• •
• •
•
Staff have significant human rights and legal expertise to bring to the coalition. Amnesty International (AI) has a global mandate to work on Economic, Social & Cultural (ESC) rights, including domestically. Resources allocated to a body of work on ESC rights, including staff and limited activity budget. AI is able to dedicate staff & limited resources to build strategic relationships with a view to advancing the Initiative’s goal.
•
•
• • • • •
The wealth of expertise of partner organisations balances with the limitations on AI Ireland. Working together provides for significant learning through information sharing & engagement. The number and variety of voices in the coalition strengthens the impact of activities. The Constitutional Convention has provided a hook for campaigning on an issue that is difficult to make tangible.
• • •
Human rights law & AI policy can be limited, resulting in limitations on what AI can say from a public campaigning perspective. Amnesty International does not work directly with rights holders, in the domestic sphere, which can very often be critical to developing an effective, informed campaign. Although resources have been allocated in the short term, the level of work that can be committed into the long term is limited.
There are a variety of organisations in the Initiative, few with an explicit commitment to human rights, and all carrying significant existing programmes of work. The ESC Rights Initiative can be seen as an ‘add on’ to existing work, as a result capacity can be limited. There are no pooled or common resources, all resources sit within each member organisation. We are operating in competitive environments. Issues are competing against each other for spaces in which to be heard. With diminishing resources it is difficult to stay relevant.
Workshop F – Amnesty International