Letter text:
February 13, 2006
Dear Retailer:
As you may be aware, in an advertisement published today in The New York Times, the No Dirty Gold campaign identified your company as “lagging behind” on making commitments to supporting reform of the gold-mining industry. (A copy of the advertisement is attached for your reference.) The campaign took this step because after more than two years of outreach to your company, we have not received any response from you to our repeated requests for dialogue on the important issue of responsible gold sourcing. Through numerous letters we have raised with you our concerns about the serious human rights and environmental problems associated with gold mining, and urged that your firm make commitments to more responsible sourcing of gold. We believe that your company, as a leading jewelry retailer, can and should be an important voice in calling for necessary reforms of mining practices.
The campaign is still very interested in speaking with your firm about our concerns and about how your company can move into a leadership position on these issues. We urge you once again to join leading jewelry firms in endorsing the “Golden Rules,” criteria for more responsible production of gold. (See attached.) We are certainly willing to make a public statement once your company makes such a commitment.
Please contact us if we can provide you with any additional information, or to arrange a meeting.
Sincerely,
The No Dirty Gold Campaign
