In light of the upcoming American holiday season, the Melibee hive wants to comment on the day after Thanksgiving; Black Friday. This day of consumerism, questionably good deals, and sometimes mob-mentality follows a day where Americans gather in fellowship with loved ones, celebrating all for which they are grateful. The irony continues to baffle many.
The Melibee hive asks you to remember your ethical consuming principles and encourage you to use your purchasing power this gift-giving season. While the holidays should be a joyous time to share with friends and family, we should be mindful that all too often these low prices and crazy sales can negatively impact locally owned shops and workers abroad. 
Issues like sweatshop labor, anti-union corporations, minimum wage disputes lie just below the surface of Black Friday. If you are going to spend, why not buy something original, beneficial, and/or meaningful? Whether that be from a locally owned and operated shop, a fair trade store such as Ten Thousand Villages, or buying digital/virtual products that require no packaging, shipping, printing, etc.; there are plenty of ways to use your purchasing power for good!
Our Melibee Global Tools and MelibeeU Webinars are thoughtful and significant gifts for any and every International Educator, Traveller, or Interculturalist. Our digital products have no detrimental impact on the environment and they promote social change, all the while contributing to personal and/or organizational growth and development. Whether you are looking for a personal gift for a colleague or student, family member or significant other, or maybe yourself, we offer a sample of resources from our hive that we ‘BEElieve’ are an ethical and valuable investment…
For International Educators:
International Educators Coping With Stress: Striking A Balance 
Beyond Abroad: Innovative Re-entry Exercises
Ten Essential Elements of Community Partnership Abroad with Dr. Eric Hartman
For Career Seekers:
Resume Tips for International Education (register by Dec 10th for the early bird discount!)
Career: International Student Advising
Career Q&A with Missy Gluckmann 
For the Travel Community:
Finding and Planning A Volunteer Experience Abroad
How To Creatively Fund Your Travels
Beyond Abroad: Innovative Re-entry Exercises
And for all those book lovers, culture followers, and those who love learning (from my guess, that includes everyone who reads this!) check out the selections for our first Book Club discussion! We will be reading two books; Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman and A Free Life by Ha Jin. What better gift than two thought-provoking books and a spot in our book club?!
We’d love to hear how do you shop with intention. Share with us your ways of BEEing the Change here in the comments section or via Twitter using the the hashtag #BEEtheChange
Wishing you a meaningful holiday season, no matter how or where you choose to celebrate in this world!
About the Author: Sarah Dilworth is a culture connoisseur, political junkie, and foodie from the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. She is a Marketing and Innovation Associate, who finds comfort in writing in 140 characters! Sarah earned a Masters Degree in Intercultural Studies from Dublin City University in Ireland, has experience teaching primary and secondary levels, and worked in the nonprofit sector facilitating cultural exchange. Sarah currently splits her time between Ireland and the US. Connect with her on twitter @SarahDil. You can learn more about her here.