Verite, a non-profit that works to ensure safe, fair and legal work conditions worldwide, launched its Wall Made campaign focused on helping companies, investors, governments and advocacy groups take a leadership role in addressing trafficking and modern-day slavery among migrant worker populations.   

The Well Made campaign provides companies with questions to put to suppliers about work conditions and encourages investors to put pressure on companies to ensure proper recruitment, hiring and treatment of workers.  For years, Verite has been key in cleaning up supply chains of global brands such as Timberland, Gap, Levi Strauss, Apple, Disney and HP and continues to work to expose the prevalence of modern day slavery in our world today.

In fact a recent article “Modern-Day Slavery:  Alive and Well” asks us to consider that today an estimated 12 to 27 million people are victims of slavery, and other forms of forced labor around the world.  In the United States alone, 10,000 or more people are being forced to work at any given time.  These workers have produced products we encounter on a daily basis such as blueberries, organic milk, personal computers, cells phones and clothing.  The investment community is uniquely positioned to make a difference by using their leverage to shape corporate policy to address this worldwide problem.   

Sara Laks
Assistant to the President
saralaks@firstaffirmative.com

This entry was posted on Friday, July 16th, 2010.