Abusive Labor Practices
Far from the eyes of inspectors and shoppers, children and adults are exploited and enslaved to make clothes, harvest crops, and assemble products. What can be done?
SHINING LIGHT ON THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Over 40 million people globally are trapped in forced labor.
It’s never been easier to find and order clothing, electronics, and household goods. But when those boxes arrive at our doors, the human and societal costs of delivering are rarely fully accounted for.
According to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery from Walk Free, the International Labour Organization, and the International Organization for Migration: 49.6 million people live in modern slavery.
No bargain is good enough to justify the enslavement and mistreatment of vulnerable men and women trapped in its production.
The last few years have unlocked significant opportunity for companies to pursue more transparency in their supply chains than what once seemed conceivable. The rise of technology and innovation has opened new doors for companies and governments to pursue complete transparency from producers to consumers and everywhere in-between.
How is supply chain reform changing how companies and consumers engage?
“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.” Leviticus 19:13
Ethical Apparel Africa was created with the vision of shaping the industry in Ghana to “get it right from the start.”
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How Many Slaves Work for You?
For most, that sounds like a crazy question — the answer would appear to be none. But a visit to SlaveryFootPrint.org reveals, with deceptively friendly graphics, how much slave labor has been involved in making the products and services you consume, depending on your demographics and lifestyle.
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REPORT: A 4-Step Process for Building Supply Chain Transparency
Transparency goes beyond gaining visibility into the extended supply chain. It is the process by which a company takes action on the insights gained through greater visibility in order to manage risks more effectively. Deloitte produced a guide for business leaders to understand and improve their supply chains.
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Unilever Leads the Way to Cleaning Up $62 Billion Palm Oil Industry
In an effort to drive change in the palm oil sector, Unilever became the first consumer goods company to fully disclose all their suppliers, setting their sights on combatting the human slavery and deforestation endemic in palm oil production.
Take action. Change lives.
Below you’ll find some of the best-in-class organizations that are working to renew the imagination. These organizations are trustworthy, effective and innovative. In a world full of choices, we want to make the complex accessible. So, we invite you to explore them and consider giving and investing. Or you might consider building your own venture.
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Where do headbands bring freedom...
At the Aruna Project. This athleisure brand is providing empowerment through employment, creating lifelong freedom marked by holistic care for victims of human trafficking. Every purchase provides transitional housing, community, counseling, and a living wage to the artisans, who earn 4x more than the average wage for an unskilled laborer and additional employee benefits.
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Where is jewelry breaking women out of brothels...
At Starfish Project. The founders had no business or jewelry design background, yet they created a globally-loved jewelry brand that restores hope and brings freedom to sex trafficking survivors. Many of the survivors have never been to school yet Starfish Project equips them with life skills training that will take them far beyond Starfish Project.
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Who's using the dark web to fight darkness...
International Justice Mission (IJM). IJM works to identify not only consumers of online exploitation material but the more elusive producers–who are oftentimes the abusers–of the material. IJM serves individual survivors of violence, pursues sustainable improvements in the justice system, and builds communities where all people can expect to be safe and protected.
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What contributes to Asia's cycle of extreme poverty...
Lack of access to good work. Most investment goes to already well developed urban areas, leaving rural communities under-served in their business ventures. JoyCorps breaks the cycle by investing in local leaders to create businesses, jobs and solutions for their rural communities across Asia.
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TrustBridge Giving Space
Keep discovering vetted opportunities at TrustBridge Giving Space, which helps donors send money to charities around the world.
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What if the next clothing manufacturing hub were 100% redemptive...
Now, it could be. Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA) is a manufacturing and sourcing company that enables brands to diversify their supply chains through ethical production in West Africa. They aim to prioritize people and protect the planet. With a global network of market-leading partners and suppliers, EAA provide clients with the ease of US and Europe-based client service, the breadth of Asian raw material sourcing, and the value of African manufacturing.
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What percentage of employees quit due to mental health reasons?
A whopping 50%. That is a problem. Forte is the only approachable and accessible mental well-being platform that connects every employee in an organization with unlimited access to certified Guides to process whatever they want, however often they want. Their employee-focused model of care and counseling has improved the working lives of thousands of people across the country, with 97% reporting that their well-being has improved with Forte’s assistance.
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Heard of cashmere? What about yashmere?
That would be yak wool. Despite being comparable to cashmere, yak wool is used very little in fashion. Co-founded by Harvard grad Carol Chyao, Shokay is the world's leading provider of responsible yak wool, bringing premium knitware to an international market. Their fibers are hand-combed by Tibetan herders who raise their yaks on the Himalayan plateaus. Sourcing directly from local communities offers young Tibetans the opportunity to connect to a global supply chain while embracing their cultural identity.
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Who is digitizing the work of indigeous artists and connecting them to Western designers...
Roots Studio. They work with unreached communities to digitize their cultural works as IP into an online library for licensing. For almost a decade, they have built long-lasting relationships with indigenous artists globally and brought the extraordinary art of indigenous people from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to Western designers, textile manufacturers, and fashion companies.
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What does it take to save mom and pop shops...
Access to capital. However, many in the working-class service industry are constrained by limited opportunities and resources to enhance their working culture. Garden City, a people-first holding company, bridges these gaps and addresses the lack by investing in small to medium-sized family-owned service companies and partnering with their existing management to grow and modernize the business through culture, technology, and sales.
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What's like Shark Tank for faith-driven entrepreneurs without being cutthroat...
The Faith Driven Investor Marketplace. This platform is a free tool for accredited, faith-driven investors looking to put capital to work. Funds and deals that go on the platform are at the discretion of a group of faith-driven investors with experience ranging across all different asset classes. Whether a multi-million dollar real estate venture or a small business, concessionary capital or a high financial return profile, Marketplace connects investors and entrepreneurs.
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What if Christian entrepreneurs didn't have to be alone...
Now, they don't have to be. Faith Driven Entrepreneur helps Christ-following entrepreneurs find their community and fulfill their God-given call to create. They do this by providing inspiring content and sparking meaningful connections between like-minded entrepreneurs and investors.
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What's wrong with doing things right...
It’s not enough. The ethical way says, “I win, you win.” But the redemptive way says, “I sacrifice, we win.” To this end, Praxis is a venture-building ecosystem advancing redemptive entrepreneurship. They support founders, funders, and innovators motivated by their faith to address the major issues of our time.
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What is limiting to a leader's potential...
Isolation. Faith-driven, results-minded CEOs and executives meet in C12 Business Forums monthly to encourage and challenge one another. These groups of peers work together to make better decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and create solid plans for business growth, all while striving to create eternal impact far beyond the bottom line.
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What happened to the family macademia nut business...
Sinapis' business training turned this business on the brink of failure into a source of livelihood for Kenyan workers. Sinapis provides training, ongoing opportunities ,vibrant community, and faith-based principles to Christian entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Its alumni report an average increase of 138% in revenue 1 year after graduation.
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What percent of startups fail...
90%. One out of 10 startups fail within the first year. And most of them fail due to avoidable mistakes. Founders navigating potential pitfalls on their own is hard, though. OCEAN is a training community for entrepreneurs that integrates practical business skills with biblical wisdom so that entrepreneurs can start and lead a sustainable business without the pressure of figuring it out alone.
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What if you had to leave your kids for 2,555 nights...
This is the reality for many Filipinos who leave to their families to build a brighter future for their kids. What if they didn’t have to? Dream Bigger Ventures empowers Filipino Founders to grow as leaders who will have the character, community, and competency to solve seemingly impossible problems with sustainable ventures.
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What does "ziwani" mean in Swahili...
"At the lake." In the same vein, the nonprofit Ziwani represents a place of refreshment, community, and commerce for Christian business leaders in Africa. It equips and partners with the Christian business community so that they can meaningfully and practically live out their marketplace calling on the African continent.
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What continent has the world's youngest and fastest-growing workforce...
Africa. Future Africa is working to increase the continent’s 3% contribution to global GDP by investing in global businesses that will lead the digital economy. They've raised 2 unicorns, have 6 exits, deployed $10M+ in 106 portfolio companies and $1B+ in follow-on capital.
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