Social Fingerprint® Webinar
Using a Process-Based System for Social Performance
March 20 2012 (FREE)
Social Fingerprint® Online Courses
-Getting Started in Your Company
- Building Your Internal Social Performance Team
SA8000® Online Auditor Training Courses
SA8000® Revision Course
March 12-16, Shenzhen, China
March 12-16, Sao Paulo, Brazil
March 26-30, Yokohama, Japan
April 2-6, Shenzhen, China
April 2-6, New Delhi, India
March 5-7, Shenzhen, China
March 12-14, Bologna, Italy
March 19-21, Bangalore, India
March 21-23, Yokohama, Japan
April 9-11, Shanghai, China
|
SA8000 Foundation Course
DNV, March 13
(Pune, India)
SA8000 Internal Auditor Course
DNV, March 29-30
(Kolkata, India)
Ethical Sourcing Forum 2012
Intertek, March 29
(New York, NY)
Green Festival
Green America, April 21-22
(New York, NY)
ISEAL Conference 2012
ISEAL Alliance, May 29-30
(Bonn, Germany)
|
|
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 and capacity building.
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
For newsletter inquiries contact:
SAI Communications Manager
Joleen Ong, jong@sa-intl.org |
|
 EILEEN FISHER on Preventing Human Trafficking with SB657 and SA8000®Interview with EILEEN FISHER's Luna Lee: commitment with SA8000® enables compliance with California Transparency in Supply Chain Act
 | |
EILEEN FISHER's Human Rights Associate Luna Lee (second from right) with home workers (left) in West Bengal, Sept 2011
|
On September 30, 2010, the State of California signed into law the California Transparency in Supply Chain Act (SB657) requiring all companies, retailers and manufacturers with annual sales of $100 million or more that do business in California to disclose their efforts to eliminate human trafficking and slavery from their supply chains. SAI Corporate Program member EILEEN FISHER is one of the many companies that must comply with the Act. Among the California requirements are actions to ensure disclosu re of "to what extent if any" a company engages in the five following activities: verification; auditing; certification; internal accountability; and training. SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong spoke with EILEEN FISHER's Human Rights Associate Luna Lee, to learn more about what actions it has taken to comply with the act >>Read the interview |
|
Magen Tzedek Certification Offers Ethical Assurance
After 3 years of development with SAI & SAAS, the Magen Tzedek Certification program is 'open for business'
 | |
The Magen Tzedek 'Shield of Justice' certification seal
|
In 2008, a commission was formed by prominent leaders of Conservative Judaism to develop a set of ethical standards to certify kosher food manufacturers in the US. After three years, the Magen Tzedek Certification program is officially "open for business."
Since the beginning, SAI and SAAS partnered with the Magen Tzedek Commission to leverage expertise in building socially responsible audit programs. Led by SAAS Project Manager Salah Husseini, SAAS and SAI worked with the commission to develop policies and procedures needed for sustainable implementation of the Magen Tzedek standards. The team also worked to design and implement an effective system for verifying that practices are just and sustainable.
For kosher food manufacturers and processors interested in becoming certified, the program assures that their products are manufactured consistent with the Jewish tradition of justice and ethics. The complete Magen Tzedek Standard, initially posted on the Magen Tzedek website in 2009 for public comment, has been finalized and outlines the criteria for earning certification >>Read more
|
RAGS Project: Invitation to Garment Suppliers in IndiaLimited seats available - Opportunity to increase social performance for sustainability and enhance business opportunities with UK brands
|
| |
SAI's RAGS Project looks specifically at the garment sector, and focuses on gender discrimination and home worker issues.
|
Starting mid-2012, SAI's RAGS Project will roll out its suite of supplier trainings in India aimed at enhancing suppliers' social performance, looking specifically at topics such as gender discrimination and home worker issues in the supply chain. These trainings are available at a subsidized cost, and offer an excellent opportunity for garment suppliers with limited budgets to both build internal capacity, and to connect with participating buyers from the US and UK.
Classrooms trainings will include two modules: 1) gender discrimination; and 2) based on suppliers' needs: either 1) Home Worker Engagement with the Ethical Trading Initiative-UK; or 2) Management Systems for Supply Chain. Each module is one full day. Training will take place in April, May and June 2012 in Delhi, Bangalore and Tirupur- dates and venues will be released soon.
For suppliers, inherent benefits of participation include its alignment to national structures, including the Government of India's National Voluntary Guidelines (NVG). The onsite trainings also aim to help build supplier capacity to meet the proposed Apparel Export Promotion Council (APEC) standard-"DISHA" >>Read more
|
Building the Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge for Social AuditsSAI releases its updated and enhanced SA8000® Advanced Auditor Training Course, featuring an interactive online training component and full day simulated audit
SAI is pleased to announce updates and enhancements to its Advanced SA8000® Auditor Training course. As of February, SAI's SA8000® Advanced Auditor Training Course consists of two components:
1) Online training component - "SA8000® Advanced Auditor Pre-Requisite Online Course" AND 2) Classroom training component - "3-day SA8000®Advanced Auditor Classroom Course"
"The goal is to promote a stimulating, value-added learning environment," said SAI Senior Manager of Corporate Programs and Training Jane Hwang. "This will help to create a space where all participants enter the classroom well-prepared and are ready to engage with trainers and peers in the advanced exercises and discussions."
The online course, to be completed first, serves as a refresher for the Basic Course and as an assessment of participants' readiness to take the 3-day classroom course >>Read more
|
Enroll in Global SA8000® Auditor Training Courses
International Locations & Online Courses Available | | Participants at the Basic SA8000 Auditor Training in New Delhi, Nov 2011. (Credit: Sanjiv Sing |
Upcoming: SA8000 Advanced Auditor Training Course Location: Bologna, Italy Date: March 12-14, 2012 Location: Bangalore, India Date: March 19-21, 2012
|
|
|
|
Update: Cotton made in Africa Initiative
SAI is Cotton made in Africa's US-based representative. Starting with this issue, we will include a monthly round up of articles from this Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) initiative:
 Mozambique Becomes CmiA's 6th Project Country: CmiA welcomes a new project country in Southeast Africa: 75,000 smallholder cotton farmers in Mozambique will join and participate in the initiative. Now, over 420,000 African smallholder farmers will join the initiative... >>Read more
 Baroness Lola Young To Be Ambassador For The Aid by Trade Foundation: The AbTF is expanding its network in Great Britain: Baroness Lola Young has come on board as the foundation's ambassador. The parliamentarian from the British Upper House wholeheartedly supports sustainable fashion from... >>Read more
 OTTO Austria Supports Adult Education Program for Cotton Farmers in Burkina Faso: In cooperation with the AbTF, OTTO Austria will support a school project in Burkina Faso starting in March 2012. The program will offer 5,000 African smallholder farmers who work with the CmiA initiative basic education in the form of alphabetization...>>Read more
 Designer Julia Starp Designs New Line with Cotton made in Africa: The successful young designer from Hamburg, Julia Starp, has designed an eight-piece spring / summer collection exclusively for OTTO. The collection is made of, amongst other things, the sustainably produced cotton from the CmiA initiative, which makes >>Read more
Learn more about the CmiA initiative at www.cottonmadeinafrica.org. For inquires, please contact the Aid by Trade Foundation's Christina Bredehorst (christina.bredehorst@abt-foundation.org).
|
Meet SAI's New Intern: Sushmita PatelBased in Bangalore, Ms. Patel will be supporting SAI's RAGS Project
 | |
SAI India Intern Sushmita Patel
|
SAI is pleased to welcome Sushmita Patel. Based in Bangalore, Ms. Patel will be supporting the implementation of SAI's RAGS project with SAI India Project Director, Rishi Sher Singh. Ms. Patel is a Conflict Resolution practitioner, and is a certified mediator by the UK ADR Chambers. She is also a charter member of the Mediation Council of India (MeCI).
Prior to a career in conflict resolution, she worked in the Indian and Middle Eastern apparel industry for eight years, in the export and retail sectors. >>Read moreBack to top
|
|
Highlights & Announcements
 |
Webinar: March 20
Using a Process-Based System for Social Performance
|
Register for SAI's March Webinar on Social Fingerprint On March 20 at 2PM EDT, join SAI's Craig Moss as he demonstrates how to use a process-based system for improved social performance in the supply chain. Hosted by William Newman, Newport Consulting Group. Seats are limited, register today @bit.ly/w57cyn
SAI at the UN Human Rights Working Group Meeting in Geneva On 16-20 Jan, SAI Europe Representative Steven Oates attended the meeting of this Working Group and submitted a statement on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises @bit.ly/x4jETd
"Results in 100 Days" - Rapid Results Institute (RRI) Presentation [Video] Nadim Matta, President of RRI, presented at the NextGen Conference in Nov 2011, about RRI's 'Rapid Results Approach.' SAI's Social Fingerprint Program has partnered with RRI to incorporate its Approach in our curriculum. Watch it @bit.ly/x8paNS
Tata Steel Receives Award from CII-ITC in India Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services and, for the fist time, Tata Chemicals, were recognized fpr excellence by awards from the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development. Read more @bit.ly/Av1fWM
|
|
|
|
|
