Factual Free-Market Fairness

Food for thought
The complete article here:
http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2012/06/factual-free-market-fairness/?utm_source=RSS+Feed&utm_campaign=f08c432b6f-RSS+Emails&utm_medium=email

The master narrative of High Liberalism is mistaken factually.  Externalities do not imply that a government can do better.  Publicity does better than inspectors in restraining the alleged desire of businesspeople to poison their customers.  Efficiency is not the chief merit of a market economy: innovation is. . . .

Anyone who after the 20th century still thinks that thoroughgoing socialism, nationalism, imperialism, mobilization, central planning, regulation, zoning, price controls, tax policy, labor unions, business cartels, government spending, intrusive policing, adventurism in foreign policy, faith in entangling religion and politics, or most of the other thoroughgoing 19th-century proposals for governmental action are still neat, harmless ideas for improving our lives is not paying attention.

In the 19th and 20th centuries ordinary Europeans were hurt, not helped, by their colonial empires.  Economic growth in Russia was slowed, not accelerated, by Soviet central planning.  American Progressive regulation and its European anticipations protected monopolies of transportation like railways and protected monopolies of retailing like High-Street shops and protected monopolies of professional services like medicine, not the consumers.  “Protective” legislation in the United States and “family-wage” legislation in Europe subordinated women.  State-armed psychiatrists in America jailed homosexuals, and in Russia jailed democrats.  Some of the New Deal prevented rather than aided America’s recovery from the Great Depression.

Unions raised wages for plumbers and auto workers but reduced wages for the non-unionized.  Minimum wages protected union jobs but made the poor unemployable.  Building codes sometimes kept buildings from falling or burning down but always gave steady work to well-connected carpenters and electricians and made housing more expensive for the poor.  Zoning and planning permission has protected rich landlords rather than helping the poor.  Rent control makes the poor and the mentally ill unhousable, because no one will build inexpensive housing when it is forced by law to be expensive.  The sane and the already-rich get the rent-controlled apartments and the fancy townhouses in once-poor neighborhoods.

Todays mention of Jeweltree in the San Francisco Chronicle: Rock-solid gems at D&H Sustainable Jewelers Thanks Shawn!

The customer was eyeing the chrome tourmaline gemstone, but wanted assurance the mining company didn't abuse its workers.

Not only did D&H Sustainable Jewelers in the Castro explain they had consulted with third-party inspectors sent to the African mine, they handed the customer a photo of 15-year-old Malika, the Kenyan girl whose education would be funded if she bought the stone.

Sold.

As buyers are becoming increasingly aware of mining abuses through movies such as "Blood Diamond," sustainable jewelers who use recycled metals and "conflict-free" gems are pulling business away from the traditional corporate jewelry houses that gloss over their stones' origins.

"We can pass to customers that chain of custody, so they know exactly what they are buying, how it was unearthed, and whose life will benefit from its sale," said designer and gemologist Shawn Higgins, who is the H in D&H Sustainable Jewelers.

The D is co-owner Lindsay Daunell, a jewelry designer with an environmental science background.

They opened their dream store on Market Street in January 2011, after beta-testing "green jewelry" at their former workplace, Gallery of Jewels, in San Francisco.

The pair now design custom jewelry using stones from "artisanal mines" that have been certified fair and humane by a third party, such as Jeweltree Foundation from the Netherlands, or the Green Gem Foundation in Berkeley.

Businesses Serving the Poor Need to Get Over Their Unease About Profit

If you've ever had anything to do with business initiatives among the world's poor — the so-called bottom of the economic pyramid — you've no doubt heard the advice that enterprises in this space need to aim for low prices, low profit margins, and high sales volumes.

It's more than just conventional wisdom. It's practically the law of the land. It was laid down by C.K. Prahalad and his colleagues more than a decade ago in a series of articles and books, and it has stuck in the minds of businesspeople, policy makers, and nonprofits despite results that can only be described as dismal.

more:

#FairTrade #Diamond Tenders in cooperation with Diamascorp & Open Source Minerals ltd

Fair Trade Diamond Tenders

DC Diamascorp and Jeweltree

 

For immediate release
DC Diamascorp Group of Companies, Open Source Minerals ltd and Jeweltree Foundation are pleased to announce joint cooperation on the Fair Trade certification of mining companies, small scale miners and artisanals starting in South Africa, and bringing their goods to market via tenders and auction.

Approximately 100+ small scale miners are identified for potential working relations and a few medium size mining companies are currently working with DC Diamascorp for tendering their production by monthly DC-DTH (Diamond Trading House) rough diamond tenders.

The Fair Trade certification will start from 1ct up in rough and is also in future planning for polished stones.
Melee parcels will be certified by lot. This will be in conjuction with the polishers that will adhere to the standards as set out by the DCC (DiamasCorp Certificate) /Jeweltree Fair Trade certification process.
Customers recieving DC-Diamascorp's Fair Trade certification will also have the possibility of requesting a Jeweltree certificate. The DCC Fair Trade Certificate is stamped with DC and Jeweltree stamp on the front page.

Part of the proceedings from the Fair Trade Certification will go to social projects in South Africa.

Traceability of Fair Trade will be controlled and monitored by independent companies, named by Jeweltree Foundation.
DC Diamascorp's tenders will also be monitored by Jeweltree named auditors.

DCC Fair Trade Certification of ethical standards will be given to the mining companies and miners after inspection and monitoring has been successfull and will be renewable on an annual basis.
The Fair Trade Certification stands in addition to KPC.


"The Jeweltree Foundation audit requirements, toolkits and certification requirements are providing a framework for an ethical, fair, free and transparent trade that provides capacity building and community benefits. It is based on the foundational principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.
A Fair Trade is a trade with mutual consent, clarity and free choice. It is trading with mutual benefits and acknowledgement of an individuals right to pursue his or her own happiness in harmony with everyone and everything else."

Tender
DC Diamascorp's Tender system is unique in its own and offers an unpresedented guarantee to both the customer and the supplier in term of accountability and fair dealings.
The Tender system and servers are opperated by an independant third party and neither buyer, supplier NOR DC Diamascorp officials have administrative access rights to it which avoids manipulation and compliance issues.
A tender is also the best way for the supplier to sell its goods as it guarantees the highest market value.

Audit
These last few weeks a first succesfull assesment was made of both mining sites and tender facilities in South Africa. The audit requirements will be available online and will be accessible for the general public. Auditors include Mike Angenent, who holds a Masters degree specializing in ethical decision making processes and Thomas Siepelmeyer, a competent person according to National Instrument NI43-101  for mineral resources classification and the first to bring Fair Trade diamonds to market by assisting and helping establish the Liqhobong Womens mining cooperative.

The mining sites are all in compliance with South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment regulations, provide fair wages and social benefits. End of time mining sites are rehabilitated and top soil is replaced.


DC Diamascorp Group
The Diamascorp group is a young company established by seasoned entrepeneurs. The holding company holds office in Düsseldorf Germany with an investement company in the UK and tender facilities in Johannesburg South Africa. The tender system itself however is completely online and future viewing offices are planned for Antwerp and Dubai.
www.diamascorp.com

Diamond panning machineFair Trade Diamond Tenders

 


For more information please contact:
Jeweltree Foundation
T: +31 43 302 0034
info@jeweltreefoundation.org

DC Diamascorp
South Africa: +27 1102 69104
Germany: +49 211 170 500 36

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Exhausted Celestial Warrior - by Pitika Ntuli

We dug gold and diamonds
Deep into the bowels of ourAncestral lands
For a pittance
That's where we learnt
Underground work!

Exhausted_celestial_warrior

©Pitika Ntuli

http://www.pitikantuli.com/

pictures of a small scale diamond mine in South Africa we'll be working with soon

First assessment completed.

We'll be making some recommendations but will very likely be certifying productions from this mining site within the next couple of months.
Stay tuned for more information

(download)