11, 2001.   Just as you are about to step inside the World Trade Center, the first plane slams into the building.  What do you do next?

This was the situation faced by JJ Keki (who also has 25 children, 14 of whom are adopted), a Ugandan Jew who had faced religious persecution and wanted to do something to unite people of different faiths.  He went back to Uganda and created a coalition of coffee farmers of all faiths, called Mirembe Kawomera, which means "delicious peace" in the Luganda language.  The interfaith coalition is comprised of Jewish, Muslim and Christian farmers, a testament to the ability of people to overcome differences, share common dreams and find peace together.

You can read about JJ in this month's issue of "O" magazine, or online here.  If you're willing to forgo Starbucks for some organic coffee grown by people who have united for peace, you can buy it here.  A portion of the profits goes to the community - sending kids to school, among other things, and helping to ensure a better life for the next generation.

Their motto says it all:  "Not just a cup... but a just cup."


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