Between Tin mining in the Congo, the struggle of ethical gold, the slaughter of whales I believe 2009 will be a busy year for GTB.
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December 2008
December 30, 2008
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December 04, 2008
The Ethical Jewellery Industry
Something interesting is occurring in the ethical gold market. Companies are starting to emerge and market consumers with a social conscious. My almost year experience working directly with Urth Solution opened a unique door to view a market that was almost untouched this time last year, in terms of consumer awareness of the plights of gold miners and the market for ethical gold. With internal changes taking place with Urth Solution, it is crucial they continue to develop their message and get it out there (not miss the boat). While I am very optimistic that the market will have enough demand to sustain competition between many competitors, I really want Urth to get out there, be seen, and not go quietly into the night like so many companies have done, with their messages lost. I think they offer a very unique perspective that even current competitors now visible on the landscape don't offer. I would hate to see that lost. My experience with Urth only wet my appetite to go forward and work with other consultants in the industry and I am actively pursuing the opportunity to work with Estelle Levin’s company. She is a leading consultant on Minerals and Sustainability. Her consulting firm is called Resource Consulting Services Limited (http://www.resourceglobal.co.uk/). She is a well published author and considered an expert in the field, often quoted.
Companies such as Ruff and Cut and CRED Jewellery are starting to build a niche in the market. I wrote an article mentioning CRED before but Ruff and Cut (http://www.ruffandcut.com/) is an interesting company. It is a company that invests 10% from each sale and a portion of the company’s overall profit into nonprofit organizations which work to improve the lives of people in mining communities. It seems that Ruff and Cut’s focus is mainly on conflict free diamonds and I was unable to tell if this includes ethical gold or will expand to cover the use of ethical gold in their collections. Some organizations they work with are:
- Bambai Bling
- Shine on Sierra Leone
- The St. George Foundation
Ruff and Cut was founded by Wade Watson, who attributes his social conscious entrepreneur ship to the events of 9-11. Read Wade’s blog (http://blog.ruffandcut.com/) on using business to make a positive global impact. Wader previously owned a socially responsible diamond-mining company in Sierra Leone which was later sold to Target Resources Plc. Target Resources' social responsibility in Sierra Leone, published in the article 'Sierra Leone Travelogue' Rapaport Diamond Report, September 5, 2008 can be found in the info/research link of this blog along with some recent publications by CASM.
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Global Good
- FINCA
In 2000, 147 nations agreed that, together, the citizens of the world must work to put an end to severe poverty by 2015. They drafted eight important goals which, when achieved, will improve the lives of the three billion people living in dire poverty. Through the Village Banking Campaign, FINCA intends to use the power of microfinance be a key player in the global movement to end poverty. - Care.org
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives. - No Dirty Gold
The No Dirty Gold campaign is working to educate consumers, retailers, and the general public about the impacts of irresponsible gold mining, and to enlist their support to reform harmful mining practices. The campaign is not calling for a boycott of gold. It is calling on the mining industry to provide alternatives to irresponsibly mined gold, which today is too often produced at the expense of communities, workers, and the environment. - URTH Solution
Founded by James Scott, Urth Solution is an ethical company that believes in Trade not Aid to support communities and foster growth in the developing world. It's our goal is to reduce or eliminate environmental, humanitarian and economic abuses, working closely with mining communities to improve their quality of life. A for profit company, Urth Solution is a company dedicated to making an investment in gold but also helping people at the same time.
