Read Full Version|About|Find us on Facebook View our profile on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter|Subscribe|Donate|Training Schedule|Archive|Social Fingerprint 

June 2011

In the June 2011 issue: 

1. Four Years of Project Cultivar in Central America
2. With the 'Arab Spring,' a Focus on Human Capital
3. Social Compliance in the Jewelry Supply Chain
4. SAI's Training Team Grows in the U.S.
5. The Sustainability Lexicon Project: Wiki Open for Entries!
6. Meet SAI and SAAS' Summer Interns
7. New SA8000 Certification Statistics
8. Enroll in Global SA8000 Auditor Training Courses
9. Highlights & Announcements

___________________ 

 

Upcoming Training Events

SA8000:2008 Standard Training  

Revision Course

Ongoing- Web-based 


SA8000 Basic  

Auditor Training

July 4-8, Shanghai, China 
July 4-8, Hamburg, Germany

July 11-15,Sao Paulo, Brazil 

July 18-22, New York, NY 


SA8000 Advanced  

Auditor Training 

July 13-15, New York, NY 

July 20-22, Kunshan, China 
August 8-10, Sao Paulo, Brazil


Professional Development Series

Sept 22-23, Portland, OR


Full training schedule 

_________________

 

Top 3 News Stories

From the May 2011 Newsletter 

 

SAI Annual Report 2010  

  

SAI & the Responsible Jewellery Council Announce Partnership 

 

Job Openings

Development Manager 

Social Accountability International(SAI)

(New York) 

 

Project Manager- India Programs  

Social Accountability International(SAI)
(New York)


Internships

SAI and SAAS

accepting applications for Fall 2011 interns
(New York, NY)
   

________________


Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established to advance the human rights of workers by promoting decent work conditions, labor rights, and corporate social responsibility through voluntary standards.

SAI is headquartered in the United States with field representation in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Switzerland, and UAE.


SAI- Human Rights at Work
Website: www.sa-intl.org

For newsletter inquiries contact:SAI Communications Manager- Joleen Ong, [email protected]

top1Four Years of Project Cultivar in Central America 

SAI's Program Associate Eliza Wright Meets with Project Cultivar Partners to Capture Impacts and Stories from the Field  


SAI's Project Cultivar: Advancing Labor Rights in Agriculture, concluded on May 31, 2011 after four years in operation. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor since June 2007, Project Cultivar aimed to promote a culture of compliance with labor laws in the agricultural sector of Central America and the Dominican Republic.   

 

Leveraging the local knowledge and relationships with diverse communities through partnerships, Cultivar succeeded in its goals to increase the knowledge, commitment and capacity of thousands of workers, managers, and government ministries to improve working conditions in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

 

This article previews some of these stories of Project Cultivar's social impact, which will be reported in forthcoming issues of the newsletter and the Project Cultivar final  report.

>>Read more 

 

 

For more information, contact Eliza Wright, Program Associate at [email protected].

   

Back to top


With the 'Arab Spring,' a Focus on Human Capital 

SAI's Craig Moss Co-Teaches Course: "Investing in Human Capital: Compliance with International Labor Standards"

 

SAI's Craig Moss (top, third from left) stands with participants from the 2-day course in Cairo, "Investing in Human Capital" at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

On May 25-26, SAI's Director of Corporate Programs & Training Craig Moss co-taught a two-day course, "Investing in Human Capital: Compliance with International Labor Standards" at the American University in Cairo's (AUC) Gerhart Center, with Mohammed El-Kalla, Managing Director of Cairo for Investment and Development.  

 

The course aimed to provide a holistic look at labor standards and issues facing the labor market in Egypt, as well as the Middle East. The course attracted senior management from the retail, construction, apparel and information technology industries.  Day one focused on building a foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility and SAI's approach to developing management systems to improve the social performance of a company. >>Read more 

 

For more information, please contact SAI Communications Manager, Joleen Ong-  [email protected] 

Back to top

Social Compliance in the Jewelry Supply Chain 
In Partnership with the Responsible Jewelry Council, SAI Convenes 4-Day Training with Corporate Program member Rosy Blue

 

RJC Logo In the May 2011 newsletter, SAI announced its new partnership with the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), offering new opportunities for both organizations to promote social compliance throughout the jewelry supply chain. 

Starting with SAI's Corporate Program member, Rosy Blue, the world's largest diamond manufacturer, SAI Lead Trainers Mike Lee and Shirley To worked with a main supplier of Rosy Blue in China, to help improve their management systems to support their efforts towards meeting the Responsible Jewelry Council code of conduct. Mr. Lee and Ms. To conducted a four day introductory training session for managers, supervisors, and workers. The training sessions included the participation of Rosy Blue, who encouraged the supplier to undergo this training and integrate the Social Fingerprint framework as a way to help it understand the elements of an effective management system.

>>Read more   

 

Interested in a custom training course for your suppliers? For more information, contact Kate Critchell, SAI Training Manager at [email protected].   

Back to top  

SAI's Training Team Grows in the U.S.  


SAI's welcomes new Authorized Representatives, The Cahn Group and Newport Consulting, and partnership with the Rapid Results Institute.  

 

Partnerships and Authorized Representatives are an important part of SAI's global reach and local capacity-building efforts. SAI Authorized Representatives are local organizations that have a formal partnership agreement with SAI. The organizations work closely with SAI to develop and deliver training, technical assistance and other services on behalf of SAI. Please join us in welcoming them to SAI's team:  

 

 Partnership: The Rapid Results Institute

The Rapid Results Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering results driven Experimentation, Achievement, and Learning as a way to tackle economic and social challenges in developing countries. >>Read more  

 

Authorized Representative: The Cahn Group 

The Cahn Group, LLC is a corporate responsibility consultancy dedicated to creating sound business practices that are consistent with societal needs and stakeholder expectations.>>Read more 


Authorized Representative:  Newport Consulting Group  

Newport Consulting Group is an independent management consulting firm specializing in strategy, operations, risk management, and technology for commercial, public sector, not for profit, and high growth organizations.>>Read more 


For a full list of SAI Authorized Representatives, visit www.sa-intl.org/representatives For more information, contact Joleen Ong, Communications Manager at [email protected].

 

Back to top

The Sustainability Lexicon Project: Wiki Open for Entries!

  CSR author and thought leader Deborah Leipziger leads project to foster clarity and consistency around language in the field of sustainability

Sustainability Lexicon Wiki

Submit your Definitions & Concepts 

@bit.ly/jBTHFI 

 

In May 2011, Deborah Leipziger, author of the Corporate Responsibility Code Book and SA8000: The First Decade, launched the  Sustainability Lexicon Project, which seeks to define key concepts and language in the field of sustainability to enhance corporate reporting and engagement. >>Read more 

 

 

For more information, contact Deborah Leipziger at [email protected] 

Back to top   

Meet SAI & SAAS' Summer Interns

We welcome our newest interns- Representing Wellesley College-- we are proud to introduce them, in their own words   


Lianna Lee:
I am an economics major at Wellesley College with an interest in international development and humanitarian issues. I'm interning at SAI because I identify with its mission to promote labor rights and was impressed by its international platform.

>>Read more  


Aileen Patimeteeporn: I am a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics and minoring in Women and Gender Studies, interested in concentrating on human rights and development economics. My interests are human rights, more specifically workers' rights and labor standards. >>Read more


Alizah Raza
: I'm a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics and Architecture, with a special interest in the infrastructure of developing economies. As a strong believer in corporate social responsibility in production, the overall mission and objectives of SAI appealed to me. >>Read more

 

 

Yang Li : I am a rising junior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics and English. My experience at Wellesley furthered my interest in global development and human rights, which is my motivation for interning at SAAS.  >>Read more 

   

 

SAI is accepting application for Fall 2011 interns, please visit www.sa-intl.org/careers. 

 

Back to top 

New SA8000 Certification Statistics   

Over 1.45 million Workers Employed in SA8000 Certified Facilities    

Number of Workers, by Country  



 

 # Employees: 1,452,970

 

#Countries Represented: 62

 

#Industries Represented: 65

 

SA8000 Certified Facilities List

  

#Accredited Organization: 20










For more information, contact Lisa, SAAS Program Manager at [email protected].

Back to top 

Enroll in Global SA8000 Auditor Training Courses

Photo above: Participants of the 5-day Basic Auditor Training Course in Shenzhen, China (August 20-25, 2010). This course was led by SAI Lead Trainer Mike Lee (middle row, fifth from left)

SAI's Training Schedule: 2011

International Locations & Online Courses Available

 

SAI's training courses are designed to encourage proficiency in social compliance issues and emphasize the implementation of management systems. Learn about a management-system approach to social compliance auditing and supply chain management. These courses are required for all SA8000 and BSCI auditors. They are highly valuable for auditing to any labor code or standard. The courses are open, and appropriate for social auditors, buyers, suppliers, corporate compliance managers and other stakeholders. 


Click here to find a course, and to enroll. For more information, contact SAI Training Manager, Kate Critchell at [email protected].   

 

Back to top 

 

Highlights & Announcements

Pablo Zenon, sugarcane producer (colono) in the Dominican Republic reads SAI's 2010 Annual Report (he's on the cover!)


M
ay 19- SAI's 2010 Annual Report Released on SAI's 14th anniversary, the report features stories from our programs and highlights our accomplishments and challenges in 2010. Read it @ bit.ly/saiAR10twi

May 30- Lavore Etico- "Certifying CSR- Tools" Updated Guide Available only in Italian, Lavoro Etico's latest guide details approaches to CSR management, public communication, the audit process, and features SA8000 certification. Download it @ bit.ly/kUV1zW 

 

June 1-  Radio Interview: Alice Tepper Marlin Trust Across America interviewed SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin in the radio program, "Crucial Conversations in Business." Listen @bit.ly/iCJHre  

 

June 5-7- The Pacific Institute & the ISEAL Alliance's NGO Strategic Retreat SAI Executive Director Eileen Kaufman participated in this meeting in London, which focused on the context and the strategies of sustainability standards systems.  

 

June 7-International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI)-CARE Governing Board Meeting SAI's Director of Corporate Programs & Training Craig Moss delivered a presentation to the board, which focused on steps to improve the overall audit quality in China and how suppliers can start to build their internal capacity to improve their social performance.   

 

June 7- ISEAL Alliance Stakeholder Council Meeting SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin participated in the second annual meeting in Zurich. Ms. Tepper Marlin is a member of this council and designated liaison to ISEAL's Board of Directors, which brings together leaders from business government, civil society and standards systems with experience in voluntary standards.    

SAI's Executive Director Eileen Kaufman speaks at the CIPE 'Democracy that Delivers' event in Washington, D.C.


June 8-10- ISEAL Alliance Annual Conference SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin and Executive Director Eileen Kaufman,  along with SAAS Executive Director Rochelle Zaid and SAAS Program Manager Lisa Bernstein, attended this meeting in Zurich. Ms. Tepper Marlin presented on a panel session about Social and Environmental Issues in Textiles and Apparel Chains, along with SAI Advisory Board member Robin Cornelius, PGC Switcher, and Tina Stridde, Cotton made in Africa. 

 

June 16-  Global Works Foundation- Improving Fire Safety in Bangladesh Meeting In Washington, D.C., SAI Director of Corporate Programs & Training Craig Moss attended this meeting, where over 40 people representing a wide range of stakeholders converged to discuss how to develop strategies for improving fire safety in the Bangladeshi apparel industry. 

 

June 16-  UNHR Endorses Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights After six years of research led by Professor John Ruggie of Harvard University, the Guiding Principles were endorsed. They are designed to provide the first global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impact on human rights linked to business activity. Read the principles @bit.ly/l6q4y6 

Steering Committee Meeting for the development partnership, "Scaling Up Indian CSR Initiatives" convenes in Brussels. From left: Bimal Arora, GIZ; Carsten Schmitz-Hoffman, GIZ; Olga Orozco, BSCI; Alice Tepper Marlin, SAI; Bernadette Daubenmerkl, GIZ; Rishi Singh, SAI; Christoffer Brick, GIZ. 


June 20- CIPE Democracy That Delivers for Women Conference- SAI Executive Director Eileen Kaufman spoke at this event about 'Corporate Citizenship and Women's Empowerment.'

 

June 21- Steering Committee Meeting: Scaling Up Indian CSR Initiatives SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin and SAI India Project Director Rishi Singh met in Brussels for the second meeting of the Steering Committee. The meeting was convened by the GIZ, and hosted by the BSCI. Visit www.sa-intl.org/IndiaPPP for more information.    

 

 Back to top