Ethical Members Of The Jewelry Industry Support NGOs Highlighted Dirty Gold and Conflict Diamonds
The greatest catalysts for change from outside the jewelry industry have been the efforts of watchdog NGOs. Without the efforts of Global Witness and Amnesty International, the conflict diamond issue would not be as well known today. These NGOs continue to reveal holes in the Kimberly Process that are not going to be easily resolved. The Conflict Diamond film cemented these issues into the psyche of the America public.
Earthworks Action has also been a powerful catalyst. Their No Dirty Gold campaign, has been joined by many retailers, including Wal-Mart and Tiffany. Their leadership has also brought the ethical members of the jewelry industry together via the Madison Dialogs, resulting in the Ethical Jewelry Summit.
Many within the mainstream jewelry industry viewed the work of these NGOs as “arrogant” and anti-industry. But this is really a narrow, short sighted view point. The jewelry industry, like so many other sectors, must respond to societal trends. Other sectors are moving strongly toward social responsibility and green practices.
We exist now as a global community. Treating natural resources responsibly and communities of workers fairly, must be a fundamental tenant in business practice. First and foremost, this is about acting with compassion and humanity. It is about respecting the Earth for all that lives on her and caring for future generations.
Compassionate and responsible decisions become the basis of business profit. A huge segment of the market already shops their values. There is a great opportunity for socially responsible jewelry businesses to get in front of this new wave.
Resisting in any way, the movement toward transparency and fair and ethical sourcing in the jewelry industry hurts the jewelry industry.
