Posts in the category: Conscious

For the Amnesty International campaign "The Empty Chair", Dutch designer Maarten Baas made the symbolic empty chair to support Amnesty in their fight for freedom of expression. Dr. Liu Xiaobo was convicted for his role in drafting "Charter 08", a proposal for legal and political reform in China. Liu Xiaobo was the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate but during the cermony his chair remained empty as he was sentenced to a 11 years imprisonment. "The empty chair" is a symbol for Liu and many others who're in jail for expressing their opinion.
The chair will be presented during the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International tomorrow in Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam.

The Green Miles started to create awareness among the general public for the problems of our oceans. In addition, Arjen and Florian want to inspire people to interact with the world and the oceans in a green way. Therefore they sailed around the world on a limited budget, as sustainable as possible over a period of just under two years The Green Miles is collaborating with various prominent development organizations in the field of climate change and the protection of the oceans. Hereby an impression of their amazing trip!

"Sewing the seeds for the future of fashion". The Green Fashion Competition aims to create the foundation for a fashion industry that is produced in a manner wherein biodiversity is preserved. The only way in which this can be done is when entrepreneurs are able to find a balance between the economical, ecological and social impact of their ideas; a balance between People, Planet and Profit. Biodiversity creates clean water, fertile grounds and a stable climate. It also produces food and building materials for residencies, clothing, fuel and medication. Mankind's consumption of raw materials and modern production techniques are having an extremely destructive effect on the world's biodiversity. Examples of this are the unaccountable amounts of water wasted in many production techniques, the chemicals used in dyes and other treatments that pollute the environment, and the extent to which large scale agriculture (eg cotton fields) destroy habitats. The Green Fashion Competition, held in Amsterdam, will provide the entrepreneurial talents within the Dutch fashion industry with coaching, support, an international platform and sizeable financial aid for launching their ideas. Kuyichi will join and coach young talent!

The Snooshies are handmade from a soft and beautiful fabric, unlike any other. Hidden from most of the world by its remote location in the mountainous Himalayan regions of Western China: 100% yak down. The fibers are hand-combed from the yaks that dwell there, whose ancient existences continue to serve as a life source for the Tibetan herders. Snooshy co-operates with Shokay who aims to source the yak fiber directly from Tibetan herders, enabling them to earn a long-term sustainable living while preserving their traditional lifestyle. They also work with a team of handknitters in ChongMingIsland off of Shanghai to bring the Snooshy collection to fruition. The organisation helps to build their skill-set in a safe and healthy work environment, rewarding them fairly for their beautiful knitting talents. Kuyichi supports Snooshy in a sustainable wardrobe! Check for more information: Snooshy

They are doing some good work already for a while: Dutch favela painters Haas & Hahn. These Dutch artists have adorned several concrete landscapes in Brazil with their colorful paintings, and now they’ve taken on the transformation of a blighted neighborhood. The area, Santa Marta, is one of Brazil’s notorious favelas, or shantytowns. They call this urban explosion of color Favela Painting, and it has become a local source of pride.
Haas & Hahn is the working title of Dutch artistic duo Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn. They started working together in 2005, when they filmed a documentary about hip hop in the favelas of Rio and São Paolo for MTV. Inspired by this visit, they embarked on a journey to bring outrageous works of art to unexpected places, starting with painting enormous murals in the slums of Brazil together with the local youth.