Pillars in Practice Program
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Training Courses
-Getting Started in Your Company
-Building Your Internal Social Performance Team
Developing & Implementing Effective Social Performance Management Systems
New York, NY
Date TBD
September 23-24
Bangalore, India
Date TBD
Istanbul, Turkey
August 19-23
Dubai, UAE
Sept. 29- Oct. 3Sofia, BulgariaOctober 14-18 Shenzhen, China
October 21-25 Hamburg, Germany
November 18-22
SA8000 Advanced Auditor Training
Istanbul, Turkey
August 14-16
New Delhi, India
August 19-21
Shanghai, China
August 28-30 Bangkok, Thailand
September 11-13
Shenzhen, China
September 18-20
SA8000 Online Training SA8000 Online Revision Course
NGOs & Trade Unions
Complimentary seats available for NGO & trade union representatives. For more information, email SAI Training Manager Stephanie Wilson at swilson@sa-intl.org.
View Photos from SAI's Training Courses
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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
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 Reflections on 10 Years in Bangladesh
Interview with SAI Lead Trainer Badri Gulur on his perspective of social compliance in Bangladesh from 2003-2013
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At the SAI Advanced Auditor Training course on July 2, SAI Lead Trainer Badri Gulur was presented with flowers to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of his first SA8000 auditor training in Dhaka. View more photos from the training on SAI's Facebook page. |
On June 25-29 and June 30-July 2, SAI convened SA8000 Basic and Advanced Auditor training courses in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The trainings were led by SAI Lead Trainer Badrinath Gulur, and marked his 10-year anniversary of SA8000 auditor training in Dhaka. The course was attended by a diverse group of participants from certification bodies, companies, NGOs and trade unions, including the CSR Centre Bangladesh, SGSF and the Awaj Foundation. Special thanks to DNV Bangladesh and Md. Abdul Alim - COO of Global Sustainable Certification Services Ltd. (GSCS) for helping to coordinate these courses. SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong spoke with Mr. Gulur to discuss his perspective about the trainings and social compliance over the years, the impact of the Rana Plaza tragedy and recent suspension of US trade privileges on Bangladesh.
Joleen Ong: You've been working with SAI for a long time doing SA8000 auditor and advance auditor training and more - when did you first start training in Bangladesh?
Badri Gulur: The first SA8000 Basic Auditor training course that I led was in June 2003. Prior to that I worked with Bureau Veritas as Country Manager for SA 8000 and certified the first factory to SA8000 in Bangladesh in 2001.
JO: After 10 years of training in Bangladesh, what are some of the broader changes that you've observed in the garment sector?
BG: In general, the whole compliance bandwidth has changed. This has been both positive and negative. Ten years ago, a key focus of factories was leveraging the quota... >>Read more
For more information, contact SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong - JOng@sa-intl.org.
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SAI and AKUT Partnership for Fire Safety Emergency and Disaster Management
SAI will work with the Turkish NGO AKUT to enhance SAI's training programs to include a deeper focus on risk and emergency management, and health and safety training |
Snapshots from AKUT's Assessment in Pakistan, November 2012 (from left): 1) It is recommended that aisles be clear and wide enough for two people (120 cm) in order for evacuation routes to be adequate; 2) Dundar Sahin stands in front of fire extinguishers in a factory in Faisalabad; 3) In the SITE industrial area in Karachi, the AKUT team had to rely on a hand drawn map on a wall to determine the locations of four factories. For more photos and videos from the AKUT assessment, visit SAI's album on Facebook. |
SAI is pleased to announce a more formal partnership with the Turkish NGO AKUT Search and Rescue Association. SAI and AKUT have been working together for several years and will continue to partner for training curriculum with a deep focus on risk management, emergency management and health and safety training. This includes conducting trainings, investigations and providing technical assistance.
Based in Istanbul, AKUT was founded in 1996 by 7 mountaineers including an Ashoka Fellow, Nasuh Mahruki, and the association became a national hero in Turkey after its small team of 60 volunteers saved 220 people after the major earthquake in 1999. Later, AKUT became an official member of UN OCHA INSARAG and certified as Medium USAR Team with a global deployment capacity in case of disasters. One of the volunteers, a Director of AKUT Institute of Training and Research Dundar Sahin, is an SAI Lead Trainer... >>Read moreFor more information, contact SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong - JOng@sa-intl.org.
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Increasing the Quality of the Food Chain in Parma
SAI promotes 'human rights at work' at event convened by local Italian Trade Union Organization
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SAI CEO Alice Tepper Marlin leads a presentation on ethical certification in Italy at the event, 'Increasing the Quality of the food Chain in Parma.' View more photos from this event visit and her visit to a prosciutto factory @ http://on.fb.me/1938Wem |
On June 28, 2013, SAI CEO Alice Tepper Marlin spoke at an event in Parma - about SA8000 and its role in increasing the quality of the supply chain for production of the renowned Prosciutto di Parma. The event was convened by the local committee of the Italian Trade Union Organization (CGIL CISL and UIL), in partnership with the SAAS-accredited certification body CISE, and with the support of the Chamber of Commerce of Parma.
Mr. Andrea Zanlari, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Parma made the opening remarks. Ms. Tepper Marlin spoke to the local entrepreneurs about SAI's role in spreading SA8000 principles around the world to advance human rights at work. Luca Valli, Director of CISE, and Anna Rosa Grossi, SA8000 Lead Auditor at CISE, also spoke, discussing... >>Read more
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Guidance on Auditing Gender Discrimination
SAI and SAAS convene forums in New Delhi and Bangalore to receive practical feedback and facilitate dialogues on gender discrimination
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From left: SAI Project Manager Caroline Lewis presents on the gender discrimination guidance document; Ms. Lewis discusses the guidance with a participant during a breakout session, while SAI Lead Trainer Sanjiv Singh (top middle) works on a group presentation. View more photos on SAI's Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/13LRUJB. |
On June 18 and 20, SAI and SAAS organized meetings in New Delhi and in Bangalore. The meetings provided a forum for field auditors and stakeholders to give input on a newly developed guide to auditing gender discrimination that was produced by SAI under the RAGS Project.
The guidance focuses on homeworker and gender discrimination, addressing issues specific to the Indian ready-made garment sector. The purpose of the guidance document is to provide targeted information to strengthen local auditor capacity in India, especially as gender discrimination can be difficult to detect during an audit. The guidance is designed to serve as a field manual for social auditors. It helps verify criteria that may indicate gender discrimination as well as identify the related management systems and processes. The guidance is applicable to all social audits where discrimination is an auditable element of multiple standards or codes, not only SA8000... >>Read more
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UN Guiding Principles in Zimbabwe's Mining Sector
The 'Pillars in Practice' Program convened stakeholders in the Zimbabwean mining sector to focus on how to implement the Guiding Principles
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Photos from the 'MAC' Meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe. From left: Chairman Jacob Mudenda of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission discussing the human rights challenges in mining; ZELA's Shamiso Mtisi facilitating forum discussion. For more photos, view the PIP Program on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1dF8xMN |
In the week of June 17, 2013, SAI convened a 'training of trainers' (ToT) and multi-stakeholder advisory consultation (MAC) in Harare, Zimbabwe with the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) for its joint Pillars in Practice Program. The ToT segment focused on building the capacity of ZELA staff to advance understanding of the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, and training the group on its implementation. Then, the MAC segment provided a forum for stakeholders to identify human rights issues in the mining sector and provide specific targeted recommendations on how to address them. SAI Sr. Manager of Research and Stakeholder Relations, Alex Katz, participated in the meeting along with PIP Program partners - Paloma Munoz Quick, DiHR Human Rights & Business Advisor; Mike Baab, DiHR Senior Advisor Human Rights and Business Country Portal; and Mutuso Dhliwayo, Director of ZELA... >>Read more
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Stakeholder Engagement: SA8000 in China
Interview with Supply Chain Sustainability and Labor Expert Rachelle Jackson
 | | Rachelle Jackson |
The SA8000 Standard is being reviewed in a process conducted every 5 years. As done in the 2008 SA8000 Standard revision process, extensive multi-stakeholder consultation is being undertaken.
For this month's newsletter, SAI Senior Manager of Research and Stakeholder Relations Alex Katz interviewed one of the experts being consulted, Rachelle Jackson, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at Arche Advisors, about her extensive experience in the social compliance field and SA8000 implementation in China.
China is a major country for SA8000 certifications, with the third-highest number of certified facilities - 517, and of workers employed in SA8000 certified facilities - 322,678. The interview focused on three areas: implementation challenges, trends and best practices observed.
Alex Katz: From your experience, what are the most challenging issues that factories may have to contend with in order to earn SA8000 certification?
Rachelle Jackson: In my opinion, perception is one of the biggest barriers for factories contemplating the SA8000 standard. Many factories are familiar with the SA8000 "brand" but not the practical requirements of the standard. We have encountered factory owners that think it is impossible to meet the SA8000 standard, especially the requirements on overtime hours. In actuality, the standard focuses on management systems and continuous improvement that could help lead to real progress on how such challenges are managed, but the misperception remains that it sets an unrealistically high bar.
AK: Out of the nine elements of the SA8000 Standard, what are some of the most challenging to comply with in China?
RJ: The issue of excessive work hours remains one of the single biggest challenges in China... >>Read more
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Introducing SAI Director of Operations: Michelle Bhattacharyya
Ms. Bhattacharyya brings a strong background in economic development and community entrepreneurship
 | | Michelle Bhattacharyya, SAI Director of Operations |
SAI welcomes Michelle Bhattacharyya to our management team in the new position of Director of Operations (DOO), after a wide-ranging search process. Reporting to the CEO, she is responsible for implementation of SAI's annual plans, providing coordination and management across all departments, inclusive of building and implementing processes and protocols and contributing to culture so as to create more streamlined, efficient, and cohesive operations at SAI. In cooperation with the CFO, the DOO is also responsible for timely budget delivery of all program operations, and heads SAI's development department. Prior to SAI, Ms. Bhattacharyya worked in the field of Economic Development and Community Entrepreneurship. She assisted the Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation (SEEDCO) with program design and development after serving as Director of two Seedco operated NYC Business Solutions Centers in NYC, where she successfully managed tightly budgeted government contracts and aggressive performance targets. Ms. Bhattacharyya's operations experience also extends to the private sector where she served as Vice President of Operations and Marketing for the Emergency Medicine Professional Assurance Company (EMPAC), which she helped grow... >>Read more
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How Companies Can Implement the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights
Two-day training event demonstrates how companies can transform principles to practice
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Sept. 23-24, 2013
Utrecht, The Netherlands
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June 2011, the UN adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, written by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. One of the tenets of the principles is that businesses are expected to respect human rights in their company and in their supply chains. But what does this mean and how is it accomplished?The training addresses these questions. It provides understanding on:
- Content, scope and implications of the Guiding Principles
- How companies can meet their responsibility to respect human rights
- Distinguishing whether a company has caused, contributed to or is linked to adverse human rights impacts, and what actions are needed by the company as a response
- Avoiding adverse impacts in the supply chain through collaborative approaches and mutual buyer-supplier responsibility
- Key human rights...>>Read more
To learn more about SAI and ICCO's training course and handbook on how to implement the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights, visit www.sa-intl.org/unguidingprinciples. For more information, please contact SAI Training Manager Stephanie Wilson - SWilson@sa-intl.org.
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New SA8000 Certification Statistics
Summary as of March 31, 2013
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Number of workers, by country
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# Certified Facilities: 3,137 #Countries Represented: 69 #Industries Represented: 65
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Meet SAI & SAAS' 2013 Summer Interns
 | | From left: Bridget Dunn, Wellesley College; Michael Pauker, Vassar College; Sabrina Zurga, Wellesley College; Katherine Schwartz, Wellesley College (intern with Social Accountability Accreditation Services); Daniel Macmillen, University of Cambridge. |
SAI is fortunate to receive great support from students throughout the year as part of our internship program. This summer, we are pleased to introduce five students - from Wellesley College, Vassar College and University of Cambridge. Special thanks to Beth Smith for her ongoing support towards the Beth K. Smith internship fund at Wellesley College. We are proud to introduce them, in their own words:
Bridget Dunn: I'm a rising junior at Wellesley College and currently a double major in Economics and Peace & Justice Studies. Within both majors, I have focused on issues of gender in development... >>Read more
Michael Pauker: I'm a rising senior at Vassar College, currently majoring in Political Science. I'm interested in international relations, CSR, and public policy. I'm interning at SAI to get hands-on... >>Read more
Sabrina Zurga: I am a rising junior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics and minoring in Mathematics. I am from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and have always been interested in development... >>Read more
Katherine Schwartz: I am a rising junior at Wellesley College where I am majoring in Political Science. I am very interested in social responsibility, labor rights, public policy, and human rights issues as a whole... >>Read more
Daniel Macmillen: I'm a third-year student at the University of Cambridge, studying Politics and Sociology. My up-bringing in Latin America and my studies have imbued me with an enduring interest in human rights, labor... >>Read more
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On July 9, the Alliance released its action plan - "The Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative" which was developed through a process facilitated the US Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC). There is a crucial need for collaboration between this Alliance and the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh coordinated by IndustriALL and UNI Global Union, as stated by SAI during the June 7 meeting convened by the BPC: "It is crucial that this effort bring brokered by the BPC should be in alignment with the goals, intentions and activities of the Bangladesh Accord, in an effort to strengthen, and not divert, the needed cooperation and attention to the major task ahead in Bangladesh."
On July 1-2, SAI CEO Eileen Kaufman taught this 2-day session as part of a broader 12-day leadership course that focused on human resources management. Her sessions reviewed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Business Principles for Countering Bribery, SA8000, transparency in business, the Women's Empowerment Principles and company case studies. Students were Switzerland-based managers from a cross section of national and international companies.
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