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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.

The Impact of Service "Speaking with locals and living in a country is the best way to learn about the real lives of citizens, not just the stories in the mainstream media. I will be more critical of what I read as a result of this experience. I also feel even more grateful for my education, and I feel a stronger responsibility to assist others who do not have resources or access to opportunities in their communities." Maria Skouras (New York University) volunteered in 2011 as a Peace Fellow for eHomemakers in Malaysia. For more 2011 feedback click here.

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Center for Economic and Social Rights

The Center for Economic and Social Rights (Centro de Derechos Economicos y Sociales - CDES) is a Quito-based organization whose mission is to use human rights activism to confront basic development problems. Under this broad framework CDES focuses on issues of debt, multilateral banks, and free trade. CDES provides grassroots organizations with training and legal assistance that gives local communities in the Amazon new tools and opportunities to fortify their campaigns.

• Topics: Indigenous Rights, Human Rights, Development, Trade
• Area: Ecuador (Amazon region)
• Founded: 1997

• CDES divides its work into five departments and records their advocacy and projects on their website. (Available in Spanish).

• CDES campaigns to protect the Sarayaku indigeneous community in Pastanza where international oil companies plan to drill for oil. In 2002, CDES led a grassroots battle against oil exploration in the Amazon.  The Advocacy Project highlighted this advocacy effort in a campaign profile, Defending the Amazon and in On the Record (email newsletters) Amazon Oil.

• Publications

CDES has an extensive collection of reports, bulletins, and recommendations indexed on its website.  (Available in Spanish).

• AdvocacyNet

March 29, 2005
Sarayaku Indians to Confront Ecuador Over Oil Exploration at Inter-American Human Rights Hearing

• Blogs

In 2004, AP sent Christina Fetterhoff of Georgetown University to intern with CDES in Quito. Read Christina's blog.

October 6, 2006
CDES celebrates the Norwegian Government's Decision to Cancel Its Illegitimate Debt with Ecuador
ESCR-Net

October 6, 2006
Norway Takes Historic Step, Unilaterally Cancels Its Illegitimate Third World Debt
Odious Debts Online

April 24, 2004
Fear for Safety/Death Threats
Amnesty International

• Partners

CDES lists its partner organizations on its website.

• Connectivity

Subscribe to CDES' news bulletin service.  (Available in Spanish).

• Government Action: One of CDES' major campaigns has been to pressure international actors to cancel illegitimate debt.  October 2, 2006, the Norwegian government answered this pressure by cancelling $38 million of debt that was to be paid before 2018.  (CDES celebrates the Norwegian Government's Decision to Cancel Its Illegitimate Debt with Ecuador)

Contact:
Teresa de Cepeda
N32-225 y Av. República, Quito-Ecuador.
Telephone (5932) 3318 659
Email CDES

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