We just redistributed our paid back Kiva loans of $225.00 to Dieu Vivant Plus Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist them in their food purchases for selling at local markets.

Congo is home to the most deadly war in the world currently. EcoJoia is thrilled to be able to fund this group of people’s food selling business in Congo.

EcoJoia makes the 1st quarter 2012 EcoJoia Fund donation to the Animals Asia organization, working to end bear bile farming in China.

Bear bile is thought in Asia to cure cancer and have other health benefits, all though there is no scientific research backing it up. Bear bile farms are known for keeping bears in tiny cages or pits and cutting their skin to harvest bile. Its an outrageously cruel and unethical practice, and Animals Asia is doing a great job of spreading awareness and rescuing the animals to get them into a safe and healthy sanctuary.

20% of the purchase of our EcoJoia Fund items goes into the EcoJoia Fund, which is donated quarterly to organizations like Animals Asia.

Here is One Eyed Robot and our partner PangeaSeed’s FULL LENGTH short “The Shark and The Can.” What a great and creative way to raise awareness about shark finning!

Our shark-saving partner PangeaSeed is planning a west coast US art tour this summer with 6 cities on the list! An art gallery in each city will host a weekend-long event including an opening party, film day, and closing party. The Shark and The Can trailer by One Eyed Robot above is a little teaser for the event with GORGEOUS animation. The film day in each city will feature several films from the Beneath the Waves Film Fest, as well as a 50 minute film called Surfing and Sharks about close shark encounters in South Africa.

The purpose of the entire PangeaSeed art and film tour is to raise awareness about the plight of 73 million sharks that are brutally killed annually, mostly for their fins for shark fin soup.

EcoJoia will definitely be in attendance in at least one west coast city and we can’t wait!

EcoJoia Co-Owners Julia and Ry had the privilege of attending ‘A Night for the Dolphins’ benefit party in Los Angeles March 3rd, 2012. A host of celebs and 300 people attended the event to honor head activist Ric O’Barry and support his Dolphin Project campaign, which was put in the public eye in documentary The Cove in 2009. Celebrities included Maggie Grace, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Bush, Lina Esco, Ed Begley Jr, Jillian Michaels, Abigail Spencer, David De Rothschild, Leilani Munter, Mia Maestro, Eric Balfour, and the main man himself Ric O’Barry.

EcoJoia set up a merchandise table on the patio of the lovely home of James Costa in the Hollywood Hills and sold tees also benefiting the campaign.

The EcoJoia Fund donation has just been made for the 4th Quarter of 2011! We decided to give the money raised from our EcoJoia Fund items sold to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The Elephant Sanctuary provides a natural habitat refuge for old, sick, and needy elephants that once belonged to zoos, circuses, or were used in the entertainment industry. Situated on 2700 acres, the sanctuary offers green pastures, dense forests, spring-fed ponds and heated barns for cold winter nights where the elephants can live out their lives with other elephants. We really like the fact that this sanctuary is not open to the public, therefore the elephants have no expectations other than to live a natural roaming elephant life.

20% of the purchase of our EcoJoia Fund items goes into the EcoJoia Fund. The EcoJoia Fund is then donated quarterly to a humanitarian, animal rights, or environmental charity of our choice. View EcoJoia Fund items here.

For the 3rd quarter EcoJoia Fund donation in 2011, we decided to assist America’s returning veterans with brain injuries. 1 in 5 returning veterans have brain injuries and Operation TBI Freedom is a wonderful organization in our home state of Colorado that is committed to helping them make a smoother transition back into civilian civilization.

Operation TBI Freedom sets up programs for vets with traumatic brain injuries to receive assistance with living expenses, cognitive therapy and care, financial workshops, and job placement.

20% of the purchase of our EcoJoia Fund products goes into the EcoJoia Fund, which is donated quarterly to an organization of our choice, such as Operation TBI Freedom. Shop EcoJoia Fund products here.

Its time for EcoJoia to redistribute our paid back micro-loans to new recipients through the amazing Kiva organization.

This quarter we were able to give $150 to Hassna in Iraq. Hassna is a 58-year-old working mother who has been a tailor in Iraq since 1980. Hassna plans to use the loan to purchase an industrial sewing machine, thread, zippers, and other things that will help her grow her business and help provide a better life for her family as a whole.

EcoJoia’s original donation, used as a mirco-loan through Kiva, came from our EcoJoia Fund which is donated quarterly to an organization of our choice. The EcoJoia Fund is made up of the donation portion of purchases of our EcoJoia Fund products. We plan to retain all funds we have donated to Kiva within Kiva, so the loans can continue to help other people in need as the old loans are paid back.

EcoJoia Fund products, such as the EcoJoia Tree Tee, help make projects like Hassna’s Kiva micro-loan possible.

September 1st is the official Japan Dolphin Day where events and celebrations will be hosted in cities around the world.  Japan Dolphin Day will raise awareness about the dolphin slaughters that are going on in Taiji, Japan every year.  The goal is to let zoos, marine parks, and the Japanese government know that people around the world want to see dolphins swim wild and free. Below is an interactive map that shows where the nearest event is to you.  If there is not an event in your city, Save Japan Dolphins will provide you with the information and assistance to create a Japan Dolphin Day event in your city.  The more people that get involved the bigger our voice will be to the global community.

Link for Interactive Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210332634647534333982.0004a76af06da9507476d&msa=0&ll=51.511574,-0.143466&spn=0.008173,0.01987

To help organize an event, please contact Laura with the following information:

1. Date, Time and Place of Your Event
2. Name of your Organization (if applicable)
3. Name and E-mail address of contact person for the public (and telephone number, if you wish)
4. For Media, Name and E-mail address of contact person (and telephone number, if you wish)
5. Briefly outline your plans for your event
6. Names, organizations, and contact information for any additional groups helping with your event

Contact Laura Bridgeman dolphinproject@earthisland.org

EcoJoia is selling the official Japan Dolphin Day t-shirt of Ric O’Barry’s Save Japan Dolphins campaign. Be sure to wear it on September 1st! 25% of the purchase of this t-shirt will be donated directly to the Save Japan Dolphins campaign, which works to end the deadly and abusive dolphin trade in Japan.

EcoJoia partner Pangeaseed was recognized on Club Mumble’s blog. Club Mumble is an online magazine that focuses on contemporary art, skateboarding, and street culture. The blog featuring Pangeaseed describes their 3rd Annual Sink or Swim Art Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. The goal of the Sink or Swim Exhibition is to raise awareness about the 200 sharks killed nearly every minute. Our ocean’s health is suffering from the major depletion of the shark population. Sharks are killed for their fins because it is considered a delicacy to eat in Asian cultures. Pangeaseed has been working hard to end the practice of “finning”.