October 5 & 6, 2000
The Ford Foundation
On October 5th and 6th, the Ford Foundation gathered a group of NGO activistsand Ford staff to discuss facilitating international cooperation oneconomic, social and cultural rights (ESCR). The conference coveredfour discrete topics: the challenges to creating a network on ESCR, the potential benefits of a network, the priorities of a network, and next steps in the planning process.
Despite numerous challenges (detailed in the longer report),participants agreed that a network could serve a valuable role instrengthening the global ESCR movement byproviding a forum for information sharing, international/collaborativeadvocacy, and expertise and technical assistance. Participants proposedthat the developing network should be guided by the followingprinciples:
- The network should focus on ESCR.
- The network should be inclusive, reaching out beyond human rights groups to grassroots and social justice groups involved in ESCR issues.
- The network should be global and multilingual.
- The network should serve members and be accessible through members??? daily work.
- The network should facilitate collective ESCR action by members.
- The network should seek to develop a ???collective voice??? on key ESCR issues.
Participants agreed that further study and outreach was necessarybefore decisions could be reached on the network???s mandate, content andstructure. It was therefore decided to schedule a follow-up meeting inFebruary-March 2001, and in the interim period establish working groupsto prepare recommendations for this meeting.
Sarah Zaidi coordinated the discussion of working groups in thefollowing areas ??? outreach, structure/governance, subcommittees and theweb ??? and served on the governance working group. Each Working Groupwas requested to solicit ideas from other non-profit organizations,networks, and experts and to prepare a draft report on their findingsby January 2001. Each group included a chairperson with overallresponsibility for the report and possibly also an outreach coordinatorto identify potential new working group members and disseminate theconference report, questionnaire and other materials. Final reportswere scheduled for the end of February, prior to the convening of thefollow-up meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. CESR designate provided logistical support as necessary, including conference call arrangements and list-serves.
Working Group 1:
Outreach ??? The following participants at the meeting agreed to participate in this working group: Fateh Azzam, Alice Brown, Joy Butts, Daria Caliguire, Chris Jochnick, Aubrey McCutcheon, Felix Morka, D.J. Ravindran and Loretta Ross.
This group will recommend criteria for identifying potential membersof the network and also begin the process of mapping out potentialmembers. The group will also recommend ways of institutionalizingoutreach once the network is running.
Working Group 2:
Structure/Governance ??? Larry Cox, Chris Jochnick, D.J. Ravindran, and Sarah Zaidi
This group will recommend how and where to staff the network, andhow to structure governance through steering committees, advisorygroups, or other mechanisms. It will also recommend how to compensatepeople serving on these working groups.
Working Group 3:
Subcommittees ??? Victor Abramovich, Geoff Budlender, Leilani Farha, Anuradha Mittal and Bruce Porter
This group will recommend focus areas or subgroups around which thenetwork can play a proactive role, conduct outreach to assess the needsand interests of other groups working on ESCR, andpropose ways for subgroups to operate within the network. Participantsalready committed to certain focus topics raised during the conference,such as AIDS, women and litigation strategies, are encouraged to request CESR coordination now to facilitate exchange of information and strategies.
Working Group 4:
Web ??? Daria Caliguire, Chris Caruso, Bruce Porter and Anthony Romero
This group will recommend a structure and relevant content areas for the network???s web-based information sharing system.