Mexico

American Center for International Labor Solidarity
$600,000
To support activities promoting independent, democratic trade unions in Mexico and contribute to the consolidation of democracy within the country. The Solidarity Center will support activities to strengthen the organizational capacity of the National Telephone Workers’ Union and independent unions and labor organizations in the mining, metal, and petroleum sectors. The Solidarity Center will assist migrant worker organizations in agricultural and service industries through systematic documentation of labor abuses committed by labor recruiters and legal strategies to combat these abuses.

Article 19 México
$30,000
To promote judicial protection of freedom of expression in Mexico to ensure compliance with international standards. To train lawyers and students about international human rights standards, Article 19 México will collaborate with law firms and university legal clinics. By pursuing paradigmatic cases in both the domestic and international justice systems, Article 19 México will encourage the application of international human rights standards regarding freedom of expression.

Asociación Mexicana para la Seguridad Ciudadana, A.C. (Seguridad Ciudadana)
$30,000
To promote increased accountability in and cooperation between the Office of the Attorney General and the Office for Public Security in Mexico City. In addition to assessing the level of collaboration between these offices, Seguridad Ciudadana will analyze the Police Information System and make recommendations for improvement. Seguridad Ciudadana will also evaluate implementation of the policy recommendations that it made in 2008.

Centro de Derechos Humanos y Asesoría a Pueblos Indígenas (CEDHAPI)
$39,990
To strengthen the capacity of Oaxacan human rights defenders, including attorneys, indigenous leaders, community leaders and journalists; and to promote new legal strategies to protect human rights in Oaxaca. CEDHAPI will train a wide range of human rights defenders and provide them with tools and strategies to carry out their work more effectively.

Centro de Periodismo y Ética Pública (CEPET)
$30,000
To promote and defend journalists’ freedom of expression and raise awareness about violations of freedom of expression in Mexico. CEPET will continue its system to monitor and issue alerts about violations across Mexico. Based on this information, CEPET will publish an annual report about the state of freedom of expression in Mexico. Additionally, CEPET will investigate and draft a report on journalists’ use of self-censorship.

Centro Regional de Defensa de Derechos Humanos “José Ma. Morelos y Pavón” A.C. (Centro Morelos)
$22,095
To strengthen protections and promote greater public awareness for the human rights of women in Guerrero State. Centro Morelos will prepare a report on the situation of women’s human rights, and will litigate a series of cases that have the potential to strengthen jurisprudence protecting women’s rights. Centro Morelos will organize a public event to present its report and the results of its litigation efforts.

Ciudadanos en Medios, Democracia e Información, A.C. (Ciudadanos en Medios)
$31,756
To promote debate between civil society and media outlets about journalistic coverage of fundamental political issues in Mexico. Ciudadanos en Medios will monitor television, print and radio media in Mexico to evaluate the degree to which they objectively cover political issues and will publish the results of its analysis. With the Autonomous UniverUniversity of Mexico, Ciudadanos en Medios will establish a research archive promoting objective media coverage in Mexico.

Colectivo de Investigación, Desarrollo y Educación entre
Mujeres A.C. (CIDEM)
$56,295
To promote dialogue between the public and private sectors about a code of ethics for media coverage of women’s rights and human rights in Mexico. Working in Veracruz, CIDEM will draft a code of ethics on media coverage of gender issues which it will present to the general public, civil society organizations, and union members. CIDEM will assist civil society in monitoring its implementation in media outlets.

Consejo Regional Indígena y Popular de Xpujil S.C. (CRIPX)
$30,000
To promote citizen participation and input in the development of a strategic plan and municipal budget for Calakmul, Campeche. CRIPX will train citizens on issues related to municipal governance and accompany them as they advocate before local officials on the need to include greater civil society input into public policy decision. CRIPX will also produce a video showcasing the best practices for citizen involvement in municipal government decision-making processes.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
$290,000
To support Mexican civil society organizations to develop and use strategic tools to form coalitions, engage government actors, and propose solutions to address public security issues in two states. NDI will also work to enhance the capacity of key Mexican government actors to incorporate civil society input and recommendations into formal discussions on the development and implementation of public security policies.

The grant listings posted here are from the 2009 Annual Report, published in June 2010.