Fair Trade Jewelry

This article by Margot Roosevelt of the LA Times talks about how some major large scale jewelry companies oppose the opening of a mine in an environmentally sensitive area in Alaska. ~ Marc

Retailers To Hold Mine To Higher Gold Standards

Tiffany, Fortunoff and others oppose an Alaskan operation over environmental worries.
By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Originally released on February 12, 2008

Environmentalists want you to buy organic roses, and human rights groups tout conflict-free diamonds.

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Tags: Spin, CSR, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Gold, Ethics, Toxins, Environment, Mining by Marc Choyt
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I appreciate the efforts of this blogger to expose the issues, but the post is written as if fair trade diamonds already exist. They do not.

Some diamonds fields are a hundred square miles with small scale artisanal miners picking away and smuggling their goods where they can be sold. No one can really control smuggling at this point. The diamond fields are vast and can be found in many different countries.

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Tags: CSR, Transparency, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Change Agents, Environment, Fair Trade Gems, Diamonds, Madison Dialogue, Jewelry Manufacturing, Ethics, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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INTRODUCTION: Michael Kowalski, CEO of Tiffany, gives us a glimpse into Tiffany’s perspective on the efforts of artisanal mining and the Association of Responsible Mining (ARM) during his interview with Robert Bates, Senior Diamond Editor of the JCK Magazine.

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Tags: CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Spin, Transparency, Madison Dialogue, Ethics, Environment, Change Agents, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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ARM is delighted to announce that Professor Alyson Warhurst has kindly accepted to be Senior Advisor on strategic issues to ARM and that Maria Laura Barreto, Victor Manuel Reinoso and Wilson Mutagwaba were unanimously elected as new members of its Board of Directors. Please follow the link for the full press release in English or Spanish.

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Tags: CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Madison Dialogue, Mining, Ethics, Environment, Editorial by admin
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I just returned from a four day Business and Consciousness conference where some of the most visionary leaders in the business world, from Steven Covey to Bill Strickland, spoke about how we can transform our relationship to economy, ecology and community. Yet the conference also faced the issue around sustainability, global warming and the fragmentation of our most trusted institutions..

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Tags: CSR, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Best Practices, Spin, Ethics, Environment, Transparency, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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In this article from the Seattle Times, written by Jon Bridge, the CEO of the 78 chain store, Ben Bridge Jewelers, discusses initiatives to reform the 1872 mining law using the “golden rules”. “Jewelers support common sense mining reforms,” he writes.

Here’s the link:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004154796_jonbridge31.html

Tags: CSR, Best Practices, Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, Transparency, Change Agents, Mining, Ethics, Toxins, Environment, Editorial by admin
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A committee has been formed to develop standards for fair trade jewelry manufacturing. The initial discussions will take place on this blog. We have created a separate category on the right side bar entitled, Madison Dialogue Manufacturing Committee. In order to participate in this discussion, you will need to contact us first so that we can list your name and the organization you represent. ~ Marc

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Tags: Ethical Initiatives, Fair Trade, Sustainability, CSR, Transparency, Jewelry Manufacturing, Ethics, Change Agents, Madison Dialogue by Amanda Stark
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Lev Leviev, who has made billions in diamond trade through personal savvy, is one of the most central figures in the diamond sector. This segment of Democracy Now! features activists who call for a boycott at Leviev’s Manhattan store. The ethically concerned citizens point toward human rights abuses in Israel and deficiencies of the Kimberly Certification Process in Angola, where the diamond trade supports brutal dictatorship.

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Tags: Transparency, Spin, CSR, Change Agents, Environment, Diamonds, Ethics, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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When we consider the notion of heart this Valentine’s day, it is easy, in our world where commodity is valued over humanity, to be too small in our hearts, falling into the illusion that our entire life is cast like a shadow against a cave wall.

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Tags: Fair Trade Gems, Editorial by Marc Choyt
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In this article, Sandra discusses the path breaking work in Columbia, where ecologically mined gold supports rural indigenous communities. **It should be noted that Oro Verde gold will soon be readily and easily available through a bullion company that is being developed by Greg Valerio.
Read Sandra’s story below.**

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Tags: Transparency, Fair Trade, Change Agents, Environment, Mining, Gold, F*R*E* by Marc Choyt
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