It is designers like Article22 that really make me thankful for starting Jejune, which lets me be aware of, and share with the world, these amazing people! Article22 goes to Laos and takes the old bomb shrapnel from the Vietnam War and, while working with the local artisans, turns it into beautiful jewelry. They then sell this jewelry and help the communities in Laos come back from the incredible amount of damage this war had on its people. What a beautiful idea. I don’t think I need to say more. To learn more about Article22 and Peacebomb, please read our exclusive interview below with founder Elizabeth Suda.

___
Foreword by Kira Bucca, Editor in Chief of Jejune Magazine. (Interview co-written with Hanna Yi.)

prod_5stack bangles-birthstone arrow peace dropped LIB22 (1).jpg

Where are you based?
We are based in Brooklyn, NY and our heart is in Laos where our ARTICLE22 family of artisans and Country Manager reside.

What inspired you to start Article22?
We are educated as children believing the sincerity of the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, but you grow up to realize those are ideals and we have to continuously strive for them. The world is far more complicated than those strong words on the page.

Starting ARTICLE22 was a gradual process that began with curiosity and my determination to answer a question – how could fashion be both beautiful and more sustainable? Experience, research, and travels led to a moment I realized I needed to start ARTICLE22.

Two years on the merchandising team at Coach’s headquarters in NYC allowed me to touch each point along the supply chain. I realized how far products travel from source to sale. And also, how much money is spent on looking good. So I thought, what if it could do good, too? My particular interest was how it could be more sustainable and ethical. I started researching natural dyes, which led me to Laos. There is a rich living culture of natural dyes saturating fabrics in hues of ochre, magenta, and indigo – from bark, resin, and plant leaves. I wanted to go to the source where the techniques are practiced by heritage artisans. I bought a plane ticket with a return for six months later. Stepping foot in Laos, it became clear that ancient wisdom offers a partial blueprint for a more sustainable future.

While in Laos, I worked with a woman, Madame Nikone, who started a textile business in the 1990s when communist Laos, PDR, was starting to open up to international trade. She was a visionary - talented and mighty. And to her, she was just doing business as it should be done. It wasn’t a “social business”, it wasn’t a “sustainable business”. Rather, it was treating her team of female weavers well, providing healthcare, and even the option for newborn babies to accompany their mothers to work. I certainly learned more than I had to give.

I had another opportunity to travel as a consultant for Swiss NGO, Helvetas to assess the textile production in four remote villages. In one of the villages I saw them making soup spoons from shrapnel that read “rocket mortar”. These were American bombs from the Secret War in Laos – a war I only knew in name as the Vietnam War. But this was a clandestine affair that Congress at the time did not even know about. I had studied History and hardly knew what it was. This was the moment I realized history doesn’t begin and end with a date in a book – it endures far beyond a given moment. It was then that I knew I had to start ARTICLE22. Together with resourceful artisans, we would create the Peacebomb Bracelet, that would travel the globe telling their story of reconciliation and renewal, transforming bombs’ shrapnel and scrap into soup spoons – and now our jewelry.

Where does the name Article22 come from?
Our name is our ethos. Guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 22 states: “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”

This is essentially the definition of sustainability, which is the balance of social, cultural, economic and environmental factors. Building a business that advances sustainability’s four pillars is our raison d’etre. ARTICLE22 was named when Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a thoughtful approach to global development. Specifically, the seventeen SDGs are the path toward sustainable development, defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Laos has an eighteenth SDG – “lives safe from unexploded ordnance”.

ARTICLE22 was born with the hopeful spirit that beauty will save the world and the use of design to provide solutions to a series of needs: the need to celebrate resourceful and spirited artisans who turn horror into beauty, the need to tell the story of the Secret War and its legacy of 80 million unexploded bombs, and the need to use art as a medium to raise awareness and funds for MAG (Mines Advisory Group) to clear the land to make it safe.

Your Peacebomb collection is incredibly powerful as it centers around the process of making jewelry made from bombs and other war scrap metals that resulted from the bombings during the Vietnam War. What prompted this idea and can you tell us more about the vision behind this collection?
The origin story is set in a rural mountain village in the north of Laos in one of the most heavily bombed provinces, Xieng Khouang. The villagers had taken refuge in Vientiane until the war was over and they could return to their village. They found it littered with shrapnel, unexploded bombs, and a crashed jet plane. The technique of transforming shrapnel and scrap into spoons is entirely that of two generations of artisans. ARTICLE22 has taken their local innovation global through jewelry that spreads this transformation story. In a way, the pieces are modern heirlooms – actual pieces of history.

Laos isn’t Vietnam. Can you please explain how Laos ended up with so many bombs?
The US sought to contain the spread of communism across Indochina, despite the fact of international agreement that Laos was a neutral territory. Not only did the US target the communist Pathet Lao, but the country was a dumping ground for any bombing mission that could not be carried out over targets in Vietnam.

Why jewelry?
Jewelry and heirlooms are natural together. Jewelry is often gifted, and we tend to remember who gave it to us, and for what moment of celebration or commemoration. Often, the value is material mixed with the intangible power of symbol and story. Jewelry has always been connected to alchemy, healing, and protection.

So, jewelry seemed like a natural incarnation of the rubble of the past. Each piece is composed of actual pieces of history redesigned to start conversations. One of our first designs is the Arrow Bangle, engraved with three arrows that represent past, present, future and the story inside, “dropped and made in Laos”.

The collection has evolved into a range of designs, each of which tells a particular story.

One of our mantras is “love is the bomb”. We started embedding diamonds into the metal when brides and grooms requested wedding bands – and we realized it made sense to merge the most iconic symbol of love, the diamond, with our transformed metal.

Our birthstone collection evolved as we noticed how strongly people identify with the transformation story contained within our metal - turning a negative into a positive is a process most relate to – transformation is the constancy of being alive and of being human.

You have partnered with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to help with the work in Laos. Can you tell us more about the work you do with them and the role they play?
MAG is an incredible organization that works in war torn and post conflict countries across the globe. They train and employ local people to heal their land. The women and men that compose the MAG teams are seen as leaders in their communities because of their life saving work and because of the sacrifices they make to do the work; they work three weeks straight each month and enjoy a week off at the end, allowing people from remote villages to be engaged in the work without worry of long travel distances.

We have had a partnership with MAG since 2009, which includes providing Risk Education to our artisan community and other communities about the dangers of handling unexploded ordnance and protocol to follow when people encounter bombs – how to recognize and who to call. Each ARTICLE22 piece of jewelry helps clear unexploded bombs from the land in Laos, starting with one square meter and increasing to beyond one hundred square meters as pieces become more preciously finished with gold and gemstones.

When MAG clears the land, the owner of that land is the owner of the shrapnel. A virtuous circle, the more jewelry worn and shared, the more land MAG clears, the more artisans grow and make more jewelry.

We are of the understanding that some of the bombs may still be active. How do you make sure they are collected carefully?
MAG is a deeply experienced and highly skilled organization that trains the local community to become professional field technicians and leaders in UXO survey, clearance, education, and communications and administration. MAG was a Co-Laureate if the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2009, ARTICLE22, MAG and Swiss NGO, Helvetas, did three things. First, educated stakeholders against risky behavior and about different types of scrap metal, classified as exploded or unexploded. Next, got the commitment of stakeholders to engage in peer to peer training for anyone along the supply chain that did not receive metal training. Third, got the agreement of artisan and foundry stakeholders not to accept any metal considered dangerous, therefore dis-incentivizing collectors to touch unexploded ordnance. In addition to clearance, education of communities is absolutely critical. Accidents before 2008 were around 300 documented per year. Today, that number has dropped to under 50 documented per year. Unfortunately, funding for risk education and accident prevention is tight. Our next collection, a spin off of our current Peacebomb Jewelry, will support education and victims assistance - the project has been ten years in the making. We are patiently working toward launch.

You also employ local artisans in Laos for all production. Where is the jewelry made and what is the process like behind the production of this collection?
We aim to produce as much as possible in Laos to bring the talents and skills of different types of artisans to a larger audience. All peacebomb metal is transformed in the only village, Ban Naphia, in all of Laos that has the savoir faire to do it. Our silver and gold is added by goldsmiths in Vientiane. Our paper packaging is made in a rural village in Xieng Khouang, the same province as Ban Naphia. And our weaving partners are located in Vientiane and make our handwoven pouches. Pieces are engraved in Pennsylvania, USA and a limited number of pieces are finished by silver and goldsmiths in New York when they cannot be made in Laos. We believe in employing the expertise of different partners – the special work that can’t be done just anywhere should be done by those who hold the skill.

Why is it important that you use local artisans?
Our supply chain takes a holistic view of impact. It’s not about raising money for a cause; it is about making a difference at each step of the supply chain – from who makes the products with their heritage technique, to how the metal is cleared from the land. The people most affected by the problem of unexploded ordnance are part of the solution. One artisan couple, Sithone and Lai, made bracelets that ARTICLE22 sold, and which helped MAG clear over 400 unexploded bombs from their own land. The circularity of their work and impact is quantifiable.

In a broader sense, sustainability is as much about social fabric and culture as it is about the environment. The artisans we work with are not commuting to sterile factories. Metalsmiths work from their beautiful gardens at earthen kilns. They live multidimensional lives as fathers, mothers, members of the community, subsistence farmers – and – artisans. It happens that their work as creative artisans brings them their only real income, but they do not at all define themselves solely in this way. Despite being “underdeveloped”, and despite the fact that Laos has only just shed its status as a “least developed country”, in many ways they are rich — rich with a sense of inner peace and identity, rich with love, community, and family, and rich with a clear sense of priorities.

They are even ahead of us! As we start to work, more and more, from co-working spaces within our communities, they already do it. They are plugged into the world by their little handheld computers and are able to keep weaving beauty and progress into their existing social fabric. The technology that facilitates their business has positively provided an opportunity for development and advancement in an organic and genuine way.

At the core, Article22 looks to celebrate stories of positive transformation, with hopes to inspire and bring about substantial impact. What are some of the greatest impacts you have seen in Laos since the start of your business and contributions to the community? Can you share any positive transformations?
As mentioned, one of our favorite examples is how one artisan couple, Sithone and Lai, made bracelets that ARTICLE22 sold, and which helped MAG clear over 400 unexploded bombs from their own land. But the transformation of the community is remarkable due to the influx of income from ARTICLE22’s jewelry production. Families have access to more information through handheld computers they use to learn and, of course, be entertained by, a few families now have cars which facilitates getting boxes of finished product from the mountain to the airport, and we have seen the progress of houses with cement foundations being built. Sometimes it takes the family as many as five years to build it, but they are proud of the progress.

Conversely, what have been some of the biggest challenges or obstacles you have faced in trying to restore the land and economy of a third-world developing country?
Everything takes time. And each square meter of land cleared is to be celebrated. Only around 1% of the 80 million live UXO has been cleared. There is so much to be done. The story of the legacy of war is a story felt in any country where conflicts have raged. In fact, it is universal. And we wish to share the legacy so we, as a global society, become more cognizant of the long term effects of war. The war does not end when a treaty and history book decree its end. It lives on for generations beyond as psycho-social and physical scars. Imagine that more than 40 years after the war, the safety of children born today is a concern. Each year there are now just under 50 new casualties in Laos, down from 310 in 2008. Close to 60% of the accidents result in death, and 40% of the victims are children. (Source: legaciesofwar.org)

A donation is made to the Village Development Fund for every order purchased. Besides Peacebomb jewelry, what else can society do now to help give back to the community of Laos?
For each piece of jewelry we purchase from the village, we donate an additional 10%, so that everyone in the community benefits from it – not solely the 13 metalsmithing families. The community decides how they would like to spend the money – it might be a new roof for the new community center, or electricity for communal areas. This is one of the three elements of impact every sale of jewelry includes: more than fair trade earnings for artisans, donation of 10% of jewelry purchases from artisans to the Village Development Fund, and 10% of product cost of each jewelry piece sold to MAG (Mines Advisory Group) to clear 1-100+ square meters of bomb littered land. As our pieces become more precious, we donate more.

Anyone who wishes to learn more and support the mission of making lives in Laos safe from 80 million UXO, must:

Watch our short documentary, Buying Back the Bombs: http://bit.ly/a22vimeotrailer
Donate to the pioneering non-profit responsible for getting the US government to increase its support of land clearance from $4.9M per year from 1993 to 2016, to $30M starting in 2017. But Legacies of War needs sustained support to continue to ensure this level of funding : http://legaciesofwar.org/
Donate to Mines Advisory Group: https://www.maginternational.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/laos/

Do you have a favorite piece in your collection?
Do I have to choose? Well, I love our new Sapphire Snake Earrings by Beatrix Ost. Her mantra is in your body is a good place to be, and she designed the snakes because the snakes transform annually by shedding their skin. I also love our birthstone necklaces and bracelets finished with 14K gold. And our first piece is the Arrow Bangle, which celebrates my mantra – point forward without forgetting the past.

Your site says that Peacebomb is your first collection. Do you have a plan for your next collection?
Yes. We have a spin off of our current jewelry which is aluminum shrapnel and scrap, melted and hand cast. The next iteration is working with original pieces of iron shrapnel. Whereas Peacebomb Jewelry supports land clearance, our Shard Collection will support Risk Education to avoid accidents and also funding for Victim’s Assistance for families affected by UXO accidents. Outside of jewelry, we have some things brewing, but mum’s the word ☺

Do you have any celebrities wearing your jewelry?
A cast of sheroes! Emma Watson wore our earrings and told our story on The Ellen Show, Olivia Wilde tweeted about us wearing a bangle, Adrianna Lima has purchased (although she has not shared publicly). And we partner on collaborative collections with NY street style celeb and artist, Beatrix Ost, and LA based supermodel Angela Lindvall. Both of these collections grew out of uncanny encounters online, and in person, which led to organically evolving collaborations.

This is the story and clip of Emma Watson wearing our jewelry and telling our story on The Ellen Show during her press tour for Beauty and the Beast, which she used as a platform to promote sustainable fashion brands: https://article22.com/pages/emma-watson

Founders of Article22, Elizabeth and and Camille, in Laos!

What is your motto in life?
Point forward without forgetting the past. Everything is connected — the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful. And it’s all those things that explain how we got where we are, but don’t necessarily determine where we’re going. Where we’re going is a matter of learning from the past, current mindset, and the choices we make. This sense of time has been embedded in me from a young age when my dad and grandmother were ill and I realized life’s fragility at the mere age of eight. Optimism is when you embrace that forward motion no matter what it means – even if the future holds both loss and abundance. I’m conscious of this continuum in a new way now that I have a daughter – as she grows, I have moments of nostalgia, sometimes even a light sorrow, but it’s the surprises ahead that keep me feeling happy with what’s left only in memory.

This also happens to be one of ARTICLE22’s guiding mantras. For our team, the work we do is personal. We’ve built a sustainable supply chain from scratch, which is inspired by the movement we’re building with our artisan partners in Laos, and artists and activists and consumers.

Where can we find Article22’s Peacebomb Jewelry?
Article22.com has the most complete presentation of our collections including our collaborations, ranging from the necklaces we’ve created with Robert del Naja of Massive Attack, which supports LegacyOfWarFoundation.com founded by the incredible Giles Duley, to the art pieces designed by Beatrix Ost that carry her message “in your body is a good place to be”. We can be shopped in person at Bryant Park Winter Village in NYC Nov-Jan 5, and at a range of museums like the New Museum and LACMA, to hotels around the world like The Biltmore in Miami to Casa Cook in Rhodes, Greece.

To learn more about Article22 and Peacebomb please follow them on the below platforms:
Instagram: article_22
Twitter: article_22
Facebook: article22

Article22 Will Blow Your Mind With Their Peacebomb Collection!