English

Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales, A.C (PRODESC) is an NGO founded in 2005 whose main goal is the defense of economic, social and cultural rights in Mexico in order to provide enforcement, justiciability and accountability of these rights on a systemic level.

Why do we strive for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR)?

The achievement of social justice in all of the aspects of daily life is one of the principal demands from the perspective of human rights. The most pressing necessities in Mexican society are the rights to health, food, education, work, housing and the respect of various cultural identities. Nonetheless, the lack of adequate public policies that assure access to these rights has created larger inequality for the most vulnerable sectors of the population. Therefore, it is necessary to document these human rights violations, initiate a debate regarding the obligations of governmental institutions to make these economic, social and cultural rights accessible and just in order to achieve a truly just society for all. It is also necessary to accompany communities and workers in their grassroots efforts to reclaim these rights in order to achieve authentic social justice.

Operating “Utopia”

Contribute to the enforcement, justiciability and accountability of ESCRs in order to generate conditions that provide all people in Mexico a dignified life.

Mission

To defend, from an integrated perspective, all people who are exploited in regards to their economic, social, and cultural rights.

Strategic Objectives

  • To provide an integrated defense of the ESCRs through strategic litigation, strengthening of organization processes, and political advocacy to better the living conditions of people.
  • To construct alliances at the community, state, national, and international level in order to make the work of the organization more powerful and effective.
  • To consolidate the process of institutionalization by means of a solid funding base, professionalization of our staff, and adequate employment and administrative policies.

Strategies

External
  • Strategic national and international litigation.
  • Investigation and analysis
  • Advocacy
  • Communication and Publication
  • Strengthening of organization efforts (Accompaniment, Trust building, Incorporation of a human rights perspective in their struggles, Capacity building, Alliance-building)
Internal
  • Fund-raising.
  • Dignified Salaries.
  • Solidification of a basic infrastructure.
  • Training for all staff members.
  • Financial and administrative transparency.

Main Themes of Work

  1. Development Rights
  2. Transnational Justice
  3. Gender and Diversity Issues
  4. Multinational Companies, the State, and Human Rights

Sub Themes of work

    1. Labor Rights
    2. Rights to Land, Territory, and Natural Resources
    3. Corporate Social Responsibility
    4. Migration
    5. Civil and Political Rights which violate ESCRs

Organization Structure

Integral Defense

Due to our work experience and adherence to the main characteristics of human rights (universality, integrity, inalienability, conformity, and justiciability), the team has found it necessary to elaborate integrated defense strategies for the cases we handle. Therefore, ProDesc recognizes that the legal process is one important tool but that alone it does not solve the deeper structural causes for human rights violations. For this reason, ProDESC considers the following to be fundamental characteristics of integral defense: Interdisciplinarity, strategy, and inclusion of aspects that are not necessarily legal.

  • Legal defense, Policy advocacy
Organizing Processes and Campaigns

The strengthening of organizing efforts is a fundamental aspect of ProDesc’s work. We provide training and capacity building to help people organize their campaigns so that they can then advocate for the defense and promotion of their own human rights.

  • Training, Campaigns, Publicity and Communication
Advocacy

Through our advocacy program we seek to promote dialogue within all public spheres. Moreover, we intend to influence and create lasting structural changes that will guarantee consistent respect and fulfillment of the human rights of Mexicans both at home and abroad.

  • International and national dialogue, Promotion of strategic alliances

Institutional Improvements

For ProDESC, institutional improvements guarantee not only favorable conditions for our employees, but also the healthy and transparent maintenance of finances.

  • Administration, Accounting, Fundraising

Foundations that Supports ProDesc Work

  • Semillas
  • The Umberteilen Foundation
  • The Fund for Global Human Rights
  • Tides Foundation
  • General Service Foundation
  • The Impact Fund
  • The Solidarity Center AFL-CIO
  • The Ford Foundation

ProDESC TEAM

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Contact us
Telephone: (52) 52122230/29
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The Prodesc team consists of a multidisciplinary staff that provides a dynamic and professional support to all the projects that the organizations undertakes. In addition, every year we receive a wide range of interns from US universities, such as Columbia Law School, the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, Princeton University, University of Washington School of Law, among others. The contribution each member of our team has been integral in the achievements we’ve reached in the last three years.