CSW

Mission

The Center for Social Well Being (CSW) seeks to engage and accompany marginalized women and men in emancipatory and democratic processes by using participatory methodologies that promote consciousness-raising, community mobilization, organizational strengthening, advocacy and government accountability. We work to document and measure the impact of these processes by conducting social science inquiry rooted in Participatory Action Research methods. Drawing on both practical experiences in the field as well as research findings, we advocate for policy directions and programmatic approaches that safeguard improvements for the well being of the disenfranchised majority of the Peruvian population.

Objectives

The Center for Social Well Being is dedicated to fostering and strengthening men and women’s active democratic participation by increasing their capacity to influence government decision-making and hold public actors accountable. Specifically, we seek to accompany community organizations through processes of problem identification, proposal development, acquisition of appropriate skills, community mobilization and advocacy to influence policies and programs at local, regional and national levels. We encourage organizations to develop integrated approaches to voicing their concerns on and seeking solutions to critical issues affecting their community, such as:

• Health, including Sexual and Reproductive Health

• Community Ecology, Resource Management and Environmental Health

• Education and Capacity-building

• Income-Generation

• Improved Living Conditions

The following crosscutting principles guide our work:

• Human Rights: Promotion and protection of social, economic, cultural, political, civil, and sexual and reproductive rights

• Equity and Equality: Advance equity and equality among gender, social and economic resources, political representation, ethnicity and race.

• Democracy and Self-determination: Support citizens participation and involvement in public affairs and self-determination in their own human development.

Our efforts focus on Peruvian citizens that are most often excluded from participating in public affairs. These include the economically disadvantaged, indigenous populations, women, and inhabitants of rural and peri-urban areas, Peru’s Andean Highlands (sierra).