Fair Phone: Work in progress

18-10-2010 Author: Marianne Wilson Source: OneWorld

Original blog in Dutch: http://www.oneworld.nl/Nieuws/Actueel/article/27197/Eerlijke_telefoon_Werk_in_uitvoering
(Google Translator)
Blackberrys, iPhones and Androids: The consumer has plenty of choices in mobile phones. But who is an 'honest' variety hoping to find it, a long search. Fair wants to change phone. That job is not from one day to another cleared.

"Phone manufacturers say it is so difficult to make promises about a fair chain because they can not guarantee the provenance of raw materials," says Nathalie Ankersmit, spokesman Niza, one of the initiators of fair phone. "We want this campaign to make clear that it is indeed inevitable."


Raw materials such as cobalt and copper miners in countries like Congo - often children, and for a pittance in appalling conditions in the foreground. Then they end up using middlemen for large mining dealers who pocket large sums of money. Trade in raw materials for mobile phones is also often associated with rebel groups who finance their weapons. Hence, mobile phones are also called blood.


Idealistic techies
Through cooperatives of small miners in Congo copper and cobalt fair fair phone shop, two items used in the production of mobile phones. The campaign also asks people to think about the design and the campaign of a fair phone. Waag Society, a media lab that develops creative technology and one of the initiators of fair phone, go in search of idealistic techies who FabLabs tinker with a new device.

In addition, through the site and people with a creative gift for festivals and an adventurous spirit who wanted to think about the campaign. Adventurers can win a trip to Congo. That's not a relaxing vacation. Ankersmit: "The winner will visit my other initiatives that claim to responsible production. That he or she should help evaluate."

Work in progress
Ankersmit must acknowledge that a fair phone phone for fair work in progress. Copper and cobalt are indeed beneficial, but two of the 24 commodities that are processed in mobile phones and then there are the working conditions in Asian factories which do an upgrade phone use. "In any case, a beginning, which we want to stimulate phone manufacturers."

If ultimately a fair phone prototype of a phone is fair, so they want the farmer to phone manufacturers. "Only Samsung has so far said they do about whether to remain in dialogue with us."