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Why a furniture company is employing Jordanian women and refugees.

As the refugee crisis in numerous countries continues to grow, several companies are using their platform to help.

One of those is IKEA. The Swedish furniture company has partnered with the Jordan River Foundation to provide job opportunities for Jordanian women and refugees.

All photos courtesy of IKEA.


The first part of the partnership has culminated in the Tilltalande collection — a collection of co-created handcrafted textiles. Over 100 artisans are currently part of the initiative, and that number is expected to reach 400 by the end of 2020.

Vaishali Misra, business leader of the Social Entrepreneurs Initiative at IKEA, thinks it's just one of the many ways the company can put action behind its belief in a quality standard of living for people around the world.

"A sustainable world that provides a great quality of life for many people, respects human rights and protects the environment is possible," Misra writes. "We can provide economic opportunities and empower people so they are able to better provide for themselves and their families."

IKEA is showing mega corporations around the world how to put their dollars behind their mission.

By making women and refugee hires a priority, IKEA is making a bold statement: People from around the world matter, and they deserve the same opportunities as everyone else. The company stands by this ideology by providing steady year-round jobs, aiming to create sustainable job experiences that are safe and fair for employees.

"Each artisan is paid a salary equal or above the legal monthly minimum wage set by Jordanian government," Misra adds. "They also receive social security benefits and insurance."

As millions of people flee war-torn countries and unsafe territory, families are not only displaced, they're forced to start over.

People who previously had careers and a reliable means to support themselves are forced to begin their lives over again in a new place. Large companies around the globe have steadily become involved, creating space to support those living in or seeking asylum from vulnerable locations.

"The current international refugee crisis is one of the greatest, most complex humanitarian challenges of our generation," Misra says. "Today, the number of people displaced from their homes by violence and persecution is unprecedented in human history. More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced and nearly a third — more than 22 million — are living outside of their countries as refugees, according to The U.N. Refugee Agency. At IKEA, we think being an active member of our local communities is an important part of how we realize our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people. We feel compassion for our neighbors and especially want to help others less fortunate."

The collaboration's success has created a ripple effect in supporting lasting economic development for women and refugees.

Committed to serving people in vulnerable communities around the world, IKEA is working to support positive social and economic development by collaborating with artisans in rural India, Romania, and Thailand and working with partners in countries like Uganda, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and Croatia, just to name a few.

"We are of course committed to supporting refugee communities, but also seek and promote partnerships that can impact the well-being of other communities as well," Misra writes. "Our social entrepreneur partnerships help individuals in underserved communities learn the skills and acquire the resources to bring about a lasting change in their lives."

As the company looks toward how to be impactful in the future, it's clear that they've already gotten a pretty great start.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.


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