Social Action

We have a progressive, social mission that seeks to meet human needs and eliminate injustices in our local, national and international communities by integrating these concerns into our day-to-day business activities.

Our mission consists of seven interrelated parts. Is the belief all those parts must thrive equally in a manner that commands deep respect for individuals in and outside the company and supports the communities of which they are a part:

1- Social Responsibility
2- Defend Human Rights
3- Health and Safety
4- Activate Self Esteem
5- Support Community Trade
6- Protect Our Planet
7- Against Animal Testing

1- Social Responsibility

To operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally.

What we're doing:

• Conduct business in a socially responsible, transparent and ethical manner.
• We recognize that the gap between the rich and the poor is extremely wide. Capitalism and the wealth it produces do not create opportunity for everyone equally. We strive to create economic opportunities for those who have been denied them and to advance new models of economic justice that are sustainable and replicable.
• We seek and support non-violent ways to achieve peace and justice. We believe government resources are more productively used in meeting human needs than in building and maintaining weapons systems.
• We strive to show a deep respect for human beings inside and outside our company and for the communities in which they live.
• We assign the 1.5% of our profit to several non-profit humanitarian organizations.
• We promote among our customers the donation of their discount bonuses and donate all quantities that have not been redeemed.

2- Defend Human Rights

While the ultimate responsibility for protecting human rights rests with governments, we believe we also have a role to play and it is the responsibility of every individual to actively support those who have human rights denied to them.

Children labour

Child labour ranges from four-year-olds tied to rug looms to keep them from running away, to seventeen-year-olds helping out on the family farm. In some cases, a child's work can be helpful to him or her and to the family; working and earning can be a positive experience in a child's growing up. This depends largely on the age of the child, the conditions in which the child works, and whether work prevents the child from going to school. [more]

Working Children in the Manufacturing Sector

In Asia children perform a vital function on the production line. Children take part in producing various types of consumer products. Recent reports speak of an increase in the number of child workers involved in, specifically, export oriented manufacturing industries; namely gem polishing, garment production, leather work, and carpet weaving.

Asia is emerging as a powerful region, economically, at the expense of the energy of its own children. The manufacturers and the industrialists take the profit margin, the respective nations enjoy steady, economic growth and the consumers, both here and abroad, take the products. Meanwhile, the working children sacrifice their childhood in exchange for a tiny income.

Common problems faced by children in factories include, long working hours, low wages and a poor working environment. In most cases there is a total lack of welfare, medical, recreational or educational facilities. Occasionally, the work itself is hazardous because of exposure to dangerous substances, such as chemicals and the use of heavy machinery with moving parts not been designed to be operated by children. In some cases children are confined, forced and bonded under slave-like conditions.

Denied an education and a normal childhood, some children are confined and beaten, reduced to slavery. Some are denied freedom of movement—the right to leave the workplace and go home to their families. Some are abducted and forced to work.

Yet despite their numbers and the difficult nature of their work, children working in agriculture have received little attention compared to child labour in manufacturing for export or children involved in commercial sexual exploitation.

Bonded Child Labour

Bonded labour takes place when a family receives an advance payment (sometimes as little as U.S. $15) to hand a child-boy or girl-over to an employer. In most cases the child cannot work off the debt, nor can the family raise enough money to buy the child back. The workplace is often structured so that "expenses" and/or "interest" are deducted from a child's earnings in such amounts that it is almost impossible for a child to repay the debt. In some cases, the labour is generational -that is, a child's grandfather or great-grandfather was promised to an employer many years earlier, with the understanding that each generation would provide the employer with a new worker- often with no pay at all.

What we're doing:

• We support the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in the conduct of our operations.
• We endorse The Global Sullivan Principles.
• We also support, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
• We apply non-discrimination policies.
• We do not use any product or component that implies children labour.

3- Health and Safety

We believe that all accidents are preventable and a zero-incidents goal is attainable. It's not about statistics; it's about people not getting hurt. Our position on health and safety is clear, emphatic and fixed: It applies to everyone everywhere.

Zero incidents is no accident. Safety and health responsibilities come first, last and always.

What we're doing:

• We call on every employee and contractor working for the company to strive for incident-free operations, and to manage risks to prevent injuries, illnesses and accidents.
• We are improving our factory labour standards.
• We monitor our provider's factory conditions.

4- Activate Self Esteem

We know that every person is unique, and we always demonstrate respect for the varied perspectives and skills they provide. We have an inclusive work environment and actively embrace a diversity of people, ideas, talents and experiences.

Renaissance Workshop Company Ltd. works to leverage the rich diversity of ideas, experience and skill of our employees.

What we're doing:

• Learn from and respect cultures in which we work.
• Supporting community giving and employee volunteerism.
• Developing and supporting the career growth for our employees.

5- Support Community Trade

We support small producer communities around the world.

What we're doing:

• We buy many components and raw materials to small producer communities around the world.
• We force and integrate our corporate responsibility into our supply chain.

6- Protect Our Planet

We believe that a business has the responsibility to protect the environment in which it operates, locally and globally.

By conserving the use of energy in many areas of our businesses, we can reduce the impact on the environment, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

International wildlife trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction.

The aim of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES today accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs. [more]

What we're doing:

• We support sustainable and safe methods of wood production that reduce environmental degradation, maintain the productivity of the land over time, and support the economic viability of rural communities.
• To make, distribute and sell the finest quality products with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural components and promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment.
• The manufacturing of products creates always waste. We are committed to continually improving our processes for minimizing pollution, waste and our negative impact on the environment.
• We do not trade, nor use Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. We follow all the rules of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
• We are all consumers of energy. We recognize the need to use energy efficiently across our entire company, whether in our offices or in our productive operations. We have made a long-term commitment towards reducing the energy we use in our day-to-day operations.

7- Against Animal Testing

We consider testing products or ingredients on animals to be morally and scientifically indefensible.