Internships>> SAI and SAAS
now accepting applications
for Fall 2010 interns
New York, NY |
A Look Inside "SA8000: The Next Decade"
Chapter 12: The ISEAL Alliance- Setting Standards for Social and Environmental Change
"Myriad codes of conduct, standards of best practice, and accountability mechanisms are becoming increasingly recognizable and adopted by many. On the other hand, while this increased recognition has reinforced non-governmental stakeholders' presence and important concerning issues of "good" governance, it has also heightened confusion among the general public, well-intended businesses, governments, and NGOs about which guidelines to follow and use. The ISEAL Alliance emerged as an initial response to the coordination needs expressed among labeling schemes...to become an international leader in setting standards for best practices..."
This chapter was written by Paloma Raggo, Syracuse University. For more information, or to order a copy of this book, click here |
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.
For newsletter inquiries contact: Joleen Ong, jong@sa-intl.org |
|
|
|
CI, the UK-based consumer federation of consumer organizations, found good practices in several supermarkets' policies- such as Coop Italia, Coop Denmark, and Carrefour. As both Coop Italia and Carrefour are represented on SAI's Advisory Board, we were pleased to see Coop Italia evidenced as a good practice, in that it applies "the SA8000 standard to their purchasing, engages actively with a range of different stakeholder groups and showed exceptional cooperation with the survey." Also cited was Carrefour's "involvement in stakeholder dialogue at different levels" - an encouraging finding that recognizes the usefulness of its efforts, since as an SAI Corporate Program member it is working to engage its suppliers through customized training programs. Excerpting from the report's section assessing supermarket guidelines and CSR initiatives, we note:- Best available practice was defined as systematic procurement through SA8000 or membership in multi-stakeholder initiatives that require full audits and evidence of progress for all suppliers, such as the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)/the Danish Ethical Trading Initiative (DIEH)
- A number of companies combined a partial commitment to SA8000 or ETI with memberships in industry-specific initiatives that share information on, and verify good practice in, labor standards; such as the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) and the Initiative Clause Sociale (ICS)
- Some companies reported membership in business initiatives that require some audits and improvements in labor standards or demonstrated practical progress towards SA8000 certification
>> Read more about how this research was determined, and consumer demand for responsible trade.
|
SAAS and TransFair USA
Pilot Joint-Audits in India
to Raise the Bar for Apparel Factories
 Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS)- the
accreditation agency that manages and oversees SA8000 certification, and
TransFair USA- the third-party certifier of Fair Trade Certified™ products in
the United States, are pleased to announce a joint collaborative effort combining the rigorous SA8000 audit with a Fair Trade audit in TransFair
USA's upcoming pilot of Fair Trade Certified™ Apparel and Linens.  The first of several joint-audits
took place in March
in a garment factory in India where a SAAS-accredited certification
body,
RINA, worked with TransFair USA
to identify ways to integrate the audit process. The joint-audits
utilize
SA8000's multi-industry applicability to build on the strength of the
Fair
Trade Certified process for apparel. TransFair USA expects the first
Fair Trade Certified™ Apparel and Linens knitwear products to
hit US
retail shelves in Fall 2010.
>> Read more about how these joint audits will benefit workers and empower sustainable livelihoods
|
SAI to Expand Work in the Dominican Republic's Sugar "Colonatos"
SAI's Project Cultivar is pleased to announce its new local partner- the Center for Cultural Support (Centro de Investigaci�n y Apoyo Cultural - CIAC). Based in the Dominican Republic, CIAC will implement the project's activities among small producers in the "Colonatos" (sugar plantations) to help achieve Cultivar's mission to improve labor law compliance in the agricultural sector.
[Photo: A worker in a sugarcane field in the Dominican Republic] |
As a local NGO, CIAC's mission is to promote sustainable community development in the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of the Dominican Republic, prioritizing health, education, the environment and economy. CIAC is comprised of leaders from diverse social sectors and professions, specifically focused on problems associated to poverty, marginalization, lack of equity, and fundamental human rights. CIAC's center operates in the southeast, southwest and eastern provinces of the country, focusing on educating both young and old about health-related issues, local governance, increasing access to potable water, community systems, nutrition, human rights, and citizenship.
Click here to learn more about CIAC and Cultivar's work in the Dominican Republic |
From Dubai to Shenzhen: SAI Training Team Grows
Sanjiv Singh, SAI
Authorized Representative, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
 SAI officially introduces Sanjiv Singh, as an Authorized Representative. Based in Dubai, his background includes a strong technical knowledge of human rights and CSR, including social
monitoring and remediation. Additionally, Mr. Singh has expertise in industrial
relations, employee engagement, and building social dialogue between management
and unions in the workplace. In Dubai,
he is Managing Director the Workplace Internal Regulatory
Establishment (WIRE), an innovative
strategy and social change management consulting firm.
 Mike Lee, SAI Lead Trainer, ChinaSAI also officially introduces a new SAI Lead Trainer, Mike Lee. One of the most experienced social auditors in China, he has conducted over 50 SA8000 audits, plus over 120 corporate and industry code audits. His auditing experiences spans a wide-array of industries, including garments, toys, automotive, pharmaceuticals, semi-conductors and food. Mr. Lee's strong engineering background contributes to expertise that is integrated in technical assistance projects. Based in Shenzhen, Mr. Lee conducts training in Mandarin.
|
Highlights & Announcements
March 2- 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2010 List highlights
companies on the Russell 1000 index whose practices are the most
transparent to the public and have a positive impact in a variety of
areas. Four SAI Corporate Programs members are on the list, with
Hewlett-Packard, General Mills and Gap Inc. being in the top ten. April 9- SAAS Board of Directors convened in New York, where Executive
Director Rochelle Zaid led discussion topics including SAAS' strategic plan, auditor stakeholder engagement strategies, and accreditation cycles.
April
12- SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin was a guest lecturer in a course on
Corporate Branding and Corporate Social Responsibility at NYU's Stern School of
Business, led by Dr. Bruce Buchanan.
SAI Assistant
Manager, Kate Critchell (center) stands with Anvil Knitwear staff to
display a t-shirt made out of recycled plastic bottles at their Earth
Day exhibit at EarthFair Indoors.
April 22- Happy Earth Day! SAI staff celebrate Earth Day with
Signatory Corporate Program Member, Anvil Knitwear Inc. at Anvil's exhibit at the
EarthFair Indoors in New York [photo above]
May 2010- The Corporate Responsibility Code Book, 2nd Ed.;
Published by Greenleaf, author Deborah Leipziger's revised second
edition is a key reference text on corporate codes of conduct, and
includes a raft of new initiatives as well as revisions reflecting the
improvements made to many others. The SA8000 standard is included, along with ETI's base code, and others. May 4-6 & May 7- SAI's Advisory Board and Governing Board of Directors will convene in New York for their semi-annual meetings. Members, including experts from trade unions, business, and NGOs, will travel from all around the world to discuss strategic issues about SAI's programs.
May 7- SAI turns 13! As part of the celebration, SAI will also release its Annual Report for 2009 electronically. This report includes some of the most poignant and exciting 2009 highlights from all around the world - from Himalayan kingdoms, plantations in Central America, and factories in Egypt - this report captures SAI's vision of Human Rights at Work. This, our first ever annual programmatic report, builds on the information in our much longer Ten Year Report. |
|
|
|
|
