Procedures For 2nd Letter – Dialogue in Setting Fair Trade Standards
Introduction:
In this letter set, the steering committee of the manufacturing group sets out ground rules for the upcoming dialog which will be posted on this blog.
To learn more, you can review previous posts here.
This dialog remains open to those who wish to participate.
~ Marc Choyt, Publisher, fairjewelry.org
Before we actually begin the process of working on developing a set of standards, here’s some background information and ground rules that will support constructive dialogs.
Our objective from the start has been to generate meaningful work that has value for the greater community. As such, we will continue to adhere to ISEAL principles which have universally been accepted as valid.
ISEAL Principles:
Our standards process will be open and transparent to all interested stakeholders and will not create unnecessary barriers to trade. The standards will have clear objectives and criteria that meet those objectives.
There will be meaningful participation by those stakeholders that are directly affected by the implementation of the standard. There will continue to be a balance of input in the discussion and in the decision-making on the standard.
Here is a link that provides further details about ISEAL.
Additional Considerations
The focus of our standard setting is for small and medium size manufacturing facilities. With a “fair made” stamp, or something equivalent, the producer might find a greater market among a community of designers or retailers seeking to work with companies of exemplary standards.
We believe that it is important that we maintain a flexible approach, which will work under various cultural conditions. For our standards to be effective, they must be practical. Small producers will have different issues than medium size producers possessing greater resources. Participation cannot create burdensome documentation.
On a very practical level, these standards will not only help connect exemplary manufacturers with a broader market, but they will also help the workers. A simple set of standards might alert a manufacturer who may not know the dangers of working with cadmium solder without ventilation.
Maintaining Point Of Order
In order to keep on the same page during this discussion, here are a few guidelines. When proposing the addition of a new standard – please add a letter after the principle number. For example, 1a would refer to Consultation’s first standard.
Additionally, if commenting on a specific proposed standard, please include the corresponding letter and number designation i.e. 1a/1c etc. Since the first standard will be drawn from the principle of Consultation – each of the standards about Consultation will be numbered 1 followed by a letter. When the group moves on to a new principle, the number will change and a new set of letters will be needed.
We ask that we keep our conversation as focused as possible on the standard being considered. Let us work to develop standards principle by principle, realizing that as we progress there will be a need to circle back from time to time to improve upon and/or change previous work as this will be a learning process.
The principles which we developed last year are not set in stone. The new members of our group bring a broader perspective with additional expertise in this process. As we work together, we do have the flexibility to modify principles as we begin to develop standards.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Marc, Christina, Steve, Amanda, Vivien.
