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| December 2007 » newsletter #6 | |
 
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by Professor Graça Almeida Rodrigues
Executive Director CIDESC |
Where has Portuguese Civil Society gone?
On December 6 and 7, the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union organized the 9th EU NGO Forum on Economic Social and Cultural Rights in European Union Policies. The forum was well attended by EU officials and government representatives.
The practice of human rights, as an essential contribution to the well being of the population and to secure long lasting peace, was central to the debate. The adoption of an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which will offer an effective complaints procedure, was welcome by the over 100 participants who attended the forum. The Chairperson-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group, Catarina Albuquerque, was present and her work was unanimously supported. However, Portuguese civil society was surprisingly absent from this forum.
Where have the representatives of our NGOs, of our Unions, of our Foundations gone?
CIDESC is interested in discussing the intervention of Portuguese civil society - at all levels - in the realization of human rights. Portuguese civil society seems to be incomprehensibly absent from the meetings where this debate takes place. But this debate is in the interest of everyone. Could we start this debate in 2008?
Perhaps, as the Irish saying goes, admittedly referring to other situations, when one starts others follow. |
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 The partnership between CIDESC and “Movimento Cidadãos por Lisboa” resulted in a well succeeded event named “Acupunctura Urbana” (“Urban Acupuncture”). During two days the problems concerning urban rehabilitation were addressed and taken into debate.
In the first day, reserved for the conference, the speakers Carlos Palminha (Plataforma Artigo 65), Helena Roseta (Lisbon City Hall), Filipe Lopes (OPRURB), Maria Joaão Freitas (IHRU) and Roselyne de Villanova (IPRAUS, CNRS Paris) had the pleasure to introduce their subjects to a very attentive audience that completely filled the room. Architects, Engineers, Sociologists, Students, Civil Society representatives, among others, enthusiastically listened to the different topics presented.
 This initial day finished with the projection of the film “SAAL Operations”, directed by João Dias.
During the second day participants were invited to put their skills and ideas into practice. The challenge was to make real project proposals regarding two neighbourhoods of Lisbon that were introduced in the opening session. Hence, participants had actually the feeling of contributing to solve the problem.
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The newly created Africa Division
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CIDESC’s Africa Division was recently created under the control of Isabel Palha, a Sociologist with a long experience in working with Portuguese-Speaking African Countries.
The division purpose is to develop cooperation programmes with Africa, in order to promote human rights, especially focusing in the development of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Initial contacts were undertaken and although projects are in an early stage of development, some ideas have already blossomed. With no special order of hierarchy, there is firstly the protocol with the University of Nottingham. Having identified a lack of cooperation contact between Portuguese-Speaking African countries and Europe as well as the necessity of connecting the universities to the civil society, CIDESC along with the Centre for the Study of Post-Conflict Cultures (CSPCC) of the Department of Cultural Studies in the University of Nottingham are developing a partnership protocol. The resulting teaching, research and advocacy projects should focus on Literature (Traditional - Oral and Written), Music, Media, Public Health (access to water and sanitation), Sociology (culture and post-conflict) and Economic and Social development.
Secondly, there is the project Linking & Learning on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR). CIDESC in cooperation with Dignity International drew the goal of offering training in ESCR to actors of the civil society and governmental structure, in order to make them skilled to develop their everyday work within the scope of those rights. The project will take place especially in Mozambique and Angola and this last country will embrace the pioneer experience. It is as well important to highlight the relevance of the local partners without whom the project would be harder to implement. In the case of Angola it will be FONGA (Forum of the Non-governmental Organizations of Angola). |
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| Human Rights Prize - 2007 |
The 2007 Portuguese Parliament’s Human Rights Prize was awarded to the cultural association “Moinho da Juventude”. We congratulate them for the amazing work developped. Their perseverance and fight for economic, social and cultural rights made them truly deserve the prize.
“Moinho da Juventude” is a communitarian project that acts in the neighbourhood of Cova da Moura. Initially developed by the residents confronted with general problems of their neighbourhood the association was extended and currently develops activities for children, youth and adults.
Among their activities and their support programs there is a Social-Professional, a Social-Cultural and a Support to the Resident’s Committee. For children they have a kindergarten and a day-nursery amongst other projects. Additionally, the organization promotes numerous activities for youth such as dance classes, sport, interchange programs, summer camps, school support, and several others.
The insertion in the Portuguese society is also one of the goals of the association. Still, it isn’t made through the imposition of the Portuguese culture since the organization aims at preserving and promoting the original culture of the neighbourhood’s residents whose roots are mainly African. Instead, they encourage and help them on their self development, training and empowerment feeling.
Find here the original speech of Lieve Meersschaert, vice-president of “Moinho da Juventude”, read at the award ceremony.
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United Nations Climate Change Conference |
The conference took place in Bali, Indonesia, and brought together representatives of 190 countries, observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and the media.
After a tough session, longer than the one for Kyoto Protocol, it was approved the now called “Bali roadmap” that sets a new era in the negotiations for a new agreement to fight the climate change. It is excellent to highlight that after tortuous negotiations, the United States are back in the discussion and have embarked on the international fight against climate change.
This marks the attention that the countries are willing to give to the threat of climate change and the importance of urgent action by all. The negotiations will initiate within some weeks in order to develop an international convention that should be complete by the end of 2009 and that will work as a guide document on how the countries should fight climate change and will indicate individual responsibilities.
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European Development Days |
Following the well succeeded 2006 edition, the European Commission organized in 2007 the second European Development Days which took place in Lisbon, in the context of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union Council. Numerous participants, decision makers and interested parts were involved in this event that occurred in the International Fair of Lisbon (FIL), from the 7th to 9th November.
This year, the climate change was the topic number one in the agenda. Being so, several correlations were brought into light, such as climate change and poverty or climate change and migration.
The President of the European Commission, the Portuguese José Manuel Durão Barroso, declared that: “Climate change represents the biggest challenge of our generation”.
Although some countries still ignore it, this problem is very real since its consequences already appeared and will get worst. Hence, in this event it was discussed the best way to help the nations that are being threatened already and how should developed countries adapt in this era.
In the second day, free entrance was allowed to the public in general, so they could visit the Development Village: a fair where several European institutions and agencies related to climate change and development were represented.
10th December 1948 represents a very important day to Human Rights. It was when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was signed in Paris. Nations recognized that human beings have fundamental rights and freedoms.
Since then the December 10th symbolizes the Human Rights Day and celebrates the respect for dignity and all human beings. This year, the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) celebrated the day by launching a new campaign. The intention is to help people all over the world to learn more about human rights, their own rights and to understand how important the UDHR is. This campaign will keep on proceeding throughout 2008.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, stated that "The Universal Declaration and its core values- inherent human dignity, justice, non-discrimination, equality, fairness and universality- apply to everyone, everywhere, always."
Find here the statements of the General Assembly President, of the Secretary-General and of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
ECHO, the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission, in partnership with the French NGO Action Against Hunger, implemented an original campaign concerning the increase of awareness on hunger.
It occured on October 13, the World Food Day, in Paris and several other citites of France. It consisted of an emergency food distribution centre that handed 15,000 'rations' of information instead of food. The campaign also involved a quiz about food aid and bicycles that were decorated with the colours and slogan of the initiative and that were available to the visitors, that then helped to spread the message while cycling around the city.
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Democracy in action
by Jorge Tiago Martins | Project Director, CIDESC |
“The first battle for dignity is in housing”. The message is clear and it needs to be widely spread: social cohesion and integration are intimately linked to the living conditions.
The quote belongs to French government minister Fadela Amara, but here at CIDESC we make it our very own vision. Adequate housing conditions are undeniably a basic human right.
Having this principle well placed in mind, we proposed ourselves an exercise. To look around Lisbon, the city where CIDESC is based, the capital which loses inhabitants by the day and detect the places where urgent urban renewal is needed.
This is of course, a question of citizenship and participation. The places and spaces where people live, interact and create social networks and affinities are the very essence of communities.
When applying the problem to Lisbon, a new and ample sense of dialogue and participation was to be thought of and implemented. And this is how the particular experience I’m about to describe is exceptionally innovative, because it can and should be applied elsewhere.
In cooperation with the Portuguese citizenship platforms Cidadãos por Lisboa and Plataforma Artigo 65 (named after article 65 of the Portuguese Constitution, which grants every citizen the right to adequate housing), CIDESC invited the inhabitants of Lisbon to question and discuss the instruments designed to assure their participation in the management of the spaces they live in. Moreover, they were urged to present solutions and participate actively in their design. Urban Acupunture is how we decided to name this Conference and Workshop, which took place in November.
People responded with interest and for two days, a fully packed room was evidence enough to prove that citizens are knowledgeable, active, engaged and eager to participate.
The common feeling detected was that the political structures are detached from the day-to-day problems inhabitants face. On the other hand, when intervention in the field of housing occurs, it is usually unarticulated and superficial, failing to prevent the high levels of urban degradation: estates need repair, old neighbourhoods are shut down with no one living in there, the young population can’t afford living in the city centre and prefers the suburbs, new construction is unstoppable yet the market is paralysed.
To tackle these issues, national and local government representatives, sociologists, architects, residents’ committees and, more importantly, citizens made their voice, claims and proposals heard.
These proposals, centred on the analysis of case studies, informed real strategies and intervention programmes designed cooperatively, which participants agreed to take to another level by presenting them publicly and submitting them to the authorities.
For one of the neighbourhoods under analysis, Quinta da Serra, re-housing of residents was necessary, but one of the inhabitants’ claims was the guarantee that they wouldn’t be displaced in a different area of the city. Their life functions there, their children attend the local school, there is a network they rely on and this is an important social element not to overlook.
The participants at the workshop, together with the residents’ committee proposed a re-housing solution inside the same territory, seeking an agreement with the local authority and with one landlord.
Here at CIDESC, where we advocate citizenship as full and effective participation, we couldn’t be happier. These are vivid examples of participation mechanisms at reach for an empowered civil society.
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Ms. Kerstin Born is the Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Europe, a business network for corporate social responsibility with around 70 multinational corporations and 24 national partner organizations who engage in developing practical solutions to socio-economic and environmental challenges.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly instrumental in defining the role of business in society. Can you explain us what exactly CSR is?
I could speak for a long time about the definition of CSR, because it is such a broad topic. There are many discussions going on, but I would say it is the responsible behaviour by corporations, in regard to society, community and internal and external stakeholders.
In general, the three dimensions that interplay in the field of CSR are social, environmental and economic success. But employability, diversity and climate change are also fields of responsibility.
What is the mission of CSR Europe?
CSR Europe was founded in 1995 when CSR was not such a well-known concept. The leading companies and senior business leaders thought they needed to engage, network and exchange knowledge about how to put responsible behaviour into practice.
CSR Europe provides a platform for companies to exchange products in this area and to innovate in sustainable products and technologies, because we aim at mainstreaming and maximizing the mutual benefit of CSR. An example of this is the CSR Laboratories, which are a medium to support exchanges between businesses, relevant stakeholders and governments who aim to find practical solutions pertaining to CSR challenges.
What kind of pressures or social trends is causing companies to embrace CSR? Do they adopt a responsible behaviour voluntarily or because there are pressures?
I think it is an interaction of both. On one side, I believe companies have realized the importance and potential of mutual benefits, because they don’t simply do it out of philanthropic behaviour, they seek profit.
On the other side, there is more information and competition around. The consumer is more aware and more informed. If he looks up information on the Web about two competing companies and finds out that one has a responsible, transparent behaviour, he tends to go for the product offered by that one.
How can we ensure that companies behave in an ethical manner?
Examples of this have already happened in the past. In the 90’s Shell planned to sink a decommissioned oil platform in the North Sea, but consumers reacted and boycotted Shell products because of the environmental risks related to the operation, until the company reviewed its decision. So yes, there is something consumers can do. They can opt for this or that company’s competitors.
Do businesses realize the importance of building partnerships with the nonprofit sector in order to deliver socially responsible services and products?
I will give you an example of one of our member companies. Danone has put up a project together with the NGO GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), in India. They have produced yoghurt containing certain nutritional elements, needed for a specific community in a poor region, who lacked vitamins and minerals.
This low priced product developed in partnership is now a big success for all parts involved: for the NGO (advancing health in this region), for Danone (because on a long term basis this product is profitable) and it is a success for the public sector, because governments are interested in investments with positive impact in the populations they serve. No company can succeed in a failing society. This summarizes it very well. |
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| Recently Acquired books for CIDESC's library |
CIDESC recently acquired the book Attacking the Root Causes of Torture: Poverty, Inequality and Violence, published by The World Organisation Against Torture: It is an interdisciplinary study that resulted from an international research project initiated in 2003.
The preface of this report was written by Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who launches a pertinent question that already reveals the purpose of the study: “(…) how to prevent or reduce violence, including torture, by acting on its root causes, often found in violations of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR)?”
The book has three parts, each addressing a core issue. The first focuses on the possible correlations between socio-economic inequalities and violence in numerous countries. The second part evaluates the situation of human rights, poverty, inequality and violence in five countries and analyses more in detail specific violence situations resulting from the violation of the ESCR. Finally, in the last part it is described how several international organizations approach the correlation between poverty, inequality and violence and how they could become relevant for the resolution of that issue.
It is now available in CIDESC’s library the publication The Right to Housing, edited by CETIM, the Europe-Third World Centre.
This brochure was prepared by Christophe Golay, advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and Melik Özden, Director to the CETIM’s Human Rights Programme and permanent representative of the CETIM to the United Nations.
The small book is part of a wider series of brochures that was published within the scope of the Human Rights Programme of CETIM. Not neglecting all Human Rights, which are in fact object of defence and promotion by the programme and considered indivisible and inseparable by CETIM, the organization focus on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Right to Development.
This series of brochures aims to provide more information to those who are fighting for Human Rights and clarify the official documents and instruments such as conventions, treaties and declarations, among others.
It is available in English, French and Spanish but the translation to other languages is welcome and encouraged as long the original edition is referred and CETIM is informed.
This brochure and previous issues published are also available online and you can find it here. | | |
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International Conference Citizenship in an Enlarged Europe: the contribution of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | 10th, 11th and 12th April 2008 |
Next year the world will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is time to join the fight for dignity, it is time to support the words stated by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, during the celebration of this year’s Human Rights Day, “Let us make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights an integral part of everyone’s life.”
Next year’s CIDESC’s International Conference - Citizenship in an Enlarged Europe: the Contribution of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will set a great opportunity to become active in the pursuit of this goal. It’s being organized in partnership with ACEVO (United Kingdom), the Order of Architects (Portugal) and the Observatory of Microcredit (University of Bologna/Italy) and will occur from 10th to 12th April.
Stakeholders, politicians and civil society representatives are invited to exchange their perspectives and find innovative ways of thinking in an effort to link Human Rights to a more comprehensive citizenship. Throughout seven discussion panels ESCR will be on focus: Economic & Social Rights; European Dimension of ESCR; ESCR & International Development Aid; Cultural Rights; Civil Society voices in the Promotion of ESCR; Democracy, Citizenship and Participatory Governants; and Operacionalization and vindication of ESCR.
Creating places and spaces of trans-sectorial dialogue and discussion allows cross-fertilization. This, in turn, can only prove to be useful to reinforce values shared by the whole of humanity and enshrined 60 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Join the cause!
Keep in touch with CIDESC’s website where more information about the conference will soon be available.
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United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child |
The Committee will meet for its 47th session from 14th January to 1st February 2008.
The work sessions will proceed with the analysis of the reports submitted by State parties of Georgia, Timor Leste, Germany, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Kuwait and Chile.
Additionally, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Bangladesh, France, Sweden, Malawi, Moldova, Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti, and Romania submitted reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Argentina, Tanzania, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Tunisia, Uganda, Maldives and Oman submitted reports under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict and finally, Tanzania, Austria, Lithuania, Uganda, Maldives, Netherlands and Oman submitted reports under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Furthermore, during this 47th Session, the Committee will also discuss ways to improve cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies, in order to serve the best interests concerning the rights of the child.
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