Social Accountability International's Newsletter - April 2012

>>Anvil Knitwear's Educational Approach to Sustainability
SAI interviews Anvil Knitwear's Caterina Conti to learn more about its efforts to promote ethical consumerism, and Earth Day events 

>>Social Fingerprint: STX Vietnam Shipbuilder
SAI teams up with the Norwegian Export Credit Agency (GIEK) to 'measure & improve' STX Vietnam's labor standards implementation, a part of lending criteria

>>SAI Evaluates Timberland's Code of Conduct Program
In 2010, SAI worked with Timberland to review whether Timberland's code is implemented in the field as designed- here are the results:

>>Letter to New York Times: Designing for Decent Work
SAI's President responds to article, 'Electronic Giant Vowing Reforms in China Plants'

>>SAI India: Quarterly Project Review
SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin attends project Steering Committee meeting in New Delhi

>>Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Decent Work in Peru 
The forum convened stakeholders of Peru's garment and textile industry, to discuss the issue of short-term employment contracts 

>>Enroll in Global SA8000® Auditor Training Courses
International Locations & Online Courses Available - 3BL Subscribers receive 10% off with the code: 3BLSpring2012

Highlights & Announcements

• SAI Spring Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Board Meeting On May 8-10, SAI will convene its semi-annual multi-stakeholder Advisory Board meeting in New York. The main focus of the meeting will be to discuss strategic issues for scaling up and increasing impact. Article forthcoming in May newsletter.
   
• 3BL Media: Interview with Disney's Laura Rubbo At Intertek's Ethical Sourcing Forum (March 29-30), 3BL Media caught up with Disney's Director of Corporate Citizenship. Disney is an SAI Corporate Program member, and Ms. Rubbo serves as a member of SAAS' Board of Directors. Watch it @bit.ly/I7eJTi
   
• Responsible Jewellery Council 2012 Annual Progress Report The report profiles RJC's first year of its member certifications system and multi-stakeholder dialogue processes and partnerships.  Read it @bit.ly/HU1QLY.On April 25 SAI & RJC carried out a joint training in Mumbai. Article forthcoming in May newsletter.
   
• Improving Vendor Social Performance with Management Systems SAI's Craig Moss led a two-day training for Gap Inc.'s employees in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on April 18-19. Article forthcoming in May 2012 newsletter.   
   
• GRI Supply Chain Disclosure Working Group On April 16-18, SAI's Jane Hwang participated in the 3rd in-person meeting of the working group in Amsterdam. The group is part of the revision process for the GRI Guidelines (G4). 
   
• "Child Labor in Agriculture: Some New Developments to an Ancient Problem" SAI Advisory Board Member Dorianne Beyer, Esq., published this article in the Journal of Agromedicine, Vol. 12, Issue 2, view it @bit.ly/Iqhxci   
   
• "5 Misperceptions of the Electronics Supply Chain" SAI's Joleen Ong gave a presentation at Green America's Green Festival 2012 in NYC to raise consumer awareness about the electronics supply chain. Sarah o' Brien, EPEAT's Director of Outreach & Communications, co-presented. View the presentation @slidesha.re/IPb8Wm    
   
• SAI Signs on to Cotton Campaign Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton SAI joined NGOs, companies and industry groups to sign on to a letter to Secretary Clinton to urge the government of Uzbekistan to end its state-sponsored forced and child labor. Read it @bit.ly/Ih1oaV   
   
• Environmental Politics in Bolivia - "Buen Vivir vs. New Extractivism" SAI Development Manager Eliza Wright attended this conference at NYU, which covered the social and environmental impacts of the extractive industry in Bolivia, as well as in the wider context of South America. Details @bit.ly/IpFiB7