The STR RS 6th Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit is generating a wave of excitement in the ethical trade community, given the richness of its content and impressive lineup of panelists.

The Summit is being held in Los Angeles, March 10-11, 2011. It features some of the most well-regarded names in CSR, including keynote speaker, Rev. David Schilling, of the Interfaith Center of Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). Rev. Schilling leverages decades of experience to paint a broad overview of the pitfalls - and successes - in today's responsible sourcing arena.

The STR RS Responsible Sourcing Summit showcases special guest, Christine Bader, Advisor to John Ruggie, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative on business and human rights. This venerable team is set to present a body of Guiding Principles to the United Nations. The recommendations reflect broad consensus on how States, business, and others can work more effectively to address the risks that threaten human rights around the globe. Ms. Bader will lead one of the first public discussions on the preliminary draft of the proposed framework.

The Summit also brings together leading brands from the private sector - Timberland and Knights Apparel, which take two distinct approaches when confronting the issue of fair living wages. Hear directly from Donnie Hodge, Chief Operating Officer at Knights Apparel. The company was profiled in the New York Times for its bold undertakings in the Dominican Republic. For her part, Beth Holzman, Reporting Manager at Timberland, will highlight the innovative tactics that the company has adopted to promote sustainable living wages among its supply chain partners.

During The Summit there will be a special session on the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, which has caused confusion among many sourcing experts since its announcement last fall. Kay Buck, Executive Director, of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), will be on hand to shed light on this high-profile topic. Her organization worked directly with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Administration to draft the act, giving her an intimate understanding of the requirements and implications that the new reporting guidelines will have on businesses.

Cutting-edge think tanks will also make a splash at the STR RS Responsible Sourcing Summit. Amy Galland, Research Director of As You Sow, will present results from her recently-authored report: Toward a Safe, Just Workplace: Apparel Supply Chain Compliance Programs. Ms. Galland will focus on purchasing practices - explaining the good and the not-so-good habits of which companies should be cognizant. The report's powerful findings could help produce palpable changes in the global supply chain. Studies have shown a strong correlation between poor purchasing practices and common violations, such as excessive working hours, mandatory overtime and manipulated payroll records.

The Summit features Christopher Tang, Professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He will distill the important economic, social and political changes that are unfolding in China, arguably the world’s most important outsourcing hub. This content could be instrumental in assisting audience members to create strategic outsourcing plans that render a positive effect on revenue.

In addition to being an important source of content, the STR RS Responsible Sourcing Summit is a robust networking platform - attracting CSR and supply chain practitioners from all over the country. Decision-makers and thought-leaders will be on hand to share opinions - and forge relationships.

To Register, view the program and the featured speakers, please click on STR RS 6th Annual Responsible Sourcing Summit.

DON'T MISS OUT ON OUR EARLY BIRD SPECIAL RATES-EXPIRES JANUARY 21, 2011.

Date: March 10 & 11, 2011

Location: UCLA, De Neve Plaza
351 Charles E. Young Drive West
Los Angeles, CA 90024
http://www.ucla.edu/map/
(310) 825-5451

STR-RS: Dedicated to helping clients build secure and socially responsible relationships with their supply chain partners.

For more from this organization: STR Responsible Sourcing.

UL

UL

UL is a leading global provider of corporate responsibility auditing and ethical sourcing consulting services, which include monitoring, training, research, and program development. With offices in over 30 countries across five continents, UL Responsible Sourcing has the reach to provide audit services in over 140 countries around the world. UL is part of UL Verification Services, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Additional information about UL may be found at www.strquality.com

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