Read Full Version | About | Connect Find us on Facebook View our profile on LinkedIn|Subscribe| Donate | Training Schedule | Social Fingerprint™ | Archive
November 2010
In This Issue
1. Advisory Board Meeting Convenes in Mumbai
2. Social Fingerprint to be Included as a Membership Benefit
3. Introducing SAI Director of India- Rishi Singh
4. U.S. Labor Attaché Observes Impact of Project Cultivar in Nicaragua
5. Notes from the Field: Dominican Republic Sugarcane Producers Workshop
6. Interview: How Eileen Fisher Engages its Vendors for Social Compliance
7. SAI CSR Awareness Seminar in Abu Dhabi
8. Meet SAI's New Intern: Hayley Warren
9. Highlights & Announcements
SAI's e-Newsletter Archive
Job Openings

South & Southeast Asia Director
Social Accountability International (SAI)

Cotton Program Manager

Responsible Sourcing Network- As You Sow


Internships

SAI and SAAS
now accepting applications for Spring 2011 interns
New York, NY


Click here to order a copy

Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-profit, 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- Human Rights at Work
Website: www.sa-intl.org

For newsletter inquiries contact: Joleen Ong, [email protected]
topSAI Advisory Board Meeting 2010: Strategic Issues for Scaling Up
Meeting in Mumbai, India hosted by the Tata Council on Community Initiatives (TCCI) convened on November 2-4

SAI Advisory Board and meeting observers: [Clockwise from top left: Shatadru Chattopadhayay-Solidaridad; Sylvain Cuperlier- Dole; Rishi Singh- SAI; Anant Nadkarni-TCCI; Sanjay Kumar-SEWA; Alan Spaulding- UFCW; Priyadarshini Sharma - Tata Steel; Craig Moss-SAI; Kishor Chaukar-TCCI; Pradeep Kumar-Gap Inc.; Dorianne Beyer- NCLC; Badri Gulur-SAI; Christoffer Brick-GTZ; Frederico Tani-; Ivano Corraini-FILCAMS CGIL; Achille Tonani-RINA; Eileen Kaufman-SAI; Achim Lohrie-Tchibo GmbH; Alice Tepper Marlin-SAI; Darryl Knudsen-Gap Inc.; Sasha Courville-ISEAL Alliance; Dr. Dietrich Kebschull-BSCI; Kareen Cappai-Groupe Carrefour]   

On November 4-6, SAI's multi-stakeholder Advisory Board (AB) convened its semi-annual meeting in Mumbai, India. The meeting was generously hosted by the Tata Council of Community Initiatives (TCCI), which is represented by SAI AB members Anant Nadkarni and Kishor Chaukar. Bringing together a diverse array of experts that represent businesses, trade unions, and NGOs, the AB's technical expertise helps to inform SAI's work and  leadership.

The day before the meeting, board members and staff were welcomed in Pune, where they were able to meet with leadership and stakeholders of Tata Motors and learn about the company's history, sustainability initiatives, and SA8000 program. 

Over 20 board members and observers arrived in Mumbai from a wide array of locations to discuss key strategic issues, including how SAI can leverage its new GTZ funded public private partnership (PPP)- Scaling Up Indian CSR  Initiatives- in India to scale up impact and increase local alliances. This meeting was especially distinctive as it was the first SAI AB meeting convened in India. Achim Lohrie, Chair of SAI's AB and Head of CSR at Tchibo GmbH, facilitated the meeting, where board members, SAI staff, and invited observers participated and discussed key strategic issues >>Read more

For more information, contact SAI Executive Assistant- Christie Daly, [email protected]
SAI Social Fingerprint™ Supply Chain Management Program to be Included as a Corporate Membership Benefit

The pilot Social Fingerprint™ Supply Chain Management program recruited approximately 20 brands and retailers to use SAI's new tool to measure the management of social compliance in their supply chains.

The group consists of Corporate Program members and non-members from a wide range of industries, including transportation, electronics, apparel, footwear, and food. The initial findings from the self-assessment were reported to the Advisory Board, and received encouraging feedback.
 
Alan Spaulding, Director of Global Strategies for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union remarked: "I applaud the tool and the effort, it helps us to understand and appreciate the complexity of what corporations are dealing with in the supply chain, and I think Social Fingerprint™ will be very useful to spread the effort to improve social compliance in workplaces." Similar encouraging comments were received from other Advisory Board members. >>Read more

For more information or to get involved in the ongoing pilot, please contact Mr. Moss at [email protected].
SAI in India: Introducing Rishi Singh
Based in Bangalore, Mr. Singh will manage SAI's new programs and operations in India

Rishi Singh
Rishi Singh is SAI's new India project manager, who will oversee SAI's work in the recently launched GTZ-BSCI-SAI public private partnership (PPP) and DFID-funded project in the ready-made garment sector. Based in Bangalore, and a former Project Manager at Hewlett Packard, Mr. Singh has over ten years of diverse experience in supply chain management, manufacturing, supplier development and mechanical engineering, also having worked for companies such as Bharat Gears and Sona Koyo Steerings. At Hewlett Packard in India, Mr. Singh successfully developed a model for capacity building, based on the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct (EICC).

We are please to introduce Mr. Singh, and to get his personal insight on SAI's upcoming work in India:

What are you main thoughts on the GTZ-funded PPP project, "Scaling Up Indian CSR Initiatives," and your opinion of its potential impact in India?

I think that this is a good initiative that has been long-needed in India. As India moves forward with its growth and emergence on the world stage, it's important we develop and set the right practices to support and enable human rights. Especially as a democracy, we want to put forth a high degree of responsibility to re-engineer new supply chain systems to support sustainability practices. >>Read more 

For more information, contact Mr. Singh at [email protected] or SAI Communications & Development Coordinator, Joleen Ong, [email protected]
U.S. Embassy Labor Attach� Observes Impact of Project Cultivar in Nicaragua
Daniel Carroll recognizes the social and economic impact of Project Cultivar after touring a sugar mill and banana farm

U.S. Embassy Labor Attache, Dan Carroll, meets with workers at the Ingenio Monte Rosa sugar mill in Chinandega, Nicaragua
On October 26, 2010, the United States Labor Attach� to Nicaragua Daniel Carroll visited two companies that are participating in SAI's Project Cultivar to witness the economic and social impacts of the project on the companies' management and production. SAI Project Cultivar Deputy Director Carlos Morales, and Project Cultivar local partner- PASE Executive Director Alberto Legal Torres and PASE Project Coordinator Alberto Legal L�pez accompanied Mr. Carroll during his visit to a sugar mill- Ingenio Monte Rosa and a medium-size banana farm- Finca Coquimba. Ingenio Monte Rosa is the second largest sugar mill in Nicaragua employing over 5,000 workers, and Finca Coquimba is a medium-size banana farm in the town of Chinandega. 

At the Monte Rosa sugar mill, Mr. Carroll toured with members of the factory's management staff, and watched a video on the sugar mill's production process and social responsibility policies. >>Read more

To learn more about Farm Coquimba, view SAI's 2009 Annual Report- www.sa-intl.org/AR2009
For more information, contact SAI Program Associate, Eliza Wright- [email protected]

Notes from the Field: Dominican Sugarcane Producers Workshop on Labor Standards and Competitive Opportunities
"Labor Standards Compliance & Market Opportunities"

Workshop participants gather outside the meeting venue in the Dominican Republic
On November 3, SAI and the Center for Cultural Research and Action (CIAC) conducted a workshop, "Labor Standards Compliance & Market Opportunities" for 16 sugarcane producers who supply to Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos S.A. 

Convened in San Pedro de Marcor�s, Dominican Republic, this seminar is part of SAI's labor standards capacity building programs in agriculture and supported by a USAID Program-  Environmental and Labor Excellence. University Central of the East (UCE) hosted the workshop, facilitated by SAI and CIAC, SAI's partner in promoting labor standards in the Dominican sugarcane sector. >>Read more

For more information, contact SAI Project Manager, Matt Fischer-Daly- [email protected].
Corporate Member Spotlight: How Eileen Fisher Engages its Vendors for Social Compliance
Interview with SAI Advisory Board member Amy Hall, Director of Corporate Social Consciousness at Eileen Fisher


Amy Hall, Director of Corporate Social Consciousness-Eileen Fisher
Amy Hall is the Director of Corporate Social Consciousness at Eileen Fisher, a women's clothing retailer based in the United States.  Eileen Fisher is a founding SAI Corporate Program member at the Signatory Level, and Ms. Hall is a member of SAI's Advisory Board. Eileen Fisher is the first company to roll out SAI's Social Fingerprint program with 6 factories in China, which will be reported in the December 2010 newsletter. Ms. Hall spoke with us to explain more about Eileen Fisher's Social Consciousness department, discussing its best practices to engage vendors.

First, why "social consciousness" and not "corporate social responsibility?"
 
We call it 'social consciousness' because we believe that it's not just about our responsibility, but about raising awareness around all the people that we interact with- our customers, vendors, business partners- it's not only about what we are doing in our individual roles. When I think of social consciousness, it's not just about what the company can do, but what we can do all together. It begins with each individual's sense of inspiration, and where each person fits into the bigger picture.

From your experience, what are some of Eileen Fisher's best practices for corporate social consciousness? How do you engage your vendors? >>Read more

For more information, contact SAI Communications & Development Coordinator, Joleen Ong, [email protected]
SAI Organizes CSR Awareness Seminar in Abu Dhabi
Introduction to Social Compliance and its Business Benefits

On November 10, SAI and Workplace Internal Regulatory Establishment (WIRE) conducted a seminar, "Introduction to Social Compliance and its Business Benefits," in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This seminar is one in SAI's series of global CSR awareness seminars.  Over 35 participants engaged in the seminar, representing a wide array of industrial sectors such as aviation, construction, services, oil & gas, and government enterprises. 

As SAI's Authorized Representative in the UAE, WIRE's Managing Director Sanjiv Singh convened the seminar and was the main presenter. While the seminar focused on introductory concepts to improving social compliance, segments included relevant local context from the UAE and Middle East region; thus one segment addressed labor compliance challenges in the Middle East, another addressed UAE Federal Government initiatives in monitoring and improving labor standards.

Attendees who were members of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG) represented various sectors and departments: senior strategy; health, safety and environment (HSE); quality assurance; procurement; business development; CSR; and human resources. >>Read more

For more information, contact Sanjiv Singh, [email protected]
Meet SAI's New Intern: Hayley Warren

Interns play an important role at SAI. This month, SAI welcomes Hayley Warren as SAI's new intern. Originally from Bristol, UK, she will be working with SAI's Executive Director. SAI is proud to introduce her, in her own words.


I am a post graduate from the International Centre of CSR at the University of Nottingham, UK. I also have a BSc Honours in Business Administration and Sociology, obtained from Aston University and it was this degree which gave me exposure to CSR issues.  

Currently, at SAI I am working with Eileen Kaufman in preparing background research on Sri Lankan companies-- Globe Knitting and Shore to Shore-- that  are SA8000 certified and also participate in the UN Global Compact. The aim of the research is to produce a case study report of each of the companies similar to those published last June- 'From Principles to Practice: The role of SA800 in Implementing the UN Global Compact'. >>Read more

For more information, contact Hayley Warren, [email protected]
Highlights & Announcements
SAI's SA8000 Custom Training Course for the Body Shop- October 18-22, Littlehampton, UK

October 26-27- GRI Supply Chain Disclosure Working Group SAI Senior Manager of Corporate Programs & Training Jane Hwang attended the group's first meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Working Group members, representing 15 diverse organizations across 5 continents, will draft recommendations on how to improve the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines to support the quality of disclosure on performance with respect to supply chains.

SAI Lead Trainer Vic Thorpe convenes an SA8000 Basic Auditor Training Course in Istanbul, Turkey on November 1-5, 2010
October 27- "Microfinance: A Look and a Look Ahead"- Wharton Ethics Program and Penn Social Enterprise Speakers Series SAI Advisory Board member Joe Iarocci,Chief of Staff at CARE USA was the keynote speaker at this event, which focused on the evolution of microfinance revolution and addressed some of the issues in the microfinance debate.

November 2010- The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) publishes new SAN Standard for Sustainable Cattle Production SystemsThis is the first standard of its kind among voluntary standards systems. The standard�s criteria are only applicable to semi-confined systems where cattle are allowed access to pasture and cover issues such as land and waste management, infrastructure and the treatment and transport animals and the farm�s carbon footprint. For more information, contact Oliver Bach [email protected]

November 2-5- BSR Conference 2010
SAI Program Director, Judy Gearhart and Senior Manager of Corporate Programs and Training, Jane Hwang participated in this annual conference in New York, whose theme was "Integrate, innovate, and inspire."

November 17- State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2010
This publication includes a comprehensive overview of major voluntary sustainability standards and initiatives. The SA8000 standard is included in this review, along with other social environmental standards from organizations like the Rainforest Alliance, FLO, FSC, IFOAM, and UTZ Certified.

November 23-24- World Banana Forum (WBF): Certifications Working Group
SAI Project Manager Matthew Fischer-Daly and member of the WBF Certifications Working Group attended this multi-stakeholder working group at FAO's head office in Rome, Italy.