Jeweltree Foundation http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com Capacity Building & Responsible Sourcing Certification posterous.com Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:46:58 -0700 Hello! We are from #Marange #Zimbabwe. We would like you to hear our story! http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/hello-we-are-from-marange-zimbabwe-we-would-l http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/hello-we-are-from-marange-zimbabwe-we-would-l
New_generation

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Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:30:49 -0700 Factual Free-Market Fairness http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/factual-free-market-fairness http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/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.

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Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:19:52 -0700 Todays mention of Jeweltree in the San Francisco Chronicle: Rock-solid gems at D&H Sustainable Jewelers Thanks Shawn! http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/todays-mention-of-jeweltree-in-the-san-franci http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/todays-mention-of-jeweltree-in-the-san-franci

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.

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Tue, 19 Jun 2012 02:25:22 -0700 Businesses Serving the Poor Need to Get Over Their Unease About Profit http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/businesses-serving-the-poor-need-to-get-over http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/businesses-serving-the-poor-need-to-get-over

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:

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Sun, 03 Jun 2012 03:31:16 -0700 #FairTrade #Diamond Tenders in cooperation with Diamascorp & Open Source Minerals ltd http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/fairtrade-diamond-tenders-in-cooperation-with http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/fairtrade-diamond-tenders-in-cooperation-with

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

via

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Wed, 30 May 2012 04:22:19 -0700 Exhausted Celestial Warrior - by Pitika Ntuli http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/exhausted-celestial-warrior-by-pitika-ntuli http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/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/

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Wed, 30 May 2012 03:45:45 -0700 Queen opens #RainbowNation sculpture exhibition featuring South African artist Pitika Ntuli http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/queen-opens-rainbownation-sculpture-exhibitio http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/queen-opens-rainbownation-sculpture-exhibitio Pitika and Antoinette, we wish you all the best and hope you'll enjoy Holland.

http://www.pitikantuli.com/
http://www.denhaagsculptuur.nl/index2.php?lang=ned&item=home
http://nos.nl/koningshuis/video/378143-beatrix-opent-den-haag-sculptuur.html

Pitikaq

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Mon, 14 May 2012 13:10:04 -0700 Towards #Marange via Odzi - off the beaten track - talking with locals and village elders #Marangespeaks http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/towards-marange-via-odzi-off-the-beaten-track http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/towards-marange-via-odzi-off-the-beaten-track
Towards_marange_with_gg

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Fri, 11 May 2012 02:47:59 -0700 meeting yesterday with Stephen Chifunyise Arts&Culture consultant in Zimbabwe and UN expert for Cultural Expressions http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/meeting-yesterday-with-stephen-chifunyise-art http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/meeting-yesterday-with-stephen-chifunyise-art http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/cultural-diversity/diversity-of-c...

http://www.natartszim.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=183:aaron-chiunduramoyo&catid=43:hof&Itemid=288

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Fri, 11 May 2012 01:32:29 -0700 pictures of a small scale diamond mine in South Africa we'll be working with soon http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/pictures-of-a-small-scale-diamond-mine-in-sou http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/pictures-of-a-small-scale-diamond-mine-in-sou 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

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Tue, 08 May 2012 01:18:25 -0700 In marange Zimbabwe the next few days. Keep posted http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/in-marange-zimbabwe-the-next-few-days-keep-po http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/in-marange-zimbabwe-the-next-few-days-keep-po ---
Verstuurd met mijn BlackBerry van Vodafone

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Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:36:38 -0700 Jeweltree Certified and Out of Space mined precious metals - soon a reality? http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/jeweltree-certified-and-out-of-space-mined-pr http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/jeweltree-certified-and-out-of-space-mined-pr Tech billionaires bankroll gold rush to mine asteroids

  CAPE CANAVERAL - Google Inc executives Larry Page and Eric Schmidt and filmmaker James Cameron are among those bankrolling a venture to survey and eventually extract precious metals and rare minerals from asteroids that orbit near Earth, the company said on Tuesday.

Planetary Resources, based in Bellevue, Washington, initially will focus on developing and selling extremely low-cost robotic spacecraft for surveying missions.

A demonstration mission in orbit around Earth is expected to be launched within two years, said company co-founders Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson.

Planetary Resources' aim is to open deep-space exploration to private industry, much like the $10-million Ansari X Prize competition, which Diamandis created.

The prize, which galvanized the emerging commercial human spaceflight industry, was awarded in 2004 to Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne for the first flights beyond Earth's atmosphere by a privately developed, manned spaceship. Commercial suborbital spaceflights are expected to begin next year.

Planetary Resources' first customers are likely to be science agencies, such as NASA, as well as private research institutes.

Within five to 10 years, however, the company expects to progress from selling observation platforms in orbit around Earth to prospecting services. It plans to tap some of the thousands of asteroids that pass relatively close to Earth and extract their raw materials.

Not all missions would return precious metals and minerals to Earth. In addition to mining for platinum and other precious metals, the company plans to tap asteroids' water to supply orbiting fuel depots, which could be used by NASA and others for robotic and human space missions.

"We have a long view. We're not expecting this company to be an overnight financial home run. This is going to take time," Anderson said in an interview with Reuters.

The real payoff, which is decades away, will come from mining asteroids for platinum group metals and rare minerals.

"If you look back historically at what has caused humanity to make its largest investments in exploration and in transportation, it has been going after resources, whether it's the Europeans going after the spice routes or the American settlers looking toward the west for gold, oil, timber or land," Diamandis said.

"Those precious resources caused people to make huge investments in ships and railroads and pipelines. Looking to space, everything we hold of value on Earth - metals, minerals, energy, real estate, water - is in near-infinite quantities in space. The opportunity exists to create a company whose mission is to be able to go and basically identify and access some of those resources and ultimately figure out how to make them available where they are needed," he said.

Diamandis and Anderson declined to discuss how much money has been raised for their venture so far. In addition to Google billionaires Page and Schmidt and filmmaker Cameron, Planetary Resources investors include former Microsoft chief software architect Charles Simonyi, a two-time visitor to the International Space Station, Google founding director K. Ram Shriram and Ross Perot Jr.

Planetary Resources also declined to discuss specifics about how and when asteroid mining would begin. A 30-meter long (98-foot) asteroid can hold as much as $25-billion to $50-billion worth of platinum at today's prices, Diamandis said.

The company's first step is to develop technologies to cut the cost of deep-space robotic probes to one-tenth to one-hundredth the cost of current space missions, which run hundreds of millions of dollars, Diamandis said.

Among the targeted technologies is optical laser communications, which would eliminate the need for large radio antennas aboard spacecraft.

"We're taking new approaches at design," Diamandis said. "Part of the philosophy we're taking is building very low cost, very small spacecraft. You put up six or 10 or dozens and you get reliability."

Planetary Resources, which currently employs about 20 people, is overseen by former NASA Mars mission manager Chris Lewicki. It was founded about three years ago, but has been operating quietly behind the scenes until now. 

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Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:50:35 -0700 KP definition should not only include HR it should include the Humans affected in the process #MrMarange #MarangeSpeaks http://goo.gl/YWWXu http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/kp-definition-should-not-only-include-hr-it-s http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/kp-definition-should-not-only-include-hr-it-s

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Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:23:40 -0700 Meet: Mr Marange of the #Marange #diamond district in #Zimbabwe. Make him famous #mrmarange http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/meet-mr-marange-of-the-marange-diamond-distri http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/meet-mr-marange-of-the-marange-diamond-distri
MrMarange 2012.pdf Download this file

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Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:32:42 -0800 Cartier Funds #Diamond #Development Initiative Standards Program http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/cartier-funds-diamond-development-initiative http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/cartier-funds-diamond-development-initiative
Cartier International provided a grant to the Diamond Development Initiative International (DDI) to focus on implementing "Development Diamond Standards" for artisanally produced diamonds. In Sierra Leone, DDI  is working with local leaders and civil society to identify sites where diamonds are produced in ways that are environmentally sound, and where diggers receive a fair price, working under safe conditions.

Those diggers' diamonds will be tracked through the trading, polishing and retail system to provide customers with gems that go beyond standard definitions of "ethical" and "fair trade" products. If successful, this pilot program stands to revolutionize the development prospects for miners  -- where an estimated 15% of the world's gem diamonds are produced.

The Cartier grant will also provide general support, assisting DDI in several projects now under way, including human rights training in Africa, and a major registration project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is bringing more than 70,000 miners into the formal sector.

Inverted-commassmall
  I have just returned from a month in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I can say that Cartierís [grant for 'Development Diamond Standards' for artisnal diggers] is not just a vote of support for our work, it is a solid example of how the concept of corporate social responsibility has expanded beyond the immediate corporate environment to a wider world of development possibilities. 
Nverted-commas
 

Dorothe Gizenga | Diamond Development Initiative Intl.

via Rapaport

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Sun, 04 Mar 2012 12:38:57 -0800 Where the #gold is green and so are the profits - Afro Colombian #goldmining by #oro-verde http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/where-the-gold-is-green-and-so-are-the-profit http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/where-the-gold-is-green-and-so-are-the-profit

For generations, Afro-Colombians have practiced environmentally friendly gold mining. Nowadays, it’s paying off big-time.

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Sun, 04 Mar 2012 01:29:10 -0800 Check out April Doubleday's #Fair Trade gold ring set with Jeweltree Certified Diamonds! http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/check-out-april-doubledays-fair-trade-gold-ri http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/check-out-april-doubledays-fair-trade-gold-ri
Pastedgraphic-1

18kt white gold ring set with 8 2mm diamonds (can also be made with yellow gold)
Diamonds from Diavik Canada or Argyle Australia.

Know where your diamonds come from!
Ask: http://jeweltreefoundation.org/#contact.php

Pastedgraphic-2

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Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:19:03 -0800 #Transparency in #mining - Interview with Martin Creamer on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative #EITI http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/transparency-in-mining-interview-with-martin http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/transparency-in-mining-interview-with-martin
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) aims to strengthen governance by improving transparency and accountability in the extractives sector.

The EITI supports improved governance in resource-rich countries through the verification and full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining

The EITI sets a global standard for transparency in oil, gas and mining. It is...

An effort to make natural resources benefit all

A coalition of governments, companies and civil society

A standard for companies to publish what they pay and for governments to disclose what they receive

view the interview here:
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/second-take-transparency-in-mining-2012-03-01

More on EITI here:

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Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:54:00 -0800 #FairTradeFacts 2- Fair Trade does not aid economic development. It holds back diversification and moves up the value chain http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/fairtradefacts-2-fair-trade-does-not-aid-econ http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/fairtradefacts-2-fair-trade-does-not-aid-econ
Fair trade does not aid economic development. It operates to keep the poor in their place, sustaining uncompetitive farmers on their land and holding back diversification, mechanization, and moves up the value
chain. This denies future generations the chance of a better life.

Free trade relies on free individuals voluntarily seizing market opportunities, rather than attempting to manage production and restrict the marketplace. In contrast to Fair Trade, free trade relies on the absence of the price-fixing arrangements and tariff barriers that restrict international trade.

By incentivising unsustainable (...) practises, Fairtrade encourages oversupply where it will do most damage: among marginal producers, who should be helped to diversify and develop economically, not subsidized to stay poor.

At the end of the Second World War, Hong Kong was poorer than many African countries. Advocates of ‘fair’ trade argued for boycotts of items produced in Hong Kong ‘sweatshops’. Yet by working with the free market – abandoning tariffs and resisting regulation – Hong Kong’s economy soon
outstripped not just the African economies it once lagged behind, but overtook the UK within thirty years.

source:
Unfair Trade by Marc Sidwell, Adam Smith Institute

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Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:26:07 -0800 #FairTradeFacts -1- Fair Trade is unfair, it leaves the majority of farmers worse off http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/fairtradefacts-1-fair-trade-is-unfair-it-leav http://jeweltreefoundation.posterous.com/fairtradefacts-1-fair-trade-is-unfair-it-leav
Fair trade is unfair. It offers only a very small number of farmers a higher, fixed price for their goods. These higher prices come at the
expense of the great majority of farmers, who – unable to qualify for Fairtrade certification – are left even worse off.

The essential concern is that the Fairtrade Foundation discourages individuals from even exploring other options, which may well be more effective.

[ Moreover, the Fair Trade system requires an audit payment from the farmers/miners.
Unable to pay these fees the farmers/miners are offered a loan which binds them even more to the so called fair trade certification scheme.
In our view, answering to a different master doesn't make you anything less then a slave! ]

Free trade is the most effective poverty reduction strategy the world has ever seen. If we really want to aid international development we
should abolish barriers to trade in the rich world, and persuade the developing world to do the same. The evidence is clear: fair trade is
unfair, but free trade makes you rich.

Free trade relies on free individuals voluntarily seizing market opportunities, rather than attempting to manage production and restrict the marketplace. In
contrast to Fair Trade, free trade relies on the absence of the price-fixing arrangements and tariff barriers that restrict international trade.

source:
Unfair Trade by Marc Sidwell, Adam Smith Institute

except between [ ] 

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