Press Meetings Invitation

For the past year, Label STEP has been active in Afghanistan, the first organisation fighting for fair carpet trade and good working conditions for weavers and workers. From January 14th until January 17th 2012 at the Domotex Fair in Hannover, we will be reporting on the strategies and successes of this development cooperation, as well as the barriers and problems in one of the least developed countries in the world. Our country representative Ismail Wameq, who is working in Afghanistan for Label STEP, will be personally attending and is available to the press for the first time. Please con-tact us for an appointment.

Handmade carpets are among Afghanistan’s most important export goods, despite extended phases of political instability, war and terror. It is estimated that at least one million Afghans are directly or indirectly employed through the carpet industry. Afghan carpets are of the best quality that the market has to offer. In addition to traditional oriental carpets, contemporary designs have lately won international accolades. The Afghan pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2005 certainly also boosted the success of the Afghan carpet.

The reality on the ground is difficult: Poverty is reflected in high illiteracy rates (about 57 per cent among men, more than 87 per cent among women) and the fact that one third of the population live below the poverty line. The carpet industry workers are often unfamiliar with their basic rights and do not receive a fair wage. Many families lack access to health care and schools – girls are especially deprived of a school education.

With the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Label STEP carefully prepared their work in Afghanistan with an initial comprehensive socio-economic field study of carpet weaving in the country. Based on the resulting findings and experience from other countries, carpet weavers in Afghanistan should first and foremost be empowered to improve their situation on their own. Label STEP helps them to organise, to exchange and to improve their situation together. As part of the Label STEP Team, a doctor and community worker provide information about healthy working and have already enabled doctor’s visits for more than 1,000 female carpet weavers.

Alongside daily work in villages, Label STEP makes contact with local producers and exporters, and is excited about their great willingness to collaborate. Contact with public authorities and government has already been made in order to represent the interests of the carpet weavers: The main goals are to increase wages, access to social services and government promotion for the carpet branch.

Label STEP is confident in the continual increase of international interest in Afghan carpets. Fair trade ensures that the carpet weavers will also profit from this development.

We are happy to tell you more about our work in Afghanistan from first hand accounts, and to coordinate in-terviews with employees, designers and partners. Please contact us for an appointment, or if you should need photo material or additional information.