Teams of GoodWeave inspectors ensure high standards for working conditions by conducting random, surprise inspections at villagebased carpet looms and weaving factories such as this one.
when parents can see their children flourishing in an educational environment they will go to much greater lengths to make sure that continues,” said Smith.
Media Campaign and Future of GoodWeave
Awareness has increased among consumers in the United States through GoodWeave’s One in a Million campaign. Although the campaign has lofty goals of ending child labor in the industry by 2018, its advertising in many décor magazines like Dwell, Interior Design, and O Magazine have been key at improving awareness among the buying public. Ten different publications now run the advertisements, with a total estimated audience of 15 million. A recent two-year grant from Google will primarily help the One in a Million campaign. “Like advertising anything, it is a critical element, as long as it is complemented by other elements, including events, other media, online, and outreach, and [GoodWeave] has done that. Advertising at least raises the purview of asking a consumer for one simple action—please buy rugs—but to make sure that it has that label,” said Michela O’Connor Abrams, president of Dwell. Abrams, who sits on various boards of other nonprofit organizations, believes that GoodWeave is one of the most successful, especially in terms of measurable outcomes and sustainability. “Nina and the GoodWeave board have set up this organization truly to be additive and sustainable, so that when the work is done, it is building upon itself, and that’s why we are able to measure market share and
This worker stirs a vat of wool in indigo. GoodWeave’s new standard works to mitigate environmental hazards such as water contamination from dye run-off.
how much of a difference the organization is making.” GoodWeave’s future plans to end child labor in the carpet industry are bold. According to the ILO, it is estimated 215 million children are engaged in child labor. GoodWeave hopes to use market strategy to forge industry-wide change. “Consumers and markets really drive this. It’s really important to achieve a market saturation point in North America and Europe for us to be able to end the problem. Our organization is targeting a global market share of 17 percent. If we can certify 17 percent of rugs, we will be able to reach a tipping point in the problem,” said Smith. Hastings and Sebert also advocate the importance of changing consumer behavior by altering the kinds of rugs available to them. Said Sebert: “GoodWeave can do its part, but it’s only the people like us who choose mills that are GoodWeave-certified that ensure that child labor isn’t happening.” Looking ahead, GoodWeave, formerly RugMark, is hoping to expand to include certification of other products that are known to use child labor in the same markets, like Indian silk and cotton. The process of rebranding from a rug to a weaving-based organization was the first step in this goal. Reaching out to more countries, including Pakistan, China, and other significant producing nations is another major objective. “Things like this don’t work without participation of all the players,” said Smith. “We are only successful when industry, designers, consumers, weavers and workers on the ground participate.” PDJ May/June 2012
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