CAFOD urges support of U.S. jeweler working for clean gold standards

Published: 2007-11-01

LONDON (CNS) -- A Catholic aid agency is calling for a postcard campaign to a prominent U.S. jeweler who is encouraging the world's gold industry to clean up its act. The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, aid agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has asked its supporters to write to Matthew Runci of Canaan, Conn., as he spearheads efforts to establish international standards in the mining of gold. Runci is president and CEO of Jewelers of America, the national trade association for retail jewelers, and is chairman of the Council of Responsible Jewellery Practices, an international body consisting of more than 70 gold industry representatives. The Council of Responsible Jewellery Practices is developing industry standards that could tackle much of the harm often caused by gold mining, CAFOD said Oct. 31. CAFOD said it believes this is an opportunity to demand that standards are strong enough to change the industry. Helen Wolfson, head of campaigns at CAFOD, said: "We need standards that will mean real change for people living around gold mines; if the CRJP doesn't produce strong standards which can be independently verified, this will be a missed opportunity.

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