Centre Europe - Tiers Monde, Genève, Suisse (CETIM)

www.cetim.ch

The CETIM works to contribute to an exchange of critical views from both Southern and Northern societies in response to what appears to be the emerging trends for the 21st century. With this aim in mind, the CETIM has a number of tools in hand.

Publications: a different slant

As a not-for-profit association, the CETIM deals with topics that the media often neglect. Convinced that some social actors in both global and national power struggles start with a decided handicap, the CETIM as publisher pays careful attention to the myriad conflicts that daily endanger peace and to the search for alternatives that could ensure egalitarian and lasting development.

With this aim in mind, the CETIM has produced and distributed some 90 publications to date. We offer our services to associations and NGOs wishing to take advantage of our technical expertise and publishing experience. Our publications mostly target a general public and solicit active solidarity with the victims of human rights violations, many of whom face social problems linked to globalisation.

Active support of awareness-raising campaigns

By getting involved in consultations and demonstrations, the CETIM participates in local, national and international campaigns in cooperation with a wide network of organisations and movements. Already in 1995, for instance, the CETIM organised an international symposium, « GATT/WTO: What are the issues, the effects? » in Geneva with 20 speakers and several hundred participants.

Working at the UN

CETIM enjoys general category consultative status with the ECOSOC, the UN Economic and Social Council, which allows us to engage in several important activities. Criticisms emerging from civil society (people’s movements, grassroots organisations, trade unions and NGOs) around the world are transmitted to the international level in the form of proposals for concrete action and calls for innovation. At present, the CETIM is emphasising in particular respect for, implementation and promotion of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as issues related to the right to development.

Documentation centre

As its name indicates, the CETIM is a research and study centre with specialised documentation on numerous subjects; we also subscribe to more than 250 regional and international periodicals as well as to those published by various UN bodies. The CETIM’s archives are open to researchers, students and others on request.

Overall, the CETIM’s various activities and tools complement each other. Our original approach has won us considerable acclaim on various levels – international and national as well as among Geneva-based associations.

One publication

8 case studies