Announcing the launch of Fair Jewellery Action (FJA)
Press Release
London, UK. Fair Jewellery Action (FJA) is a Human Rights and Environmental Justice Network within the jewellery sector. FJA promotes ethical and fair trade jewellery business by advocating traceability and transparency in the jewellery supply chain. FJA’s objective is to direct more of the economic impact of the jewellery sector toward the regenerating of local economies in small-scale artisan producer communities, supporting of cultural integrity and environmental sustainability.
Through its communications platform and standard setting activities, FJA will function as a driving force to consumers, making ethically and fairly traded jewellery the only moral choice. It will support jewellers by connecting them with the source of their material and enabling them to see the social, environmental and market advantage of providing ethical products.
According to Greg Valerio, one of the co-founders of the organisation, “As a starting point, jewellery brands must not lose sight of the simple fact that traceability and transparency are the foundational bedrock upon which any ethical scheme must be judged. If you don’t know where your material comes from, you are morally compromised.”
In addition to supporting jewellers and brands to source traceably and transparently, FJA will be providing a world-first published and electronic ethical and jewellery manual and education materials, available to all jewellers and jewellery businesses. It will also provide lecture materials to jewellery students, aiming to inspire, facilitate and empower jewellers to become more ethical and fair trade in their business practice.
FJA will host campaigns in support of the rights of indigenous people, communities and small-scale miners affected directly or indirectly by unjust situations involving mining. FJA will be highly focused, supporting only those that it can impact, utilising social media, an established network of suppliers, ethical jewellers, NGOs, press and action on the ground.
FJA is currently supporting the rights of Inuit small-scale ruby miners to mine, own, transform and sell ruby from Greenland without fear of prosecution or marginalisation at the hands of the Danish run Bureau for Mines and Petroleum and neo-colonial business interests.
Recognising that small-scale mining strengthens communities and has the potential to redeem economies in the third world, FJA will support mining projects enabling miners and their products to reach fair trade certification.
FJA will provide financial support, scoping studies and advice from qualified professionals, liaise with locals, practical help in implicating the project along with encouraging public support through press and up-to date information.
FJA is a programme launched in the UK and USA by fair trade jewellers and ethical jewellery advocates Greg Valerio and Marc Choyt. In the UK only, FJA will operate within the charitable trust of The CRED Foundation (no1072426).
Greg Valerio
Greg Valerio, fair trade jewellery pioneer and ethical campaigner, is the founder of CRED Jewellery, the UK and Europe’s first jewellery company to retail fair trade and fully traceable gold and platinum jewellery collections.
He is a regular speaker, lecturer and writer on human rights and environmental issues present in the jewellery supply chain, with the intention of inspiring and delivering best practice across the industry.
Some of the highlights of his work with CRED have been the publication of innovative reports, ‘Towards an Ethical Jewellery Business’ and ‘A Golden Opportunity’, and the formation of a partnership with Oro Verde, a pioneering small-scale mining initiative in the rain forests of Colombia. Since visiting Oro Verde in 2004, he continues to advocate for their groundbreaking social and environmental certification programme. Oro Verde support indigenous sustainable mining methods for gold and platinum that do not use cyanide or mercury, offering 100% transparency on gold.
In 2005, Greg co-founded the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), an international organisation seeking to lobby for small-scale mining communities among indigenous people groups around the world and has developed, in partnership with the Fairtrade Labeling Organisation (FLO) and Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), the world’s first fairtrade fairmined standard for gold and associated precious metals. He currently serves on the ARM FLO standards committee
Marc Choyt
Marc is the Publisher of fairjewelry.org. Since its founding in 2007, fairjewelry.org has become the most comprehensive trade and consumer resource on ethical jewellery production. It is read by people from 130 countries a month, and receives several hundred visitors a day.
Marc publishes articles in newspapers and trade magazines. He is President of Reflective Images Inc, www.celticjewelry.com, a designer jewellery company located in Santa Fe, NM that was established in 1995. Reflective Images converted its entire production, nationally and internationally, to recycled precious metal, and is focusing on artisan sourcing and production. The company also developed the *F.R.E. transparent sourcing system* and two e-books on ethical sourcing issues: one for the consumer and one for the trade.
Marc is currently spearheading a Fair Trade Manufacturing Principles and Standards Committee which is documented on fairjewelry.org. At the JCK Show in 2010, Marc was recognized by Jewelers That Care, a nonprofit organization, for his contributions in moving the ethical jewelry supply chain forward.
FJA is calling jewellers and jewellery businesses to join them in engaging with vital social and environmental issues, striving to achieve transparency and traceability in the supply chain from mine to retail.
To become a part of the fair jewellery network and to demonstrate your commitment to traceability and transparency in the jewellery supply chain please contact:
Marc Choyt (USA/Canada) reflective@cybermesa.com
Greg Valerio (UK/EU) greg@gregvalerio.com.
If you are outside North America or Europe feel free to contact either Marc or Greg directly.
For press requiring further details, images etc please contact rosiegamble@gmail.com
