Green Silver from Down Under

ElegantRoots Blog

Adelaide, birth place and home of Utopian Creations founder Ben Manning, sits in the driest state in the driest inhabited continent on earth—the perfect place to inspire progressive, sustainable lifestyles.  And, with its challenging environment and vibrant artistic community, Adelaide inspires Ben in many important ways. ElegantRoots.com is pleased to offer his fine work among our green gift treasures..

After completing his Bachelors degree in Design with a jewelry specialty, Ben took his budding interest in sustainable living abroad.  He traveled for over two years, living in London and spending time in many other countries.  Everywhere he turned, he saw the negative environmental effects of careless human behaviors. Returning to Adelaide, Ben determined to live an eco-friendly personal and work life.  This responsible decision led Ben to experiment with sustainability within the jewelry industry. And, as the saying goes, “from little things big things grow.”   Ben’s idea became a passion and soon Utopian Creations was born.

Ben approaches his Utopian Creations design and metal-smithing with the same philosophy he applies to his life, namely that “humans can and should live and work sustainably and in harmony with the planet.”  Indeed, Ben’s belief informs every aspect of Utopian Creations, from the recycled silver and rubber cord used in the jewelry to the rainwater collected in the office and studio.

As Ben points out, without strict self-regulation, even the simple art of jewelry-making can produce damaging waste that ends up in our rivers and soil. So Ben makes all of Utopian Creations’ jewelry and packaging from 99-100% recycled or organic animal-free products, which reduces the need for mining, pesticides and dangerous chemical waste.

Utopian Creations’ silver and rubber cord are “upcycled” from the refuse of the photographic, computing and telecommunications industries, which means less landfill, mining and refining. Ben also uses biodegradable, animal-free polishing compounds and organic cotton buffs instead of noxious chemicals and acids. And Ben designs each piece with sustainability in mind: only 30% of the company’s products contain solder joints, which increases the purity of the jewelry while providing a healthier work environment.

Read more about Utopian Creations

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

The 3 Stages In The Journey Of A Volunteer

The 3 Stages In The Journey Of A Volunteer

Did the financial collapse have an effect on volunteering rates? You bet. Volunteer rates mushroomed during the winter of 2009. So where are all those volunteers now? Good question.
In the early days of the Obama craze (which, incidentally, seems to have waned only for Americans) there was a strong pull for increased volunteering efforts. Major media voices like Oprah and Starbucks joined the call and soon we, the people, began to respond. When the economy crashed and caused overwhelming job losses, we found ourselves wondering what to do with the extra hours on our hands. It was easy – even exciting – to jump on the volunteering bandwagon. Organizations such as the Taproot Foundation with Aaron Hurst, saw a 171% influx in the number of people coming through their doors, ready and willing to help. Many Non-Profits weren’t quite sure what to do with the inbound droves of helping hands. It was a welcome problem. Better to have too much help than too little, right?

Now, looking back at 2009, we’re just not quite sure what happened. According to studies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Tiller’s Social Action Survey, the overall increase in numbers of volunteers in 2009 was….well….marginal at best. There wasn’t much of a change at all. In fact, other research such as http://www.ncoc.net/index.php?tray=content_blog&tid=top5&cid=2gp115“>America’s Civic Health Index suggests that 2009 actually experienced a civic depression (72% say they cut back on volunteering last year). It’s a disappointing thought – one which Realized Worth could not help but address. Why, after the influx, did volunteers not stick around? What’s wrong with the volunteer experience?

Do you remember the first time?

Let’s start with the beginning. How did you feel the first day you volunteered?

Here’s how it usually goes:

You sign up to volunteer with an organization that does work you’re into – animals or trees or people, something like that. You dive in with absolute abandon. You’re invigorated by the seemingly endless need for your personal contribution. Each day there is more work to be done, new milestones to achieve, greater good to give. You’ve put your best effort into the work, and you’re happy to be doing something useful with your extra time. So far, so good.

6 months go by and….you hate to admit it, but these days you’re just not as enthused. Like the monotony that settles into some relationships after the honeymoon period, you wonder if the “glow” of this once new and exciting endeavor has worn off. Its just not connecting to who you are….you’re constantly thinking of other places where your time would be better spent….you feel guilty when the non-profit’s leaders ask you to commit more time, because at this point, you can hardly talk yourself into 1 hour a week. Another month or two and you decide the stress is no longer worth the effort and you just stop showing up. Maybe a more suitable opportunity will present itself down the road.

And there you have it. The influx and the downturn – the roller coaster ride of volunteering in 2009.

It’s sad, really, and entirely unnecessary. The great failure of us as Non-Profits is in treating every volunteer the same. Novices and veterans are expected to contribute at the same level. This is just not realistic – it’s not even helpful. Non-Profits must begin to pay attention to The Journey of the Volunteer.

The Journey of the Volunteer 

Imagine you take a trip to Greece. It’s your first time in the Mediterranean and you are invigorated! You strap on your money pouch, sling your camera around your neck, slather on the sunscreen, and set out for the tour bus. You ask questions too loudly, walk on the wrong side of the street, and happily hand over too much cash for your first gyro. And all the while, you’re pretty sure you’re blending right in to the culture. For everyone around you its unmistakable: You are a Tourist.

Now, go back to the Mediterranean a few times and you’ll hardly even notice as you begin to acclimate. You’ll know where to go, and where not to go. Your choice of wardrobe will become appropriate for the weather and terrain, your questions will only highlight your knowledge, your camera…..it will fit covertly in the pocket of your slacks. When tourists come to you asking questions, the metamorphosis will be clear: You are a Traveler.

And after years of these visits to not only Greece, but throughout the Balkan Peninsula, you have come to love the land as your own. You have a home in the heart of Athens, the language flows easily in conversation, you know the ins and outs of where to be and how to get there. As you begin to bring friends for summer visits, everyone knows its true: You are a Guide.

Tourist – Traveler – Guide. This is the journey of the volunteer. The great failure of the Non-Profit lies in expecting tourists to act like guides, treating guides like tourists, and ignoring the traveler all-together. Intrigued? Good. Watch for our next post, “Tourist, Traveler, Guide” on how to meet each volunteer at their highest level of contribution.

Email Chris; chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com
Email Angela at angela@realizedworth.com

C: 1-317-840-8955
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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Interview with Paul Young from Craft Village UK | 3BL Media

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) March 16, 2010 – Development Crossing recently had the privilege of asking Paul Young, Founder of Craft Village UK, a few questions about his innovative work with rural artisans in Africa. A big thank you to Paul for taking the time…

1. Could you provide a brief overview of the organization and your role and responsibilities in it?

Overview
Craft Village UK works with rural artisan cooperatives in Kenya manufacturing our unique brand of copyright protected, animation inspired sculptures. After 3 years development we launched our debut ‘Simpsons Statues’ series this year.

We hope our contemporary African statues of cartoon characters will enable us to improve the working and living conditions of craftspeople and their families, and attract a new audience to the Fair Trade movement.

My Role: Pre Launch
My role was consumed with product and concept development… working with sculptors in Kenya, fine tuning the product, developing quality control techniques, etc.

Focus then switched to Corporate LA & London. The Simpsons as a brand is controlled by 20th Century Fox. For this business to progress it was vital to secure the necessary merchandising licenses.

To improve my chances I made a documentary about the project, highlighting the quality of the product how and where they are made, etc. After lengthy dialogue with Fox Los Angeles I secured a Simpsons merchandising License.

My role then returned to product development – specifically, packaging and print. I was honoured to work with Fox Creative to develop suitable packaging for this product range, which incorporates African inspired Simpsons artwork!

My role: Post launch
As the only employee, I’m involved in every aspect of the business. Managing production in Kenya, liaising with Fair Trade networks, overseeing logistics and shipping between Kenya, USA and Europe.

I work on sales strategies with my Europe and American distributors and growing Craft Village’s online presence. I’m developing our next product offering with a supplier in India. Plus I look after the general day to day ‘office role’ paperwork, bookkeeping, tax, etc. (The joys of being a new start up!!)

2. Capitalizing on the popularity of the Simpsons to “do good” seems like a great concept! How did the idea come about, or what inspired you to combine the fair trade movement with the lovable Homer Simpson?

Thanks! The initial idea occurred whilst looking at a set of stone elephant statues. I thought to myself if whoever sculpted them could produce something with a ‘western’ theme it’d be interesting to see the results.

The Simpsons seemed the automatic choice. It’s a phenomenal success in many countries. It’s an evergreen brand. Even after 20 years, 60 million people worldwide watch it every week. I expect it will still be popular in another 20 years. If Craft Village can sell one statue to just 0.1% of these regular viewers -it will provide 10 years full time employment for our Kenya artisans.

Plus the characters appearance lends itself well to soapstone production making The Simpsons seemed the ideal choice. I researched stone carving and Kenya seemed a good source of sculpture. I travelled to Kenya taking various Simpsons toys and made contact with artisans in the stone-carving region of Kisii. We took things from there.

It was natural to develop Craft Village in a spirit of Fair Trade. Fair wages, job creation and poverty alleviation is the bottom line, not just profit. I researched the soapstone industry, practices, payments and fair trade in general. I’ve gone to great lengths to ensure our partnership with our Kenyan artisans is operated in a fair and transparent manner.

I was delighted to achieve membership of the World Fair Trade Organisation earlier this year, cementing the unusual link between Craft Village, Fair Trade & The Simpsons.

3. How many craftspeople do you work with, and how is quality ensured?

At peak production levels approx 100 people work on this project in Kenya. Carver Group, Womens Cooperatives, quarry workers, local delivery companies and hardware suppliers all benefit from this work. The economic benefit and ripples reach a suprising number of people.

Our most effective quality control tool is our ‘Carver ID’ scheme. Artisans engrave a personal code on each piece they manufacture. This offers traceability and accountablility. Plus enables customers to discover which individual artisan produced their statue, adding a genuine personal link between customer and carver.

4. What’s next for Craft Village, are there plans to expand to other popular cartoon characters for instance?

Our product concept is transferable to many animation and film properties. To date I’ve met with Licensors for Star Wars, Nickelodeon, Aardman Animations and 4Kids Entertainment. I’ve recently started development on the next product offering. It is my vision that Craft Village will become a genuine innovator within Fair Trade and animation-art.

5. Any additional thoughts?

Yes! The next few months see the 20th Anniversary of The Simpsons. Our statues make an amazing and timely Christmas gift for people who have Simpsons fans amongst family/friends! Every order placed has a positive impact on many lives in Africa. Anyone interested can view videos and images on www.craftvillageuk.com.

Also, a big thanks to Development Crossing for the opportunity to feature on your excellent interview series.

Paul
Founder
Craft Village UK
www.craftvillageuk.com
www.twitter.com/craftvillage

About Development Crossing

Development Crossing promotes the growth of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability through an online network of professionals that provides access to exclusive interviews, breaking news, discussions and global events. Members are able to directly connect with senior executives, socially responsible enterprises and nonprofits to solve common challenges, exchange ideas and capitalize on collective wisdom. Join for free at http://www.developmentcrossing.com.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Horses Offering a Way to Give Back and Get Involved

This past week at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, our students and faculty took a week off from our regular academic schedule to experience Interim. CRMS Interim is designed to immerse students in experiences and pursuits that enable them to learn by doing. It exposes students to new ideas, experiences, and environments.  

In our Beginning Horsemanship Interim, we were very fortunate to hold our sessions at Strang Ranch where school counselor Ashley Smith and equestrian and horse professional Billy Goedert taught us many aspects of horsemanship, from mucking stalls to riding properly. During the week, we took multiple field trips and are very appreciative of the many organizations that took a great deal of time out of their day to inform us of the amazing deeds taking place. 

First, we would like to thank Strang Ranch for the use of their loving horses and wonderful facilities. Second, we’d like to thank Aspen Valley Horse Rescue and Mary Bright. AVHR takes in horses and finds homes for horses that would otherwise have been slaughtered and, with the help of donations, feeds and trains them. Many of the horses are pregnant mares from PMU ranches that are closing down their operations, where there is not enough money to feed and sustain the mares or their foals. 

We’d also like to express our gratitude towards Wind Walkers, an Equine Assisted Learning and Therapy Center where gentle horses, compassionate professionals, and helpful volunteers help challenged individuals find a state of well being. As a nonprofit organization, Wind Walkers reaches out to many families and positively impacts their lives through horses. They showed us how they help someone who’s disabled and how it might feel to be blind or not have the use of both arms. Next, we’d like to thank the Glenwood Veterinary Clinic for making our interim even more educational and for showing us some unforgettable pictures of surgeries. The things they are able to do to help out horses are truly miraculous. Because of the help of these organizations, this horsemanship interim has become a special part of our lives at CRMS. 

If you would like to volunteer or donate to Wind Walkers, they can be contacted at windwalkers@sopris.net. For more information about the horses rescued by Aspen Valley Horse Rescue, go to www.aspenvalleyhorserescue.org.

For more information on attending CRMS please go to www.crms.org 

by CRMS Beginning Horsemanship Interim Students

For a video of their Interim please click here

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily