Rise Up Phoenix

Most good ideas seem to start over a pint with good friends and in that way the new boutique in downtown Phoenix is no different. Birthed out of conversations in pubs in Bend Oregon and Phoenix Arizona the idea of having a flagship store for Rise Up was something that quickly gained traction and movement. We began to dream in the style that has given Rise Up its definition, that is we dreamed big and then started to believe that with the creativity and resources that come through a community committed to justice and beauty we could do anything we wanted. All of this was taking place in the early fall of last year.

By December we began the process of looking for locations and assembling the team of people that would be able to turn this dream into a reality. We wanted to have a boutique that would reflect the things that animate us in life. We wanted to be close to the growing arts community in the downtown Phoenix area. We wanted to be close to public transportation and the ASU downtown campus because of our belief in sustainable living and education. And we wanted to have a store that itself was a work of art instead of another retail box that lacks any true diversity. With those values in mind we located a space at the ground level of the historic San Carlos Hotel, right in the heart of the Phoenix skyline.

In the beginning of 2008 we started the process of tearing out the old floors, fixtures, and walls. We found furnishings in gurneys and church pews, looking for items that had contributed to the process of helping and healing individuals and families as we embarked on a similar process through the unlikely avenue of fashion. The store started to take shape and we found other brands that would compliment our commitment to art and activism (Obey, Insight, Toms Shoes, Grn Apple Tree).

The doors first opened to the public in the middle of March for our "soft opening". We have begun to establish ourselves in the community as a store that is committed to apparel, art and activism. We are connecting people with the international humanitarian work that Rise Up is doing in Nicaragua, India, and China. We are also committed to making social changes on a local level through some initiatives we will be working on in the Phoenix area. As a start we are working with an organization called Humane borders in putting water stations in the desert to look after the lives of migrant families. We are also partnering with a start up organization called Phoenix Copper Bikes that is committed to bicycle advocacy as well as providing affordable transportation to the working poor.

Last week we had two huge Rise Up launch parties. We had a DJ'd house party and a night of acoustic music at the hotel San Carlos. This was a grand opening weekend to celebrate the store, the work that Rise Up is doing in the world, and the friendships we are forming as we collectively seek to help children rise up out of poverty. We are excited about the future of the boutique as a hub for people who are in to fashion, art, and making a positive difference in the world. The store is located at 204 N. Central Ave, Phoenix AZ 85003 and the online store will be coming soon at www.riseupstores.com . For more information on how you can be involved please contact kevin@riseupinternational.com.

Sex Trade in India - The Enslavement of Children for a Buck

How greed, corruption, poverty, ignorance, and the caste system combine to enslave children into the sex industry in India.

Sheri and Curtis attended an informational talk at the Environmental Center by Shannon Keith who founded the International Princess Project, Shannon was moved by her experiences during a trip to India. The following from her website:

In February of 2005, Shannon Keith made a trip to India that changed her life. While there, she visited a red light district with an organization whose mission is to rescue prostitutes. As Shannon’s group distributed fruit, medicines, and small grooming items, she was struck by the number of women and children living in crude shacks that provide both shelter and a place for business. She could not forget the individual faces, “some worn by years of abuse, others that appear young until you look into their eyes and are almost paralyzed by the empty pools that stare back at you.” The squalor and sense of hopelessness were overwhelming to Shannon.

The women and children who are a part of the sex trade in India—Mumbai (Bombay) alone has the largest concentrated red light district in the world—are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and disease. The chance for escape from the sex trade is slim. Unlike the U.S. where government programs exist to help those who are destitute and want to make a change for the better in their lives, India has no financial aid for women who want to get out of the profession. And the stigma attached to children of prostitutes bars them from entering public school, virtually forcing them into the same life that their mothers endure.

What Shannon discovered was that everyday children are: trafficked, bought, sold, or kidnapped and forced into the sex trade. Human traffickers cajole, lie, trick, and bargain with families in cities and villages, playing on the desperation of their poverty, the terrible burden of the marriage dowry system, and the inescapability of the caste system. Children are promised a good life, a good husband, a good job, and purchased for as little a $50. Unfortunately once the child arrives at the brothel they are confined and gang raped until their spirit is broken. Then they are pimped out and forced to have sex up to 20 times each day. The police are corrupt and will do nothing to stop this crime (the police make money on this).

All this is a bit gut wrenching, and Shannon must be a very strong person. The International Princess Project provides funding to organizations who rescue children from these unspeakable situations and reintroduces them to the world. She sells PJ’s to raise money.

RISE UP INDIA salutes Shannon, Thank you so much for RISING UP!



Education is a step on the path for the prevention of child sex trafficking. As part of the solution RISE UP INDIA provides free education to 250 children. These children will be equipped with some simple tools to prepare them for the future. They have an increased world view and their lives have more value making them less susceptible to trafficking. The nine orphan boys supported by RISE UP INDIA definitely have a better chance at a positive future than if they were out on the street.
Note to Reader: More people are enslaved now than at any time in history. This horrible crime occurs everyday 24/7 - 365. This is not some reality TV show. Get down and kiss the ground and thank the stars that you, my friend, are not in the above situation. There are truly evil people in the world and you, as a civilized western person with access to resources, are truly obligated to RISE UP NOW and stop them. What are you waiting for?

Art for India: Canvas Painting Collaboration Event

Please join us for this live painting event where local artists will create a 32 foot long color explosion that will be sold off piece by piece at the Art For India charity event in September. This is Phase One: we paint the canvas. Phase Two: we sell the canvas piece by piece. Phase Three: we spent the money in India for 250 school children, nine orphans, 14 staff members, and one second story for the school. Cheers, yes, good job. You feel better already. Drop by and you’ll truly feel top notch.

Where: The Poet House, 856 NW Bond Street, Suite 2C, Bend, Oregon 97701 …..The Poet House is located downtown above Norwalk Furniture. Enter from Minnesota Avenue at the sign that says “The Wine Shop”.

When: FRIDAY AUGUST 1, 2008. 4 pm to 9pm. Yeah so come on down and check out the artists at work. This will coincide with downtown “art walk” so we’re expecting a non virtual artgasm blowout.



The“ART FOR INDIA” charity event will be held SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2008. Details are coming.

Rise Up India Blog

Rise Up India coordinators Sheri & Curtis just got back from a month long trip to India to help support the teachers, set up a new computer system, evaluate the projects, and spend time with the students and their families.
Rise Up is providing free education for 250 children from the untouchable caste in Bodhgaya India. To learn more about how Rise Up is helping to stop the exploitation of this discriminated ethnic group check out our new India Blog.