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Peace through Stewardship

We work with people and institutions to understand the tensions they face and identify practical pathways forward to adapt for a more resilient future.

Conflict is rising today and inevitable where people with different stakes are pit against one another. Peace happens where people take stock and reset their institutions to reinforce stability in the system.

Founded in 2012 in Honolulu, we listen, investigate, build tools and coalitions that enable people and institutions to respond to change with resilience and integrity.

We build governance with stewardship.

We start with creating conditions for adaptation at the most vulnerable places where conflict and exploitation are already occurring.

We do this by investigating conditions, gathering the evidence, finding the places where competing interests intersect, and then convening the people with different stakes to find a shared objective. This is how institutional arrangements can be reset, people can adapt quickly, and systems can regain stability.

Many of today’s conflicts exist because systems have evolved in ways that create tension between important needs:

Livelihoods and environmental sustainability,

Economic efficiency and worker dignity,

Global markets and local communities,

Access to food and respect for human rights.

We work where interests collide to steward the system.

We help communities, workers, governments, and businesses build strength to respond to changing oceans, economic pressures, inequality, and evolving expectations for responsible business.

Here’s an example:

We became deeply invested in the reform of the global seafood sector when it began cracking from stress. As catches fell and large firms consolidated power, producer prices destabilized and illegal fishing and unpaid fishers’ work grew widespread.

Starting in 2012, we led detection by quantifying the flow of illegal fish into the US market (20-32%). We learned unpaid work was also widespread and built detection methods with social workers in Thailand who were rescuing fishers from human trafficking (~4000) from true slavery). We enabled the industry to perform human rights due diligence and together screened >500 supply chains and trained suppliers in 42 countries. We helped governments to implement training at ports in Indonesia and Philippines and assisted IOM, UN-FAO and ASEAN to build substantial new oversight.

As the sector began to respond and adapt, we backstopped the progress by investigating rightswashing and the market drivers pushing relentlessly down on producer prices. Our knowledge results translated to action for reform in features by the Financial Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, Swiss broadcaster RTS, all major US networks and across Asia, and in press releases by Oceana, Global Labor Justice and Greenpeace in a significant push back on ‘greed-flation’.

We have also built significant capacity for ocean stewardship. We reduced the incidental capture and death of sea birds, turtles, sharks and rays as leader of 30 industry-led Fishery Improvement Projects starting in 2012,. Currently we manage the ocean stewardship investment of SYM PAC International, Fong Hsiang Enterprises and Sprouts Farmers Market.

Resilience does not come from one organization, one sector, or one perspective. It emerges when systems grow stronger because people with different experiences, responsibilities, and stakes are learning, innovating, and responding.

Producers and buyers have different pressures. Workers and employers have different interests. Governments and industries have different responsibilities. Yet without resilience no-one can sustain their interests. Not directing change, not needing people to agree with one another, it’s about responding and ensuring an effective response to adapt.

Peace through Stewardship

Our track record is reflected in decisions and actions taken by our clients and their results. Thirteen young women were rescued from traffickers by the inspection team at the General Santos City airport within 2 months of implementing the multidisciplinary inspection training for ports and response coordination tree that we co-developed with the municipality.

Resources to Share

When More Means LessDownload

Laboring for lessDownload

Contact us at the.sustainability.incubator@gmail.com. Mahalo.