As You Sow is coordinating investor outreach on this issue to 100+ major U.S. and international retailers and brands. Economic power is being used to influence the Uzbek government and international cotton merchants and brokers. By bridging efforts with NGOs, government agencies, international human rights advocates and Uzbek activists, we a building a global critical mass to apply strong, harmonized pressure on the Uzbek government to stop the exploitation of the country’s children.

What we are doing:

AYS coordinated joint SRI and NGO letters sent to Uzbekitsan President Islam Karimov, Director General Juan Somavia of the ILO and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice condemning the practices, requesting immediate changes in the abusive harvesting practices and inviting the ILO in to assist. Investors who signed to the letters currently hold over $250 billion in assets under management. Some of the bigger names of pension and other financial funds include NYCERS, Newton Investment from the UK, the Methodist Church and AFL-CIO.