Michael von der Heide becomes
Label STEP ambassador!

Michael von der Heide is taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland in 2010. The charming singer has an exceptional sense for people and the human conditions and inevitably finds the right tone and mood for each piece of music and audience. Thus, it is not astonishing that Michael von der Heide took over his „office“ as Label STEP ambassador with enthusiasm: „Fair trade should actually be self-evident. As an artist the carpet weavers are especially close to me. They produce pieces of art work of amazing beauty and deserve our respect“, as Michael von der Heide explains his commitment for Label STEP. For Label STEP he presents 12 good reasons for fair carpet trade:

 

1. Good working and living conditions: The traders who carry the label STEP commit themselves to provide good terms of employment and keep to international labour laws in the production plants of their handmade carpets.

2. Fair wages: Label STEP licensees pay prices to their suppliers which enable fair wages for their workers. In all carpet producing areas, Label STEP determines the wage which is necessary for the workers and their families.

3. No abusive child labour: Label STEP and its licensees accept no abusive child labour and conduct school and education projects for the children of carpet weavers.

4. Ecologically friendly production: Label STEP and its partners in trade and production promote environmentally friendly production methods. Part of that are the minimization of the use of hazardous solvents and colors, the cleaning of waste water and the reduction of emissions.

5. Independent inspections: Label STEP maintains offices in all important carpet producing countries and all production plants of its licensees are regularly visited and inspected. The traders' information on chains of delivery are also regularly checked for correctness and completeness.

6. Corporate Social Responsibility: Label STEP's philosophy is based on the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Only with label STEP, the strict standards of fair trade apply to the entire product range of handmade carpets of a licensee.

7. Health projects: Label STEP carries out development projects as complementary measures for the improvement of the terms of employment as well. For example, in the remote villages of the so-called Indian carpet belt where since 1999 more than 140'000 people have been treated in moving medical practices.

8. School and education programmes: School and education pave the way for a good future. Label STEP maintains numerous projects of education and further education for carpet workers and their families. Children are enabled to receive a good basic school education, youngsters are supported on their way to secondary school and adults profit from alphabetization courses.

9. Help for self-help: To Label STEP, help for self-help – or empowerment – means to extend the influence of the people on the creation of their own living conditions. Empowerment projects enable the workers to take their destiny into their own hands.

10. Industry dialogue: Label STEP promotes the dialogue between all parties involved in the trade chain and thus improves the situation the workers and contributes to the sustainability of the industry. The aims of the industry dialogue are the fair distribution of the incomes, the support of the consciousness for social and ecological subjects as well as the industry wide search for solutions with regards to subjects like wages, protection of the environment, minimum prices etc.

11. Women's advancement: The majority of handmade carpets on the market are woven by women. Therefore, numerous Label STEP  projects are specifically aimed at supporting women and strengthen their position in the job, in the family and within society.

12. Preservation of carpets as cultural heritage: The production of handmade carpets is the basis of existence to millions of people. In addition, carpet weaving has been a traditional artistic craft work for thousands of years and belongs to the cultural heritage of numerous peoples. With the purchase of a hand-woven carpet you not only furnish your own home elegantly, you also make a contribution to the preservation of a cultural asset.

For more information and project examples: www.label-step.org