Sedona AZ (July 7, 2013) – AZADI Fine Rugs in Sedona is proud to announce they have become a champion of the GoodWeave® certification label, partnering with the organization to give consumers the power to end child labor through a simple act: demanding certified child-labor-free rugs. GoodWeave is an internationally acclaimed organization that works to end child labor in the handmade rug industry and offer educational opportunities to children in weaving communities. They will be holding a GoodWeave celebration event on Tuesday July 16th from 4-6pm at their Hillside Sedona location.
Most consumers don’t realize that the carpet-making industry is rife with child labor. April 16 marked the anniversary of the death of Pakistani rug-slave-turned-activist Iqbal Massih who inspired the work of GoodWeave. He was sold into bonded labor at age 4 and chained to a carpet loom until he escaped six years later and began speaking out against the industry. He won the Reebok human rights award in the early 1990s and was killed in 1995 at the age of 11.
Since founder and executive director of GoodWeave USA Nina Smith launched GoodWeave in 2000 child labor in the industry is down 75%. “Consumers drive their demands for fair labor practices back onto the market.” States Smith, “Through the sale of nearly eight million child-labor free rugs worldwide the number of “carpet kids” has dropped from 1 million to 250,000.”
GoodWeave-certified producers comply with an extensive certification standard and undergo monitoring of their facilities. Importers of GoodWeave textiles pay a small royalty fee that GoodWeave and partner organizations use to educate and rehabilitate former child weavers. The GoodWeave label is the best assurance that no child labor was used in the making of a carpet or rug.
More than one in 10 of the world’s children toil in the global economy today, and child labor and trafficking are especially rampant in the rug industry. Over 250,000 kids—some as young as six years old—are forced to give up their childhoods to make rugs for our homes and businesses. GoodWeave makes consumers aware of this tragedy and gives them a transformative alternative: certified child-labor-free rugs. By purchasing a GoodWeave certified rug, consumers help GoodWeave rescue children from looms and provide educational opportunities, daycare and other critical services in weaving communities. The GoodWeave label will end child labor in the rug industry in the next decade—and can be used as a model for ending exploitation in other industries as well.
“We are honored to take our place with companies globally that have taken a stand for children in weaving communities.” Says AZADI Fine Rugs owner David Neishabori.
The public is invited to attend AZADI Fine Rug’s Good Weave celebration event at their Hillside Sedona location on Tuesday July 16th from 4-6pm. The public is invited to attend AZADI Fine Rug’s GoodWeave celebration event on Thursday July 25th from 4-6pm. They will also have images from the acclaimed Faces of Freedom photography exhibit during the GoodWeave event which offers a look into the heart of that transformation. This traveling photo exhibition, sponsored by GoodWeave and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, takes you behind the looms and inside the carpet factories of South Asia. The stunning images in this exhibition were captured by photo documentarian, filmmaker and human rights educator U. Roberto Romano. For more information please call 928-203-0400.
Established in 1790, AZADI has a rich history based on 200 years of devotion to hand woven rugs and the clients they serve. AZADI Fine Rugs, known as the most trusted authority and respected resource in the industry, is the oldest company dealing in Fine Rugs in the world. A leading international design resource for the world’s most exquisite rugs, AZADI Fine Rugs is a member of ASID(American Society of Interior Designers) and the Sedona Gallery Association. Recognized for delivering instant gratification and stellar “seven-star service” to customers across the globe, their unparalleled service takes the rug buying experience to the next level, with a focus on providing outstanding rugs in a fun and exciting setting with passion, respect and gratitude.
AZADI Fine Rugs has two Sedona Locations Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village and the Hillside Shops in Sedona. They have locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Telluride, Colorado. For more information please call 928-203-0400 or go to www.azadifinerugs.com.
About Goodweave:
The international nonprofit GoodWeave works to end child labor in the rug industry and offer educational opportunities to children in weaving communities. Since 1995, 11 million child-labor-free carpets bearing the GoodWeave label have been sold worldwide, and the number of “carpet kids” has dropped from 1 million to 250,000. The sale of GoodWeave certified rugs has helped provide education and other life-changing opportunities to nearly 11,000 children in weaving communities, in addition to vital services for adult weavers such as child care and health care. The GoodWeave label is the best assurance that no children were exploited in the making of a rug. Visit www.GoodWeave.org for more information.
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