Social Accountability International - Fall Newsletter

SAI Advisory Board Meeting Convenes in California 
5 year stragetic planning meeting provides direction for future SAI endeavors and moves to enhance the reliability and overall impact of SA8000 through a new Social Fingerprint applicion process 

Shore to Shore, Sri Lanka Earns 4th SA8000 Certification
Benefits and Challenges of SA8000 + UNGC Participation 

RAGS: Birdy Exports LTD.
An interview with Jaya Chandra about the effects of RAGS on Birdy Exports 

The UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights
An interview with Edwin Koster, Lead Trainer

SA8000: 2014 Standard Public Consultation
SA8000: 2014 inviting public comment 

Pillars in Practice Project: Nicaragua
Interview with uniRSE Program and Projects Officer, Genaro Garcia, on their experience working as a project partner

Refashioned: Cutting-Edge Clothing from Upcycled Materials
Sass Brown presents her new book at the Fashion Institute of Technology 

SA8000 Auditor Training Courses in China, Poland, & Bangladesh 
Snapshots from the courses that took place in Shenzhen (China), Warsaw (Poland), and Dhaka (Bangladesh)

Highlights & Announcements 

• Fair Trade International and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights 
  On October 16th, SAI European Representative Edwin Koster presented to the Leadership Committe of Fairtrade International (FLO) in Bonn.  Discussed were the possible implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Fairtrade Standards. 
• European Conference on Living Wages in Berlin
  On November 25th and 26th, SAI European Representative Edwin Koster presented on the collaboration on living wage between Fairtrade International, FSC, Goodweave, Rainforest Alliance, Sustainable Agriculture Network, Utz Certified, and SAI facilitated by the Iseal Alliance.  The mentioned parties joined hands on living wage definition and methodology to calculate living wage benchmarks. Results of recent pilots in South Africa and the Dominican Republic were shared with the audience.
• India Institute of Directors Conference
  On October 1 - 4 in London, England SAI Executive Director and Co-CEO Eileen Kaufman attended the "London Global Convention 2013" hosted by the Institute of Directors, India.  Discussions and deliberation were passionate and centered around boardroom strategies, integrated reporting, good governance, and sustainability. 
• EICC Responsible Electronics 2013 Conference
  On October 1 - 3 in San Fransisco, CA, SAI Director of Corporate Programs & Training, Jane Hwang, participated in the panel "The Magic of Partnerships" as a part of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition's conference. Over 200 people attended the conference, including representatives from the government, many different industries, and multiple civil societies. Learn more - http://bit.ly/188KhB5
• Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP) 
  On November 5, SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin attended the GSCP conference in San Fransisco