Fighting for justice

Breaking free from the oppression of poverty in Pakistan

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Every day ordinary people in the poorest parts of the world are taking a stand and sacrificing their own safety for the justice and rights we often take for granted. In Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories human rights defenders, trade unionists and journalists continue to come under extreme pressure for speaking out.

Why work on Governance & Human Rights? To challenge the social, economic and political structures that deepen injustice and condemn people to a life of poverty. Empowering vulnerable and marginalised people to demand their rights and challenge their government to account is critical to ending global poverty.

Support in action: In Pakistan 5,000 people have been freed from bonded labour since 2006. In India, 3,000 women successfully opposed new alcohol licenses to reduce the levels of domestic violence. In Angola a local radio station gives citizens airtime to hold their local government to account. The results have include restored electricity and water supplies and support for families affected by recent flooding.

WORKING FOR ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE IN MALAWI

Papers & research on Governance.

Universal Periodic Review

Established IN 2008, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a United Nations process whereby the human rights record of every UN member state is reviewed every four years. It has been viewed as one of the most significant developments in the global human rights system in recent times. The first cycle, in which each one of the UN’s member states was reviewed for the first time, has just ended in October 2011, and the second cycle will begin in 2012.

The process of the UPR – governments being held publicly accountable for their human rights duties by their citizens, civil society and the UN community of nations – goes to the heart of Trócaire’s work for a just world. Since 2008, Trócaire’s Governance and Human Rights team have been actively promoting the use of the UPR, with the result that Trócaire and partners have engaged in the UPR process in over half of Trócaire’s programme countries.

The following paper gives a brief overview of what Trócaire has learned and achieved in the first cycle of the UPR, and identifies opportunities and actions to be taken in the upcoming second UPR cycle.
Access to Justice - Programme Resource

This manual aims to contribute to Trócaire and partners’ Access to Justice work by providing an overview of contemporary human rights ideas and justice mechanisms and by highlighting best practice in Trócaire’s Governance and Human Rights (GHR) programmes across the globe.

As the international human rights framework continues to expand, states have come under greater scrutiny for their human rights records, thus broadening the space for civil society to engage and to demand compliance with international standards. Trócaire and partners can avail of this opportunity to make our Access to Justice work more robust in our countries of operation.
Democracy in Action: Protecting Civil Society Space

This Policy Report has been produced by Trócaire, the Irish Catholic Agency for World Development. The report was produced by the Governance and Human Rights team. Trócaire would like to thank Sarah Hunt for her work on earlier drafts of this paper.
Research Policy Networks in Ethiopia: Agents of Change?

This paper is the synthesis of case studies of four Ethiopian civil society networks.
Stand for Global Justice

In preparation for the European Parliament elections which will be held in Ireland on June 5th 2009, this document outlines six key priorities which Trocaire is calling on Irish MEPs to take forward in the next European Parliament 2009-2004.

Trócaire