Description/achievement of initiative
India is home to approximately 2.2 million self-help groups and nearly 7 million artisans who make up 40% of the global artisanal workforce. Sadly, their income accounts to merely 2% of the 400 billion USD global handicraft industry (Dasra, 2013). Moi Namaste is a Finnish-Indian lifestyle label that is committed to providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for Indian crafts people by connecting them with a global audience. Firmly rooted in two cultures, Moi Namaste aims to keep the much needed focus on Nordic values like traceability and transparency, fair pricing, no child or forced labour, environmental sustainability, and honest storytelling.
Implementation methodologies
We work with a variety of NGOs, self-help women groups, social enterprises and craft clusters across India to create mindful lifestyle (home decor and fashion) products using natural fibres or upcycled materials. All our materials are locally sourced from artisans, weavers or textile recyclers. The designs are created with the artisan community, celebrating the roots of the craft. Fair trade practices are followed and the women groups/ artisan clusters are studied in depth before we decide to partner with them.
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Following the guidelines of the Giving What We Can community, we pledge to give 10% of our profits to improving the lives of others! Causes that we support pertain to education, women health & empowerment as well as artisan training and development. We are also working on ways to use technology to reduce the gap between our consumers and makers.
Coordination mechanisms/governance structure
Inspired by the works of Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate and the founder of Grameen Bank, Prof. Yunus, Moi Namaste is a sustainable model that focuses on a ‘triple bottom line’ – constantly analyzing its social, environmental and financial impact, and understanding the relationship each has with the others.\r\n\r\nWe are also a zero dividend initiative that invests all its profits back into developing the brand or to advancing our main cause – providing fair, dignified and unbiased livelihood opportunities to women artisans.\r\n\r\nWe check and follow all the 10 Code of Conduct from the Ethical Fashion Initiative when working with our artisan partners and distribute 10% of our profits back to community development projects.
Partner(s)
Aftertaste, Sura, KhaDigi, Mahashakti Seva Kendar, Leera, Okhai, Bombay Paperie
Progress reports
Goal 1
1.1 - By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day
1.4 - By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
Goal 5
5.5 - Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
Goal 8
8.3 - Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.4 - Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.5 - By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
8.7 - Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.8 - Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.9 - By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
Goal 12
12.1 - Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
12.2 - By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.5 - By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.7 - Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
12.8 - By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
12.b - Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
Goal 13
13.3 - Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.b - Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
* Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international,
intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
02/23
