Harman Patil (Editor)

Social Watch

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Founded
  
1995

Product
  
Research, Reporting

Location
  
Montevideo, Uruguay

Focus
  
Poverty, social inequality, racism, gender justice

Social Watch is a transnational alternative policy group and network of citizens organizations that disseminates analyses, reports and information tools oriented towards the enhancement of social and gender justice, peace and ecological sustainability. Established in 1995, its secretariat and coordinating personnel is hosted by the Third World Institute, whose international seat is based in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Adopting a critical-liberal stance, Social Watch is focused on four broad goals:

  1. the eradication of poverty and the causes of poverty,
  2. an end to all forms of discrimination and racism,
  3. an equitable distribution of wealth, and
  4. the realization of human rights, emphasizing ‘the right of all people not to be poor’.

On these fronts, Social Watch engages both United Nations-sponsored and related intergovernmental initiatives that address global governance issues, as well as simultaneously coordinating a vast network of grassroots activist—so-called ‘Watchers’ (over 80 in both North and South)--that monitor compliance with international covenants.

The practice of ‘Watching,’ involves documenting and reporting on events, or failures to act (a kind of alternative journalism), thereby raising awareness and consciousness and holding governments and intergovernmental organizations to account in honoring their commitments. News concerning noncompliance generated by Watchers in various countries (who exercise democratic control over knowledge production) is regularly updated on the Social Watch website. Each year, reports from the Watchers are also condensed and compiled into an overall Social Watch Report, which is widely distributed in intergovernmental and non-governmental organization circles, as well as back to the various grassroots communities of Watchers.

Publications

In 2011, Social Watch released the Basic Capabilities Index, a report on global development and human well-being.

In 2012, it published its most recent Gender Equity Index, one of the measures of gender equality.

In 2014, it published its annual Report, "Means and Ends."

References

Social Watch Wikipedia