Trying to Make a Difference

It is not often that I discuss political or social issues with family or friends. I figure that my opinion is mine alone and it is not my place to foist my beliefs on others. Now and then, I do come across something that I believe is worth sharing with others. This week, Steve Runner on his Phedippidations Podcast brought up a topic and interviewed someone whose message I felt should be shared with as many people as possible. What better place than on a runner’s blog. If you are not interested in political diatribes, then stop reading this now and check back in a week when I report on my Reach the Beach Relay. But, if you want to learn something that might change your opinion about one of the running community’s biggest equipment suppliers… read on my friends.

As a Jew, I have learned the concept of Tikkun Olam (literally, "world repair"). Tikkun Olam is meant to teach us the need for social action and the pursuit of social justice in the world. It teaches us that we as human beings on this earth have a responsibility to fix what is wrong with the world around us. One way to instigate change and thus ultimately heal the world is through advocating for changes in our country’s public policy and seeking general societal change. As Jews, we believe that the world is profoundly broken and can be fixed only by human activity. Steve Runner through his Podcast introduced me to someone who is living this credo each and every day and sincerely trying to make a change in the lives of the disadvantaged. His name is Jim Keady.

“Jim Keady is the founder of Team Sweat. Team Sweat is an international coalition of consumers, investors and workers committed to ending the injustices in Nike’s sweatshops around the world. By marshalling the energy of a decade and a half of organizing on the Nike sweatshop issue, Team Sweat is striving to ensure that all workers who produce Nike products are paid a living wage. As a fellow runner, you have the power and responsibility to force Nike (and other companies who take advantage of the poor) to treat their workers with dignity and respect. Help Jim Keady and become a member of Team Sweat: to direct and encourage Nike to “just do it” and pay fair wages to their workers.” (From Steverunner.com).

Instead of me trying to describe what Jim and Team Sweat are all about, please visit his website http://www.teamsweat.org/ and/or listen to Steve’s interview with Jim at http://www.steverunner.com/ episode Fdip204. I am also including a link to a video that Jim produced that really moved me and I think will move you as well. You will find his video “Behind the Swoosh” here: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1818023932.

Steve included this quote from Sen. Robert F. Kennedy that I feel sums up why we need to care about injustices like those carried out by Nike.

"There is a discrimination in this world and slavery and slaughter and starvation. Governments repress their people; and millions are trapped in poverty while the nation grows rich; and wealth is lavished on armaments everywhere. These are differing evils, but they are common works of man. They reflect the imperfection of human justice, the inadequacy of human compassion, our lack of sensibility toward the sufferings of our fellows. But we can perhaps remember - even if only for a time - that those who live with us are our brothers; that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek - as we do - nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.”

To help repair the world means that Jews are not only responsible for creating a model society among ourselves but also are responsible for the welfare of society at large. Our responsibility to help repair our world can be understood as a religious mission. But it can also be viewed on both social and political terms. As a Jew, I try to live by the simple philosophy of social justice. This comes from the Jewish commandment to remember our experience as slaves and our Exodus from Egypt. Through this remembrance of our struggles back in Egypt we come to the realization that we as individuals are all harmed by oppression directed at any other group or individuals. Why not try to do something to correct these types of injustices.

For me, I have decided that I will try to get Team Sweat’s message out to as many people as possible through this blog and any other means I can think of. I will not purchase any Nike products until such time as they demonstrate that they have changed their practices. Maybe my one small voice will not make a difference. But, I have to at least try to make a difference no matter how small my individual voice may be.

Here are my training totals:

Sept. 6 – 3.60 miles (27:47, 7:43 pace) – 5K Speedwork w/½ mi warm up
Sept. 7 – 10.10 miles (1:20:58, 8:01 pace) – Tempo
Sept. 8 – 7.10 miles (1:00:10, 8:28 pace)
Sept. 9 – 8.10 miles (1:10:11, 8:39 pace)
Sept. 10 – 8.10 miles (1:10:06, 8:39 pace)
Sept. 11 – 6.10 miles (54:21, 8:54 pace)
Sept. 12 – 5.10 miles (43:54, 8:33 pace)

Total Miles: 48.20 miles

2009 YTD Miles: 1,466.50 miles