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ABOUT WE

LET'S TALK

WHAT
IS WE?

WE is a dialogue based program, an innovative methodology of how to work with complex challenges, a global learning community, and an unconventional, yet powerful philosophy of how to collaborate. It is an alternative answer to auditing and certification that is focused on improving the working conditions of people in global supply chains. From the cotton workers supplying raw materials to garment workers creating consumer products all the way to waste pickers.

WHAT
IS WE?

WE is a dialogue based program, an innovative methodology of how to work with complex challenges, a global learning community, and an unconventional, yet powerful philosophy of how to collaborate. It is an alternative answer to auditing and certification that is focused on improving the working conditions of people in global supply chains. From the cotton workers supplying raw materials to garment workers creating consumer products all the way to waste pickers.

FROM DEBATE
TO DIALOGUE

The WE program has been at the forefront of human rights in business for 15 years. WE has changed the workplace dynamics from debate to dialogue, from focusing on problems to identifying and shifting harmful patterns, and from traditional management to ownership and co-creation. Retailers and brands have been engaging in social standard implementation for many years. Existing approaches such as codes of conduct and social audits have led to improvements in some areas, but in the long run they very clearly show their limitations in other.

Audits are a checklist exercise to measure compliance to a set of written requirements. These can range from the quantity of fire extinguishers to cases of sexual harassment. While addressing fire safety may seem easy, openly discussing sexual harassment is certainly not. To us, human rights are not just a collection of facts. Most human rights issues are relational and have to do with power and culture. Shifting these dynamics requires a diversity of perspectives and should include all those affected.



CO-CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE

Within the framework of WE, dialogue is not just ‘people talking’; it is a structured process that gives everyone involved the opportunity to participate and co-create a desired future. Courageous conversations lie at the heart of that. They are about having the courage to talk about difficult subjects and uncomfortable truths and co-creating meaningful change. With every new partner, facilitator, factory or farmer, WE is transforming itself. WE is not set in stone, but constantly adapting to the changing context. Here in also lies our invitation to you. If this sparks your curiosity, let’s explore together.

From day one we have committed to these five human rights topics. Together they form the scope of our work.

  • Wages & Working Time
  • Freedom of Association & Worker Representation
  • Discrimination & Sexual Harassment
  • Occupational Health & Safety
  • Modern Slavery & Child Labour

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Our founding story goes back to 2005. In that year, the Clean Clothes Campaign launched an image campaign against German company Tchibo because of bad working conditions at their suppliers in Bangladesh. These accusations were hard to swallow, since taking care of employees had always been a strong value at the family-owned company.
Visiting Bangladesh in early 2006 made clear that the scope of responsibility at Tchibo needed to be extended beyond their direct employees to consider the people along the supply chain as well. This mind shift had important implications. That same year Tchibo’s department for Corporate Responsibility was established.

Although auditing and compliance were the norm in those days, Tchibo decided to go beyond the call of duty. They developed a new method to work with stakeholders in their supply chain. The WE program, a dialogue-based program to improve working conditions and enhance human rights in factories, was launched in 2008. The German Development Cooperation (GIZ) partnered with Tchibo during this phase.

'We took a leap of faith and we have been incredibly rewarded'

Nanda Bergstein
At first both workers and managers in the factories were sceptical of the program. For the workers engaging in dialogue with their managers was the world upside down. It was frightening for managers as well. They were concerned that setting up a worker representative system and creating a space for dialogue would result in unrest and more demanding workers. The program started, scientific research on its merits was conducted during this first phase, and after two years there was no doubt: dialogue was not just possible, it was needed, and it worked!
Realising the influence of a single company is limited, Tchibo designed the WE program fifteen years ago with the intention of letting it go when the time had come. Although the company will continue their efforts in WE, the program is in that transition phase right now, looking for new partners to join forces.

WE is not for everyone, but it may be for you.

LET'S TALK