Breakthrough in Lesotho apparel industry brings leaders from four different continents together... Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR) movement leaders gather in New York! From left, Cathy Albisa (National Economic and Social Rights Initiative), Gerardo Reyes Chavez (Coalition of Immokalee Workers), Sam Mokhele (National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union), Thusoana Ntlama (Federation of Women Lawyers in Lesotho), Rola Abimourched (Worker Rights Consortium), and Judge Laura Safer Espinoza (Fair Food Standards Council) speak on a panel at last week’s Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network gathering on new WSR initiatives. The gathering highlighted the groundbreaking recent agreement among unions and women’s rights organizations in Lesotho, apparel factories, and major international brands to combat gender-based violence in the country’s garment industry. Breakthrough in Lesotho apparel industry brings leaders from four different continents together to discuss growing WSR movement!… Cathy Albisa, NESRI: “The biggest takeaway today should be our understanding of the importance of connection. From the problem, to the solution, to scaling the solution, how are we are connected defines the outcome… The WSR Network creates the next level of connection together – connections across movements, and across sectors.” Last week, the Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network (WSRN) and its members – hailing from across the United States, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and, most recently, Lesotho in Southern Africa – gathered with supporters from the world of philanthropy in New York City for an uplifting evening event to discuss the very latest developments in the WSR movement and the exciting future of the breakthrough model for protecting workers’ fundamental human rights in global supply chains. The event came on the heels of the birth of the newest WSR program, a groundbreaking initiative to fight sexual harassment and gender-based violence in Lesotho’s garment industry (in case you missed the announcement in August, make sure to get the full story here!). Beyond the victory in Lesotho, the Network lifted up the efforts of dairy workers from Vermont and construction workers from Minnesota, who shared how they, too, are using the WSR model to monitor and enforce their own rights, building off the success of existing programs such as the Fair Food Program and the Bangladesh Accord. Today, we bring you a few of the highlights from last week’s gathering, which served to underscore the vast power and potential of the WSR model, as well as plans for the expansion of the model through cross-sector collaboration into new industries and regions where fundamental human rights protections are desperately needed. Following a welcome from the evening’s generous hosts – the Freedom Fund, the SAGE Fund, the NoVo Foundation, and NEO Philanthropy – the evening started off with a brief introduction from the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative’s Executive Director, Cathy Albisa, who provided a frame for the evening: “The biggest takeaway today should be our understanding of the importance of connection. From the problem, to the solution, to scaling the solution, how are we are connected defines the outcome… The WSR Network creates the next level of connection together – connections across movements, and across sectors. We do this first and foremost by building relationships across these movements and sectors. We document strategies, transfer them across efforts, create affinity groups within sectors, create working groups to strengthen strategic areas such as investment strategies, facilitate ongoing dialogue across members to refine and define the model, and finally, build collective strategy and collective focus.” Cathy then introduced and moderated an inspiring panel focused on the most recent WSR program in the garment industry in Lesotho. Here are a few of the highlights from the panel: Thusoana Ntlama, Programs Coordinator for the Federation of Women Lawyers in Lesotho (right), and Sam Mokhele, General Secretary of the National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union (center), spoke about their experiences creating the first worker-driven social responsibility program in Lesotho. Thusoana Ntlama: “We are able to stand together, as one. We haven’t started yet, but just yesterday, we were able to establish the Workers’ Rights Watch. It is not easy, this is a new thing altogether. We also need the support of the Fair Food Program, because this is the baby of that initiative… we are hoping that with communication and materials developed to educate supervisors and workers, that will help us set up the program.” Read more about the WSR gathering in New York! Coalition of Immokalee Workers (239) 657 8311 | [email protected] | www.ciw-online.org Connect with us ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ A copy of the CIW's official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Florida Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352). Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. The website for the Florida Division of Consumer Services is [link removed] Coalition of Immokalee Workers | 110 S 2nd St, Immokalee, FL 34142 Unsubscribe [email protected] About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!