March 2010

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In This Issue
Certification Update-- Over 1.2 Million Workers Involved
Notes from India: Letter from SAI President
SAI now Official US Rep for "Cotton Made in Africa"
Wal Mart C.A. & Dole Participate to Raise Labor Standards Compliance
BSD-Consulting Now Authorized SAI Representative in Brazil
SAI HQ Welcomes Brazilian Delegation
Gap Inc. Recognized: One of World's Most Ethical Companies
Meet New Staff Member: Kathryn Critchell
SAI & Social Entrepreneurship
News & Publications
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Jobs

Certification Statistics

SA8000 Certification Statistics as of December 31, 2009

# Employees: 1,213,796
# Certified Facilities: 2103 
# Countries: 63
New Countries: Estonia, Palestine
# Sectors: 66
2009 # New Certified Facilities: 596

These certification statistics were compiled by Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) Program Intern, Amy Finnegan.

For more information, please contact SAAS Program Manager, Lisa Bernstein, [email protected]

Letter from SAI President



Notes from India

SA8000 Certified Facilities Industry ChartWith over 300,000 workers at 400 SA8000-certified facilities, India is at the forefront of work with SAI to assure Human Rights at Work.  Thousands more are in the process of implementing the SA8000 management system. Not only has India's economic growth been rapid, but India also was less adversely affected overall by the economic crisis than were the US or Europe, and on a national scale has been quick to recover. Nevertheless, the impact on workers who lost their jobs during the Great Recession is severe. Over 40% of people in India are consigned to live on less than $1.25 a day, there is a high incidence of child labor in impoverished communities, and discrimination on the basis of gender and caste remain major challenges. Large numbers of suicides are reported, the end of the rope for people who lost hope as they lost their livelihoods, leaving behind greater desperation for their families.

In February I visited India, where I met with heads of local organizations that are taking critical steps on the ground to ensure human rights at work and with leading Indian businesses -- including Tata Motors, Aditya Birla and the PREM Group -- that are rolling out the SA8000 decent work standard. All three have SA8000 certified facilities covering thousands of workers. It was inspiring to meet with such forward looking corporate leaders, who have put CSR initiatives at the heart of their business strategy They are helping to break the cycle of extreme poverty, by making not only jobs, but what the ILO terms "Decent Work," a business imperative.

SAI looks forward to expanding its presence in India through a potential Public-Private Partnership with GTZ and BSCI and in several training & technical assistance contracts with global brands and Indian producers. 

Worldwide I encourage you to take a look at our recent certifications, listed below. From South Africa to Palestine to Chile, new corners of the world are implementing SA8000, attaining certification to demonstrate their decent workplaces.

Alice Tepper Marlin

SAI Now US Representative for
"Cotton Made in Africa"


SAI to Represent "Cotton Made in Africa" Initiative to American Companies

SAI is pleased to announce that it has officially become the USA representative for the Europe-based initiative Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA).  SAI will introduce CMiA to American companies and help them to start using the initiative's socially responsible cotton.

CMiA is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation, an organization that aims to reduce poverty and promote economic development through market-based initiatives. CMiA works to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions for cotton growing, through market-based supports and without increases in the textile supply chain cost. It links African smallholder farmers to the worldwide cotton market and drives a mass market for their sustainably farmed, rain-fed cotton - thus empowering farmers to lift themselves out of poverty and companies and consumers to use socially conscious cotton products. In addition to royalties, CmiA is supported by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Otto Group, WWF, and others.

CmiA is a business-driven initiative that works to:
  • Provide on-farm training for the cotton farmers to grow cotton in an environmentally sustainable manner, without child or forced labor (according to ILO criteria).  Farmers grow better cotton, harvest more, and achieve better income through higher yields and thus improve living conditions for themselves and their families.
  • Partner with ginning and spinning mills internationally to ensure that cotton is processed and ready for use at market prices. Every year the CMiA farmers produce approximately 35,000 tons of lint cotton according to the CmiA standards, with plans for greater availability each year.
  • Market the cotton to brands and retailers who pay a small royalty for use of the CMiA label and then can offer products made of CmiA cotton to customers. The royalties are fed back into training and technical assistance for the farmers.
In addition, SAI has initiated a pilot project to measure and improve  social compliance in the spinning mills used by the program. This provides buyers with greater assurance that the cotton is coming from a sustainable supply chain committed to improved working conditions.


SAI was drawn to CMiA because it provides benefits throughout the supply chain, from smallholder farmers to brands and retailers. Ultimately, it provides consumers with a way to purchase cotton apparel and home textiles while they directly support African farmers.

To read the full article, and to learn more the CMiA's popular program features,
click here

For more information about CmiA and how to get involved, please contact Craig Moss, [email protected] and Jane Hwang, [email protected].

For more information about CMiA, please visit www.cottonmadeinafrica.org

SAI Central America Update


Wal Mart C.A. & Dole Participate to Raise Labor Standards Compliance

[Photo above: Workers in processing facility prepare melons for export]
SA8000 Certified Facilities Industry Chart
In Costa Rica, Wal Mart Central America and Dole Standard Fruit Costa Rica S.A. are engaged with SAI and other partners to continue improving compliance with international labor standards in their supply chains, by participating in the USAID Program Environmental and Labor Excellence for CAFTA-DR. The ELE Program aims to build capacity for a better natural and working environment in the agricultural sector of Central America and the Dominican Republic. The companies' participation accelerates the program's drive to strengthen commitments to decent work in the region.

Participating suppliers of Wal Mart and Dole are producers of pineapple, melon and mango in Costa Rica, where factors such as rapid growth, migration, and remnants of historical labor tensions challenge the fresh fruit industry's ability to comply with labor standards. Wal Mart, Dole and other industry stakeholders recognize the industry's social compliance challenges, which include: access to social security coverage for short-term and migrant workers; control of working hours and overtime given verbal contracting practices; and mitigation of occupational safety and health risks related to use of agro-chemicals.

Under the ELE Program, six farms supplying Wal Mart Central America and one supplying Dole are undergoing an initial evaluation of current compliance with labor standards, to be followed by training on the implementation of labor standards at their farms, employing over 1,800 men and women. SAI's technical assistance to the farms aims to benefit these workers by equipping workers and managers with the capacity to establish proactive labor relations and decent working conditions. Training topics include self assessments, internal communications and complaint resolution, occupational safety and health, and management systems for continuous improvement.

SAI works in partnership with Rainforest Alliance, World Wildlife Fund, and O'Brien & Associates on the USAID Program ELE.

For more information, contact SAI Project Manager Matt Fischer-Daly, [email protected]

SAI-Brazil


SAI & BSD-Consulting Establish Partnership, Authorized Representative in Brazil


SAI is pleased to announce that its Authorized Representative in Brazil is  BSD Consulting-Brazil, of Sao Paulo. It will represent SAI to local stakeholders and work closely with SAI to deliver programs and services in the region.

SAI now has Authorized Representative offices in Brazil and India; plans for other countries are also underway.   Authorized representatives are SAI's local service providers for training, technical assistance and corporate services; they also support SAI with local research, communications and outreach.

SAI has already worked with BSD Brazil on several projects. We are pleased to formalize this new partnership. Established in 1998, BSD international is a specialized consulting firm for sustainable business development. It provides services to support large companies with international supply chains, small and medium size enterprises, development agencies, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, and scientific & educational bodies. With headquarters in Switzerland, BSD also has branches in China and Chile. SAI's Authorized Representative agreement for Brazil applies exclusively to the Brazilian branch of BSD.

Founder and director of BSD, Beat Gr�ninger, holds a strong background as an auditor of SA8000 and Fairtrade initiatives. He manages SAI's Authorized Representative office, and will help oversee new projects in the region.

"Representing SAI in Brazil is a milestone not only for BSD but also for us as CSR-consultants and social auditors," said Mr. Gr�ninger. "SAI, as a groundbreaking organization promoting social responsibility inside organizations, is widely respected in Brazil which occupies a front place in terms of certified facilities. By representing SAI locally, we can attend better to specific needs of organizations regarding social compliance issues in the Brazilian context."

Adriano Diniz-Costa, a BSD consultant, is a qualified SAI Lead Trainer who will also help to lead auditor and professional development trainings, as well as working to engage with companies, trade unions, and other relevant stakeholders in Brazil.

Through this new partnership, SAI looks forward to expanding its presence with the guidance of local insight and support. For more information about BSD, please visit http://www.bsd-net.com

SAI HQ Welcomes Brazilian Delegation

[Pictured from left: Alex Brenneken, 26 Trading; Jane Hwang, SAI; Eileen Kaufman, SAI; Joleen Ong, SAI; Julia Carvalhedo Studart, Banco Central do Brazil; Claudia Jeunon, Sistema FIRJAN; Luiz Henrique M. Guedes, FIERN; Frederico Marchiori, Queiroz Galvao]

On March 2, SAI's New York office welcomed a US Department of State-sponsored delegation from Brazil. The delegation [see left], consisting of representatives from government, industry federations, and companies, met with SAI Executive Director, Eileen Kaufman, Senior Manager-Corporate Programs and Training, Jane Hwang, and Development Associate, Joleen Ong to discuss SAI's work in Brazil and around the world, and to learn about the work of the visitors. All parties look forward to keeping each other updated about their work in social accountability. 

Corporate Programs & Training Update


Gap Inc. Recognized: One of the World's Most Ethical Companies
 
For the fourth year in a row, SAI Corporate Programs Signatory Member, Gap Inc. has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 2010.

"Gap Inc. is honored to again be included among the World's Most Ethical Companies based on our holistic approach to ensuring ethical business practices across our company," said SAI Advisory & governing Board Member, Dan Henkle, Senior Vice President of Global Responsibility, Gap Inc. "While we're proud of this recognition, we remain committed to constantly evaluating our efforts and looking for new ways to ensure our business is conducted in an ethical and socially responsible manner each and every day."

Through a rigorous multi-step evaluation process, Ethisphere's researchers and analysts reviewed nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 36 industries - more nominations than ever before - in order to determine the finalists. The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, evaluating the investment in innovation, sustainable business practices, and activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

Gap Inc., a Signatory member, has been an SAI Corporate Programs member since 2004.

 Additional information about Gap Inc.'s commitment to social responsibility can be found online at www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility/. For information on the Ethisphere Institute, visit http://ethisphere.com/wme-2010.


For more information on how to become an SAI Corporate Member, click here.

SAI Welcomes New Staff Member, Kathryn Critchell
 
SAI is pleased to welcome new staff member, Kathryn Critchell as Assistant Manager, Corporate Programs and Training. Kathryn (Kate) will work primarily with Jane Hwang and Craig Moss to manage SAI's classroom training courses as well as provide support for our custom projects and corporate member services.

A native of Michigan and alumna of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), she previously taught English in three primary schools in France, and then worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkmenistan. Subsequently, Kate moved to New York to attend Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) focusing on the post-Soviet states and human rights. In May 2009, she received her Master's Degree in International Affairs as well as a Harriman Certificate degree from SIPA. After an internship at International Crisis Group and a consultancy at Revenue Watch Institute, Kate is enthusiastic to be a part of SAI.  

A "former" swimmer, Kate occasionally jumps into the pool, though she has now found a new love running in Central Park with New York Road Runners. In her spare time, she takes Russian classes and loves to watch foreign films.

It is her passion for human rights that brought Kate to SAI and she is happy to be part of the SAI team to help promote the human rights of workers around the world.

A Look Inside SA8000: The Next Decade

Book excerpt: SA8000: The First Decade. Implementation, Influence, and Impact, edited by Deborah Leipziger, published by Greenleaf.
 
Chapter 11: Social Accountability International and
Social Entrepreneurship

"One of the catalysts for SAI was the rise of the modern "anti-sweatshop" movement in the early 1990s, which made headlines in 1996 when Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee caused TV hostess Kathie Lee Gifford to break into tears with allegations that sweatshop labor was used to make clothes for the Kathie Lee line then being sold at Wal-Mart. At about this same time, Alice Tepper Marlin convened meetings of major corporations to discuss how they were combating child labor in their overseas supply chains.

What was genuinely innovating about SAI was Alice's social creativity that enabled her to forge a consensus among a diverse group of stakeholders representing retail brand name companies, trade union representatives, auditing firms, representatives of NGOs, and academic specialists in the fields of labor rights and human rights. Individuals representing each of these groups of stakeholders formed the SAI Advisory Board, which, with the help of funds from private foundations and government grants, created the SA8000 standard in 1998."

This chapter was written by Dr. Morton Winston, SAI Advisory Board member and Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, the College of New Jersey.

For more information or to order a copy of this book, click here

News & Publications

On 4 March, 2010 Advisory Board member, Joe Iarocci, Chief of Staff at CARE USA joined United States Ambassador James F. Moriarty in an event lauding the achievements of two USAID-funded programs that increased food availability and nutrition levels in Bangladesh.  The event,  in Dhaka, was attended by local and international NGOs, government agencies and civil society organizations.  The Bangladesh Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives recognized the good work of CARE and Save the Children in two poverty-fighting programs.

On 9 March, 2010 SAI Development Associate, Joleen Ong attended the UN Global Compact and UNIFEM Launch of the Women's Empowerment Principles- Equality Means Business. This event was one of many gender-focused events during the week of March 8, in observation of International Women's Day. The event developed the business case for women's empowerment and for the Women's Empowerment Principles.  Panels addressed  the importance of leadership engagement and changing attitudes; innovation in workplace practices; facilitating empowerment along the value chain; and ensuring transparency in monitoring and reporting. 

On 13 April, 2010, SAI Advisory Board member, Dr. Morton Winston, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International-USA and Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the College of New Jersey, will participate on a panel at a conference on Human Values and Sustainability. This forum will take place at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, and will convene a series of roundtable dialogues inquiring into values and sustainability with representatives from academia, business, and NGOs. The forum is organized by the Fulbright Academy of Science and Technology and the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise of Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Winston is a three-time Fulbright award recipient.

Announcements & Upcoming Events


Announcements
 
ISEAL Impacts Code Open for Public Consultation
Public Consultation, Closes 30 April 2010
The ISEAL Alliance is leading the development of a Code of Good Practice for Assessing the Impacts of Social and Environmental Standards Systems. This Code will establish a framework for standards systems to develop monitoring and evaluation programs within their organizations, and thence to assess the impact of their work.  

For more information, click here.

Ceres Releases "Roadmap for Corporate Sustainability"
On 11 March, Ceres released a new report, The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, which lays out the expectations for a sustainable corporation in the 21st century.   The Roadmap serves as a practical guide for integrating sustainability into the DNA of the business-from the boardroom, to the copy room and across the entire supply chain, and sets out 20 key expectations for sustainability that companies should meet by 2020. The Roadmap analyzes the drivers, risks and opportunities involved in making the shift to sustainability--and details strategies and results from companies who are taking on these challenges.

For more information, visit www.ceres.org/ceresroadmap

Goodweave Announces New Standard Consultation

Public Consultation, Closes 1 May 2010
In order to better serve children and families in carpet weaving communities and recognizing the need to adapt to the changing marketplace, the GoodWeave program is developing a new, more comprehensive set of requirements for its certification standard. This initiative reflects a growing recognition that the problem of child labor is deeply intertwined with those of adult working conditions and environmental stewardship.

For more information, visit www.goodweave.net


Upcoming Events

Uzbek Cotton Multi-Stakeholder Meeting
Brussels, April 7 2010
The Responsible Sourcing Network (a new project of As You Sow) and the Institute for Human Rights and Business, in partnership with Anti-Slavery International and Calvert Investments, will convene a meeting in Brussels to address forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton sector. The meeting will bring together brands, retailers, civil society organizations, trade unions, industry associations and others, to discuss how stakeholders can work together to end the practice of forced child labor in Uzbek cotton fields.

For more information, visit http://uzbekcottonbrusselsmeeting.eventbrite.com/.

Ceres Conference 2010: Roadmap for a Sustainable Future
5-6 May 2010, Boston, MA

Key partners of Ceres will come together to identify the issues and solutions for achieving a sustainable future.  Topics of discussion include supply chain management, respect for human rights, low-carbon economy, water risks and solutions, regulation of ESG in capital markets in the context of financial reform, sustainable governance and climate legislation among others.

For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org/conference

SAI Advisory Board and Governing Board
4-6 May, and May 7 2010, New York
SAI is pleased to convene its semiannual Advisory Board meeting on 4-6 May, and its Governing Board meeting on 7 May in New York. Members, including experts from trade unions, business and NGOs, will travel from all around the world to discuss strategic issues about SAI's programs.

SusCon: International Conference on Sustainable Business and Consumption

June 15-16, Nuremberg, Germany

"Biodiversity- of strategic value in a greening economy" is the subject of the SusCon2010. In the biodiversity year of the United Nations (2010) the 2nd Annual conference will focus on entrepreneurial solutions for biodiversity issues.

Representatives from key international organizations, multinational, medium and small sized enterprises, NGOs, politicians, certifiers, media and more. Expected number of participants 300 plus. The conference will also provide the opportunity for organizations and companies to exhibit in thematic cluster areas. This conference is jointly organized by Colabora, Eco-World, Organic Services.

For more information and to register, please visit www.suscon.net

Job Openings


Project Manager

SA8000 Certified Facilities Industry Chart
Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) seeks a full-time Project Manager who will be responsible for oversight of new client programs and maintenance, development, and ongoing structure of client activities. In addition to managing SAAS' client relationships, the SAAS Project Manager develops internal and external client procedures, coordinates test pilots and maintains contact with the client. For current and ongoing projects, the Project Manager also assists with complaints management and analysis of relevant data including certification and nonconformity data. Based on experience and technical expertise, the Project Manager duties may be expanded to include some aspects of accreditation auditing and technical program management.

 For more information, and to apply, click here

Human Rights Associate
Eileen Fisher, Inc
. seeks a part-time human rights associate to assist the Director of Social Consciousness and the Social Consciousness team in carrying out the company's commitment to human rights in the supply chain and with manufacturing partners. The work includes scheduling and tracking factory audits and training, preparing and distributing SA8000 program materials to new factories; compiling, entering and tracking data and analyzing trends; integrating human rights and sustainability data; visiting and assisting domestic factories with SA8000 compliance.

For more information and to apply, click here

2010 Internships with SAI and SAAS

SAI and Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) seek highly motivated interns interested in promotion of ethical workplaces worldwide from September 2010 on. 

Preferred applicants are graduate/undergraduate students that can work independently, and meet deadlines effectively. All applicants must have strong writing and research skills, and be interested in the field of human rights, corporate social responsibility, elimination of child labor and sweatshops. Internship positions are unpaid and based in SAI's New York headquarters.

For more information about internships with SAI and SAAS, please visit:
www.sa-intl.org/careers


We invite you to continually send any updates for us to publish in our monthly newsletters!

Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-governmental, multi-stakeholder organization established to advance the human rights of workers and the health of enterprises by promoting decent work conditions, labor rights, and corporate social responsibility through voluntary standards. SAI developed one of the world's preeminent social standards-- SA8000-- a recognized benchmark among the voluntary codes and standards initiatives. SA8000 is the preeminent benchmark for outstanding human resources and supply chain management performance.
 
SAI and the SA8000 standard focus on the human elements of the workplace and the supply chain. SA8000 considers the importance of each job and strives to recognize the equal dignity of each person involved in the supply chain - from the worker to the retailer to the consumer. Today more than 1.2 million workers in 66 industrialized sectors benefit from SA8000 certification at their place of work. SAI is among the world's leading social compliance training organizations, and has provided training to over 15,000 people.
 
SAI is headquartered in the United States with accredited audit capacity in virtually every country and field representation in Brazil, China, India, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, and Vietnam.

SAI
15 West 44th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10036
+1 (212) 684-1414
Website: http://www.sa-intl.org

For newsletter inquiries contact:
Joleen Ong
[email protected]