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Spring 2006
Welcome to the Spring 2006 No Dirty Gold campaign update.
Oxfam America and EARTHWORKS distribute this periodic bulletin to update No Dirty Gold campaign members on the campaign's progress and the opportunities to get more involved.
In This Issue
LEAD STORY:
NO DIRTY GOLD CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY:
Lead Story
Leading Jewelry Retailers Urge Mining Industry to Clean Up Dirty Gold
In February, the No Dirty Gold campaign announced that eight of the world's top jewelry retailers have committed to selling gold that is produced in more socially and environmentally responsible ways, when such independently verified sources become available.
The retailers, Zale Corp., the Signet Group (the parent firm of Kay Jewelers), Tiffany & Co., Helzberg Diamonds, Fortunoff, Cartier, Piaget, and Van Cleef & Arpels, were praised in a full-page ad in the New York Times, timed to coincide with Valentine's Day.
The ad also identified eight firms as "lagging behind" and remaining silent on the issue of responsible gold sourcing despite more than 2 years of outreach by the No Dirty Gold campaign. After being publicly identified as "laggards" and thanks to the continued efforts of No Dirty Gold activists several of the laggard retailers have contacted the No Dirty Gold campaign and are currently reviewing our materials asking them to endorse the Golden Rules, social, human rights, and environmental criteria for more responsible gold production.
Public support for responsible gold production is also on the rise. More than 50,000 individuals have now signed the No Dirty Gold pledge calling for an alternative to dirty gold. In April, the New York Times featured the No Dirty Gold campaign in an article (634kb pdf) about the growing consumer demand for responsibly produced jewelry.
Smaller retailers and independent jewelers are also signing up to support the Golden Rules. A complete list of jewelers and retailers who have signed on is available on the No Dirty Gold website.
Latest media coverage of the No Dirty Gold campaign:
http://www.nodirtygold.org/NDGitn.cfm
No Dirty Gold Campaign Activity
No Dirty Gold Featured in Social Investment Forum Panel
In March, Oxfam America and the Social Investment Forum presented a panel called "New Frontiers in NGO-Shareholder Collaborations: The No Dirty Gold Campaign" in Washington, DC.
The panel featured No Dirty Gold campaign co-director Keith Slack of Oxfam America, Earthworks Executive Director Steve DEsposito, and Peggy Jo Donahue of Jewelers of America, and Patrick Doherty from the New York City Comptrollers Office.
The New York City Comptroller's Office, which manages close to $93 billion in pension funds, has in recent years filed shareholder resolutions with mining companies such as Newmont and Freeport-McMoRan over corporate social responsibility issues, including harmful environmental practices, corruption, and human rights abuses. "Bad human rights, social and labor policies are also bad for business," noted Mr. Doherty.
Learn More: Read about the panel
Next Generation of Mining Executives Debate Community Rights
No Dirty Gold organizer Paul Bugala took a two-week tour through American mining schools this March to talk about mining's social and environmental impacts.
Students at the Colorado School of Mines, Montana Tech, the University of Utah, and the University of Nevada at Reno told Bugala they want to learn how to balance the priorities of the mining industry with the rights of affected communities and asked questions that touched on some of the thorniest issues facing the industry:
- How can companies involve communities effectively in monitoring social and environmental impacts?
- What is the role of local and national governments in resolving conflicts between companies and communities?
These are the right questions to ask. Unfortunately, many mining students aren't receiving enough training to answer them.
Paul is helping students to advocate for more instruction about the impacts of large-scale mining on surrounding communities. Students will also be able to take a series of distance learning sessions with mining and advocacy experts and learn directly from communities affected by mining.
Learn More: Read Paul's full report.
Tabling by the NDG student chapter at UT Austin |
Students Drum Up NDG Support on College Campuses
The No Dirty Gold student chapter at the University of Texas at Austin spent Valentine's week raising awareness about gold mining's impacts through various campus activities, including tabling, screening a documentary about a mining-affected community, and collecting student signatures to the No Dirty Gold pledge.
Ana Wolfowitz, a UT Austin student activist wrote that "Valentine's Day has just been a stepping stone for No Dirty Gold at UT. Many of our members are currently preparing to work with our alumni association as well as student government in making some important changes regarding class rings."
Class rings campaigning also picked up steam at Ithaca College with students asking class rings vendor Jostens to commit to the Golden Rules, which are social, environmental, and human rights standards for responsible gold production. Jostens was identified as a laggard firm by the No Dirty Gold campaign for not signing on to the Golden Rules.
Progress Report Shows "Big Promises, Disappointing Returns" from Gold Miner Newmont
Last April, community representatives from five continents traveled thousands of miles to Denver to voice their concerns about Newmont Mining's operations in their home countries.
Describing problems ranging from the displacement of communities to the dumping of mine waste into the ocean, they demanded that Newmont reform its practices to fully respect human rights and the environment.
Newmont CEO Wayne Murdy hailed mining as "investing in people and communities" and promised to address the community concerns that were presented directly to the company.
One year later, criticisms of the way the company conducts its business remain or have increased. A progress report by Earthworks and Oxfam America outlines Newmont's failure to address community concerns in Ghana, Indonesia, Peru, Romania, and Nevada.
Take Action!
Help Put the "Class" Back in Class Rings
Please take a moment to send a letter two of the biggest class ring retailers and urge them to provide students with an alternative to dirty gold!
Sign the No Dirty Gold Pledge
If you haven't already, please sign the No Dirty Gold pledge. Use your consumer power to tell retailers and manufacturers that they must provide an alternative to dirty gold.
About EARTHWORKS and Oxfam America
 The No Dirty Gold campaign is supported by EARTHWORKS and Oxfam America. We work with local organizations and communities around the world on issues related to mining, human rights, and the environment. To learn the objectives of the No Dirty Gold campaign, please visit our website at www.nodirtygold.org, and download our report Dirty Metals: Mining, Communities, and the Environment.
Many thanks for your support! Please send in your suggestions or comments to info@nodirtygold.org. | 
