Civil society organizations (CSOs) make a difference in international development. They provide development services and humanitarian relief, innovate in service delivery, build local capacity and advocate with and for the poor. Acting alone, however, their impact is limited in scope, scale and sustainability. CSOs need to engage in government policy processes more effectively.

The first part of this report shows why and how better use of evidence by CSOs is part of the solution to increasing more...

'Armed violence is not the preserve of conflict countries. The increasing convergence of widespread violence and criminal activity is a severe hindrance for non-conflict countries’ development - Mexico is a case in point. Many southern countries are witnessing an increase in youth populations (and ergo youth gangs), and this, combined with the prevalence of ungoverned urban spaces has meant that criminal activity such as the trafficking of drugs, arms and people has quickly moved from a local/ more...

'An Amnesty International briefing highlights patterns of alleged human rights violations by Greek police against civilians. These include excessive use of force and firearms, torture or other ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and denial of prompt access to lawyers.'

French police have been accused of committing gross human rights violations – often against ethnic minorities – for which they are seldom brought to justice.

'The Paraguayan state is failing to adequately protect the rights of its Indigenous Peoples, forcing many to live in misery and effectively condemning some to death.'
Source: Amnesty International

'Around seven hundred thousand mostly low-income and minority men and women are released from prison each year. Returning to lives of low wages and high rates of unemployment, about two thirds will be rearrested within three years. A national prisoner reentry program is proposed whose core element is up to a year of transitional employment available to all parolees in need of work. Transitional jobs are supplemented by substance-abuse treatment and housing after release, expanded work and educat more...

'Everyone would agree that international human rights standards are the foundation of the responsibility to protect (R2P). States have an obligation to protect their populations from the worst atrocities on the basis of international human rights precepts. However, it was not until the advent of R2P that the international community accepted for the first time the collective responsibility to act should states fail to protect citizens from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes or crimes against more...

'In an interview, Ann Florini discussed the difference between 'global government' and 'global governance,' intergovernmental organizations such as the UN, and the role and achievements of civil society and transnational networks, particularly on environmental issues.'

The right to food campaign came into existence when the Supreme Court of India, in the year 2002, ordered for extension of assistance to those at risk of starvation after the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) filed a writ petition following the paradox of starvation deaths amidst overflowing foodstocks in 2000. A rights-based approach to development is a conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and opera more...

Right activists slammed a decision by the Sudanese cabinet to drop an article banning the practice of female genital cutting in the country. The government took its decision in accordance with an Islamic fatwa on the issue.

The Council of Ministers on February 5 dropped the article (13) of the draft Children’s Act of 2009, which provides for the ban of female genital mutilation as part of other customs and traditions harmful to the health of the child, and after approval of the draft Childr more...