ounded in 2002, the
sociación Civil por la
gualdad y la Justicia (ACIJ) is
edicated to the defense of the
most disadvantaged
groups
Samarthan
nd to the strengthening of
emocracy
in Argentina. Its
Established in 1994, Samarthan works in the
oals are
to
promote
effective
states of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh
nforcement
of
the
National
in India. The CSO promotes participatory
onstitution
and the rule of
development and governance through direct
w, compliance
with laws
field action, capacity-building, research,
hat protect
disadvantaged
advocacy. Samarthan has trained both
roups, and
and
eradication of all
government officials and the public on India’s
iscriminatory
practices. ACIJ
Right to Information Act and has worked
so seeks
to
contribute
to the
to facilitate community participation in
evelopment
of
participatory
development plans. It has worked with local
nd deliberative
democratic
village development committees to improve
ractices
in Argentina. To
their capacity to participate in the Madhya
hese ends,
it
Pradesh Rural Livelihood Project and has
Engages
in collaborative
local governing bodies to monitor
fforts totrained
improve
functioning
programs like NREGS. The organization’s
nd greater
transparency in
research activities include analyses of the
ublic institutions;
implementation of the NREGA and the Right
Promotes
the enforcement
Information Act, as well as assessments
f the toofNational
Constitution
the viability and activities of India’s
nd effective
compliance
local government system (Panchayati Raj).
ith laws
that
protect
Samarthan works on issue-based partnerships
isadvantaged
groups,
and
more than 200 CSOs to demonstrate
eeks with
the
eradication
of
participatory governance and amplify the
ws and
practices which
voices of the poor, Dalits (scheduled castes),
iscriminate
against
historically
tribal groups, and women in policy-making
marginalized
minority
groups;
platforms.
Raises
awareness among
tizens about
their basic rights
more information on Samarthan, go to:
nd the For
channels
available for
www.samarthan.org
heir protection;
Makes proposals for
ublic policy reforms; and
Trains professionals from
The Article 2 Project
This booklet is part of the Article 2 & Governments’ Budgets handbook. The
handbook has been developed by the Article 2 Project, a working group housed
first at the Partnership Initiative of the International Budget Partnership (IBP),
and then at the Global Movement for Budget Transparency, Accountability and
Participation. The project aims to enhance understanding of the implications of
article 2 of the ICESCR for how governments should develop their budgets, raise
revenue and undertake expenditures. The project encourages the use by civil
society and governments of the legal provisions of article 2 to monitor and analyze
governments’ budgets. Download the complete handbook at:
www.internationalbudget.org/publications/ESCRArticle2.
The case study in this booklet is derived from Ramesh Awasthi, “Samarthan’s
campaign to improve access to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
in India,” Albert van Zyl (Coord.), From Analysis to Impact, Partnership Initiative
Case Study Series, coordinated by IBP, 2011.
A
� uthors: Ann Blyberg and Helena Hofbauer
February 2014