Workshops
Why MES with Human Rights?: Rethinking Macroeconomic Strategies from a Human Rights Perspective: Session 2: Monetary Policy and the Application of Human Rights in Economic Policy, AWID Young Feminist Wire Webinar: October 17, 2012
The second of CWGL’s two part webinar with the AWID Young Feminist Wire focused on understanding central banks and their relationship to economic and social rights, and the importance of financial regulation. Presenters Radhika Balakrishnan, CWGL’s Executive Director, and James Heintz, PERI’s Associate Director, provided participants with an introduction to understanding the central bank, international financial institutions, balance of payments, and exchange rates in relation to non-discrimination and equality and the obligation to protect. At the conclusion of the webinar, presenters summarized the main points from both webinars and reminded participants of key indicators to assess macroeconomic policies using a human rights framework. Participants noted that economic policies have serious implications on the realization of human rights, that there is little gendered analysis, and that unjust neoliberal economic practices privilege private corporations and wealthy countries
Macroeconomic Strategies from a Human Rights Perspective: How to use human rights to assess economic policy, UN Women Brown Bag Lunch Series, New York, New York: October 11, 2012
Diane Elson, University of Essex and CWGL affiliate, and Radhika Balakrishnan, CWGL Executive Director, presented to UN Women staff and civil society on bridging human rights and economic policies. The presenters introduced the Maximum Available Resource star and focused the discussion on government expenditure and government revenue. They also emphasized the importance of governments creating macroeconomic policies that not only support human rights, but also demonstrate the fulfillment of human rights obligations in the outcomes of economic policies. Balakrishnan and Elson concluded the presentation by summarizing key ways to assess economic policy.
Why MES with Human Rights?: Rethinking Macroeconomic Strategies from a Human Rights Perspective: Session 1: Fiscal Policy and State Obligations, AWID Young Feminist Activism Webinar: September 24, 2012
In the first two minutes of the webinar, presenters Radhika Balakrishnan and James Heintz asked, “What does economics mean to you?” “Power, money, poverty, capitalism, and inequality,” were some of the responses given by the 30 AWID Young Feminist Wire members that participated in a collaborative webinar on Monday, September 24th organized by AWID, CWGL, and PERI. The first session, out of two, focused on fiscal policy and state obligations. Presenters provided participants with an introduction to the ways in which economic and social rights, gender equality and fiscal policy intersect. The discussions tapped into why using a human rights framework to address macroeconomics is relevant for feminist activists as well as the ways in which fiscal policy can be used to either undermine or strengthen economic and social rights. Towards the end of the webinar, participants were given useful tools for applying this framework. Suggestions ranged from utilizing international human rights mechanisms such as the UN’s Universal Periodic Review and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to monitoring local and national budgets in an effort to develop gender budgeting in country. The second webinar is scheduled for October 17th and will focus on Monetary Policy.
Demystifying Economics: Macroeconomic Policy, 2012 AWID Forum, Istanbul, Turkey: April 19, 2012
During the Association for Women’s Rights in Development 2012 Forum CWGL presented a skills-building workshop on macroeconomics to an audience of over 100 feminist activists from all around the world working on issues related to women’s rights, social justice, and human rights. The workshop provided forum participants with an introduction to macroeconomics that unpacked key terms related to monetary and fiscal policies and their impacts on the realization of economic and social rights. Presenters included: Radhika Balakrishnan, CWGL; Diane Elson, University of Essex; and James Heintz, Political Economy Research Institute.
Making Economics Work for US: A Human Rights and Feminist Perspective, 2012 Global Social Work Student Conference, New York, New York: March 25, 2012
At the Global Social Work Student Conference, CWGL’s Program Coordinator, Margot Baruch, presented a workshop which introduced the linkages between macroeconomics and human rights to a group of 50 social work professionals and students. Ms. Baruch magnified the ways in which the U.S. government has obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill economic and social rights and when the U.S. fails to uphold these obligations, it is violating basic human rights standards. CWGL’s Nexus Brief provides more information about economic and social rights in the U.S.
Economics Workshop: Applying Human Rights Perspectives to Macroeconomic Policies, UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York, New York: March 2, 2011
On March 2, 2011, CWGL organized a workshop on economics entitled, Applying a Human Rights Perspectives to Macroeconomic Policy. Radhika Balakrishnan, CWGL’s Executive Director, and Manuel F. Montes, Chief, Development Strategy and Policy Analysis at UN DESA, presented a strategic analysis on the use of social and economic rights as a framework through which to assess the impact of macroeconomic policy. The workshop was well attended by a diverse group of activists, UN experts and non-governmental organization representatives.
2010 Human Rights Summer Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey: July 16-18, 2010
CWGL hosted the US Human Rights Network Summer Institute in mid July 2010 for advanced practitioners in social justice organizing. The training provided advocates and organizers with practical analytical tools to aid with campaign messaging, strategy development and policy recommendations on macroeconomic policies and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR). The 2010 Summer Institute explored critical issues pertaining to the application and exercise of ESCR in the United States. The institute examined four areas in particular: macroeconomic policy and ESCR; the impact of "biased" policies and neo-liberal globalization on oppressed (i.e. Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian, immigrant, etc.) communities; participatory practices and the realization of ESCR; and methods and evaluative tools for monitoring ESCR violations. [Report on the 2010 Human Rights Summer Institute] provides a more detailed overview with [photos] and [videos].
Rethinking Macro Economic Strategies from a Human Rights Perspective, US Social Forum, Detroit MI: June 24, 2010
CWGL offered key strategies and practical skills to support the use of the human rights framework in examining macroeconomic policies and outcomes. The workshop provided forum participants with an introduction on how to intervene in economic policies and impact government spending. The educational methods presented also generated increased interest in the strategic use of human rights not only as a moral framework but also as a concrete legal tool to hold governments and other actors accountable.
