About
CUTS
CUTS
is a non-profit, non-governmental research and advocacy group,
with headquarters in Jaipur, India, pursuing “economic equity
and social justice within and across borders”.
It
has four programme centres in India: two at Jaipur, one each at
Chittorgarh, and Calcutta; the Africa Resource Centre in Lusaka,
Zambia; one sub-centre in Nairobi, Kenya; and a representative
office in London, UK. A team of over 75 people spread across these
centres puts in efforts to address concerns of a common man.
The
organisation is engaged in issues related to consumer protection;
international trade, investment and competition; sustainable
consumption and rural development, in particular on women’s
empowerment. It is accredited to the UNCTAD, UNEP, UNCSD, and is
affiliated with several national, regional and international
organisations such as Consumers International, International
Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, South Asia Watch on
Trade, Economics & Environment, Environment Liaison Centre
International, CIVICUS, and Consumer Co-ordination Council, India.
For
more: www.cuts-international.org.
Conclave
Structure
The
Conclave is designed to be a forum for civil society, media,
academia, policy makers, businesses, and other stakeholders across
the world. The Conclave mosaic includes debates around major
development issues affecting people such as the Agenda 21, WTO,
Investment, Regulation & Competition, Governance &
Development, Women’s Issues, Healthcare, Food, and Water.
Identified experts and policy makers will discuss the same in the
context of governance and poverty reduction. 15 March 2003, the
last date of the Conclave, and also observed, as World Consumer
Rights Day will be dedicated to consumers and their role in
governance and poverty reduction.
The
Conclave provides for parallel sessions to will showcase case
studies of successes and non-successes in the area of social
change from three different spheres: civil society, state
intervention, and international co-operation. The case studies
will also identify conditions that appropriate rights-based
approach to governance and poverty reduction. These case studies
will be documented and presented as a complete volume much before
the event, while the Conclave Proceedings and Recommendations will
also be documented and serve as a Policy Handbook for policy
makers, civil society and the international community.
The
last date for accepting case studies for initial review is 15
August 2002. For more details please
visit www.cuts-international.org/CUTS-Anniversary.htm
As
concrete outcomes, the Conclave will result in a better-informed
civil society, a more sensitised bureaucracy, and an enabled
international community, to adopt and advocate similar cogent
approaches in their future agendae of action. It would challenge
the notions of sceptics and anti-globalisers, and present a
positive view of the changes taking place.
For
participation please send your expression of interest to Mr Apurva
Dayal
