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RugMark officially launched the GoodWeave brand this past month, with a series of events culminating in a reception, photo exhibition and silent auction held at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s (USF) New York City offices on September 23. USF President and CEO Caryl Stern, RugMark USA Executive Director Nina Smith, photographer U. Roberto Romano, and RugMark founder Kailash Satyarthi inspired attendees with opening remarks about the problem of child labor in the world today, as well as the progress that USF and RugMark have made in combating it. 
Items auctioned off at the event included some of the first rugs with the new GoodWeave certification label, donated by 
Upcoming GoodWeave projects, ranging from a new carbon offsetting program to the new standard under development, were the focus of an industry briefing held at the New York Design Center on September 22. GoodWeave’s industry partners were also able to preview the newly-launched GoodWeave.org website, and learn about the GoodWeave consumer campaign, featuring an ad designed by award-winning firm Leagas Delaney. Look for the ad soon in GoodWeave’s sponsoring publications, including Dwell, Interior Design, and Luxe. A version of the ad featuring seven of GoodWeave’s partner companies already ran in a special design issue of the New York Times Magazine on October 4.
News and Events |
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The new GoodWeave brand made a splash in the media the past few months, with the launch of the label featured in Interior Design, Home Accents Today, Interiors & Sources, and NEED magazine, among others. GoodWeave was also named as the label to look for in a feature in the Canadian publication East Coast Living, and will be showcased in several upcoming textbooks. RugMark Founder Kailash Satyarthi received a 2009 Defender of Democracy Award from the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) on October 20, 2009. The PGA honored Mr. Satyarthi for his work to end child labor in India and around the world and his global campaign for education rights for children. The Defender of Democracy Award is presented to individuals who, through their own commitment and active engagement, have made significant progress in strengthening democracy and democratic practices. Past recipients include H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of the Republic of Ireland. More information about the forum and the award is available here.
GoodWeave has signed on to the Fair Trade the White House campaign. The campaign aims to persuade First Lady Michelle Obama to make the White House a “fair trade home,” with the hope that other households will follow her example . The campaign is putting out a Holiday Gift Guide, where you can find ideas for fair trade gifts, including a donation to GoodWeave. This guide will be available on November 1 on the campaign website. A multimedia site called Media Voices for Children recently launched, offering visitors a wealth of interactive resources on global children’s issues. The site prominently features images from GoodWeave’s Faces of Freedom exhibit, as seen here. GoodWeave was well represented at the New York International Carpet Show (NYICS), held September 20-22. Kooches, Asha, New Moon, CariniLang, and Lapchi were among the GoodWeave members showcasing their beautiful certified rugs at NYICS.
Upcoming Faces of Freedom venues include the President’s Gallery of the World Bank, slated to host the exhibit this December. From November 2009 through April 2010, travelers passing through the Miami International Airport will be able to view Faces of Freedom displayed alongside GoodWeave certified Odegard carpets in the airport’s new South Terminal gallery. Click here to access the complete exhibition calendar. RugMark’s 2008 annual report is now available online. A copy is available for download here. Several of GoodWeave’s newest licensees have recently seen their certified rugs hit the market, including Concept Interiors, Davis & Davis, IndiB, Seraser, and Nepal Rugs and Carpets. A selection of licensees' rug images can be viewed in the online showroom.
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GoodWeave in Action: Stories |
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While traveling India’s carpet belt in Uttar Pradesh, I visited a number of schools filled with children who, against difficult circumstances, are seeking a brighter future through education. Meeting these children left me feeling more determined than ever to help the GoodWeave certification program expand its reach. -- Scott Welker, Director of Business Development |
Industry Spotlight |
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Donor Spotlight |
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Design and philanthropy are deeply rooted in the family tree of Jim Druckman, President and CEO of the New York Design Center (NYDC). Built in 1926 by industry visionaries -- to include members of the Druckman family -- the NYDC at 200 Lexington is the nation’s oldest building devoted to furniture, design and related products. Today, with Druckman at the helm, the midtown Manhattan locale boasts nearly 100 showrooms representing over 300 lines of luxury home furnishings. Jim became President of the NYDC in 1995, filling the rather large shoes of his father, David Druckman, who was held in high regard by the design community for his vision and leadership. One of his first orders of business was to step up NYDC’s support of design-focused charities. “The design community provides beautiful products and spaces for people who can afford them,” said Druckman, who is a trustee of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, DIFFA, The Partnership for the Homeless, and the New York School of Interior Design, among other organizations. “We should keep in mind those who are less fortunate and help them, whether through Furnish a Future, which provides furniture for people coming out of homelessness, or RugMark, which helps keep children from being forced to make rugs.” Introduced to RugMark through NYDC tenant Stephanie Odegard of Odegard, Inc., Jim has supported the organization since 2001. Deciding to support RugMark was a no-brainer for the business leader, feeling strongly opposed to children “being forced to work at a young age and not able to live to their full potential. That’s personal as well as business.” At a time when many donors are scaling back their philanthropic commitments due to economic uncertainty, Jim increased his support to RugMark and other organizations. “It’s very important when things are difficult to continue our support of these charities,” he said. |
@Rugmark USA |
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RugMark welcomes its newest board member, Mary Zicafoose. Mary Zicafoose is an award-winning fiber artist known for ethnically inspired textiles that reinterpret the ancient techniques of Ikat into a modern context. She is co-director of the American Tapestry Alliance, a board member of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, and a regular lecturer for various textile organizations. She has exhibited internationally, with her work included in the permanent collections of the San Jose Quilt & Textile Museum and the Museum of Nebraska Art, among others. RugMark also welcomes two new staff members, Amy Bagwell and Rebecca Viser. Amy comes on board in late October as the organization’s Development Director. Amy, a professional writer, joined RugMark USA after a year of development consulting, which she also offers to community and arts groups in her hometown of Charlotte, NC. During her many years in publishing, she developed book proposals and publicity campaigns, and has ghostwritten material covering a broad range of topics, from the rights of violent crime victims to presidential politics. Amy holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University and a BA in English Literature from the University of Georgia. Communications Associate Rebecca Viser joined RugMark this September to bolster the new GoodWeave campaign, putting to work her experience at such nonprofits as Georgetown University Press and Corporate Voices for Working Families. A fiber enthusiast, Rebecca holds a master’s in English from Georgetown University. |
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National Book Award winner Gloria Whelan features RugMark in the author’s note of Waiting for the Owl’s Call, a new children’s book about the tradition of rug-weaving in Afghanistan. The publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, is offering a discounted copies to our supporters for $11.95 (list price is $17.95). Call (800) 877-4253 and mention source code SBP01810.
During my recent trip to India, I met with more than thirty current exporters to inform them about the new GoodWeave certification label. Traveling from Delhi to Varanasi and throughout the outback of Mirzapur, I found overwhelming support for our programs and the new label in particular. The number one question was, “When and where can we get the new GoodWeave label?” With the cooperation of our licensed exporters and importers, inspections and monitoring have continued seamlessly throughout this transition period.
Managing a successful career in architecture and running a company devoted to the design of lighting and furniture, it is surprising Beatrice Girelli had a minute in her day or an ounce of energy to take on anything else, but she did. Rugs. And she brought to her rug venture the same passion for perfection that made her an award-winning hotel designer. IndiB rugs are 100% New Zealand wool and 100% green. For Girelli, that means 100% child-labor-free. “We absolutely don’t want to be in the business of selling beautiful rugs made in ugly conditions,” Girelli says. “That’s why we aligned ourselves with GoodWeave, an organization with our values.”