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Periwinkle Porte

~ Design, inspiration and the environment insights from Associates III Interior Design.

Periwinkle Porte

Monthly Archives: February 2013

The Fight Against Human Trafficking Continues.

28 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in environment

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International Labour Organization, Slavery, United States

Part II of the conversation, read Part 1 here.

There is a strong connection between a country’s tacit willingness to abide slavery and that country’s risk of being left behind by the currents of global civilization.

Being a socially responsible business today means so much more than buying recycled products and supplies. One aspect is to take on the task of ensuring your supply chains reflect your corporate values as well. Are workers in factories, manufacturing plants, and even cottage industries protected and given a decent living wage, while, at the same time, not controlled or exploited by their employers? Are they free of modern day slavery? Economic growth is important – but at the expense of another’s freedom? I believe this is unacceptable.

It’s easy to see why companies and countries both turn a blind eye; making a product for the least amount of money translates to greater monetary profits and a more competitively priced widget in the marketplace that will sell over the next guy’s if all other aspects are potentially equal.

Ethically, an equal playing field in place encourages rules that are the same for everyone, improves monitoring, and allows transparency to occur on every level. The underlying belief that human life has no or little value must be eradicated, smashed to smithereens, torn down and replaced by something far superior – respect for life and the freedom to earn a decent living wage, as well as the freedom to choose in what way you want to make that living.

If developed countries let slavery go unchecked, it will threaten to corrode the bilateral and multilateral agreements, and the international rule of law, that the global economy depends on. If developing countries don’t check it, it may or may not mean slower short-term growth, but it will definitely complicate long-term growth, or stunt it altogether, as outside investors bring more scrutiny and demand more transparency.

Modern day slavery – in all its forms – fuels a substantial part of the growth of globalization. Andrew Forrest, founder of the anti-slavery group Walk Free, has said, “Slavery is the dark side of globalization.” In essence, organizations like Walk Free want to harness the good, or at least potentially good, aspects of globalization to eliminate its most evil aspect: forced labor. Forrest is determined to shame big businesses and governments to sign a pledge for “zero tolerance for slavery”. One great example in our history books of how this worked is when the light of shame was focused on King Leopard II of Belgium, who enslaved millions of Congo people as his own personal property. Fortunately, the portable camera came along, and in its primitive form captured evidence on film of the horrific treatment and conditions that immediately caused public outrage. Leopold was exposed for cruel and inhuman behavior and it propelled a charge towards freedom in this nation’s life.

I understand that the problem of modern slavery is complex – there is not a simple or easy answer. I also understand that we can easily tune out the cries for help; we only have to watch, read or listen to the news to learn about what should be intolerable human stories. Without even thinking, we’ve all done it – we switch to another channel. We have become indifferent to the blasts from all walks of media that tell us about dire situations happening around us, and around the world. However, countless men, women and children have no voice, no advocate, no media attention being shone on them. They are alone, taken advantage of and exploited without a single person aware or seemingly interested.

The Atlantic‘s first editor, James Russell Lowell, wrote in the magazine’s endorsement of Abraham Lincoln for president in 1860:

The inevitable tendency of slavery is to concentrate in a few hands the soil, the capital, and the power of the countries where it exists, to reduce the non-slaveholding class to a continually lower and lower level of property, intelligence, and enterprise. … We do not, of course, mean to say that slaveholding states may not and do not produce fine men; but they fail, by the inherent vice of their constitution and its attendant consequences, to create enlightened, powerful, and advancing communities of men, which is the true object of all political organization.

I suggest to you that the creation of enlightened, powerful, and advancing communities of both men and women begins with me.  And you.

— Debbie Hindman

WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY?

Slavery exists when a person is treated as someone else’s person’s property. Typically, a person in slavery is forced to work, often without pay, and is coerced by the threat or fear of violence. Many have been deceived into taking jobs that did not exist – and then find that they cannot walk away.

Slavery is a crime that is hidden from view, but is occurring at different levels in all countries around the world. Forced labour exists in a wide range of industries, from brick kilns and construction to fishing and factories. Millions of people who have sought jobs as domestic workers have found themselves trapped in strangers’ homes in domestic slavery, subject to physical and sexual abuse and unable to escape. Millions more have been trafficked into commercial sex work against their will, among them many children.

HOW WIDESPREAD IS SLAVERY TODAY?

The most recent estimate of the number of people in slavery around the world is 20.9 million, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) in June 2012. The ILO’s research suggests that the majority of victims of slavery are women (11.4 million), and almost one quarter of people living in slavery are children: an estimated 5.5 million.

The United States Department of Justice has described the buying and selling of human beings “the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world”. The ILO has estimated that slavery generates US$32 billion in profits each year.

Smiling Jizo

26 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in inspiration

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Buddhism, Japan, Zen

Jizo

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. — Thich Nhat Hanh

I recently had the opportunity to spend several weeks in Japan, exploring numerous metropolises as well as the countryside. While there, I was charmed by these little stone monuments that were found everywhere — around and within various beautiful temples, in their own little huts, in souvenir shops, or simply standing by country roadsides. They are carved with the face of Jizo (jee-zo), a Buddhist deity, who embodies supreme spiritual optimism, compassion and universal salvation. Jizo is, in the simplest terms, regarded as a guardian, savior and protector of children and travelers. After arriving safely home, I can’t help but wonder if Jizo had a hand in watching over me and those I traveled with.

— Amy DePierre

Finding Inspiration

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, inspiration

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creative relationships, Design, Interior Design, Interior Designers

Periwinkle Porte recently had the delightful opportunity to sit down and chat with Maggie Tandysh, one of Associates III Interior Design’s remarkable senior designers, about her approach to and thoughts on interior design. Here’s what she had to say:

Periwinkle Porte: When you first put pencil to paper for a project where do you start?

Maggie Tandysh: I like to start with the master plan, playing with the style, location and architectural aspects that are already in place, finding ways to integrate the outside with the inside of the home and building on these features by repeating or complementing the exterior finishes and identifying areas for the key details to come.

PP: Speaking of details, talk a bit more about this important design component.

Master BathMT: Details show care and attention. It comes down to building things in to the design that have a purpose, are well thought out and provide for great use of space. Take bathrooms, for example, which can become tedious and redundant in a home if the details are not carefully attended to. I personally love designing bathrooms. I enjoy selecting tiles that bring interest into the space and choosing fixtures that are unique so they seem more like furniture rather than hardware.

PP: What else about designing interiors do you particularly enjoy?

MT: Now that’s hard to say; I enjoy so much! I enjoy coordinating the pieces – taking the concepts and big picture ideas and making sure to implement them in a way that everything blends seamlessly and works well together.

PP: With this in mind, where do you draw your inspiration from?

MT: I find inspiration in so many places – from the architect’s words, to the client’s wishes, to finding ways of utilizing different team member’s strengths and expertise. A lot of my inspiration comes from being 100% accountable, knowing that the client and team are counting on me. I revel in knocking a client’s socks off and that definitely keeps me going!

PP:  Describe your ideal team to work with.

MT: A collaborative team is so important. I love working with a team that is open to ideas, seeks involvement, provides feedback and confirmation, one in which each person – architect, builder, client, designer and subcontractors – has a strong buy in on the project and brings their excitement and enthusiasm to their daily duties.

PP: How do you feel when the final piece is in place and the last installation is done?

MT: So proud and satisfied! Thankful to the team that we pulled it together; I love the sense of completion that comes at the end of a project – the period at the end of the sentence when all the i’s are dotted and t’s have been crossed. I find there are always lessons to be learned, a different way of doing things to keep in mind for the next time. Our projects are always filled with high integrity and high quality, which makes the final moments really special and meaningful.

— Periwinkle Porte

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Life is —

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Up

Life is a song — sing it. Life is a game — play it. Life is a challenge — meet it. Life is a dream — realize it. Life is a sacrifice — offer it. Life is love — enjoy it.  —Sai Baba 

Posted by periwinkleporte | Filed under inspiration

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Happy New Year!

08 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by periwinkleporte in design, environment, inspiration

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One year ago on the day of the 2012 Chinese New Year — year of the dragon, January 23rd, we launched this blog to share our collective inspiration with you, our community of readers. We are so grateful to each and every one of you who spends time reading our posts, thank you! We appreciate your likes, your comments, your emails — they mean so much to us.

This year, February 10th marks the 2013 Chinese New Year — year of the snake, and brings us much reason to celebrate! Considering this time as a marker, an anniversary of sorts, we find ourselves in both a reflective and anticipatory state of mind. We look forward to a bright year full of inspiration, vibrant design ideas, continued discussion on a variety of issues — some design related, some not — and, most of all, we look forward to connecting with you. We think you’ll love what we have in store.

year of the snake

In reflection of the year past, below are a few of our most popular posts:

No Place Like Home — by Kari Foster, AIII’s superhuman owner & principal designer

GoodWeave’s® Expanded Standard to Address Environmental, Adult Working Conditions in 2012 — by Debbie Hindman, AIII’s intrepid marketer extraordinaire

Water Tower Rooms for Rent — by Michaela Jenkins, AIII’s industrious design assistant

Homes for Chickens — by Amy DePierre, AIII’s studious pr coordinator

— Associates III

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Point of view.

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

Rainy Window

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. —Albert Einstein

Posted by periwinkleporte | Filed under inspiration

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