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Rare Book & Manuscript Library |
Table of Contents
Using the Collection
Note: some material may be restricted or offsite Container ListView All |
Summary InformationAbstract
At a Glance
ArrangementArrangementThis collection is arranged in 3 series.
DescriptionSummaryThe material includes publications written and published by The Center for Economic and Social Rights, individual employees, or partner organizations; press articles published in newspapers, magazines, and websites; surveys and research materials from three trips to Iraq; and statistics. The collection contains files related to the 1991 Harvard research mission, as well as the early years of CESR (from its inception in 1991-2003). The bulk of this collection corresponds to four research missions to Iraq from 1991-1997, and CESR's subsequent work related to the country. 5 boxes, 5.5 linear feet of material, belong to this first series on Iraq. There is a smaller second series of multi-country work and one additional series on general CESR material. This final series includes information on sponsored programs, correspondence, and workshops. These files range in date from 1991-2003, covering the tenure of the original founders. The files include the work of the Harvard research team, published CESR material and drafts, research articles and clippings, correspondence, notebooks, and UN documents.
Using the CollectionRare Book and Manuscript Library Restrictions on AccessYou will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account. 
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three (3) business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. This collection has no restrictions. Terms Governing Use and ReproductionSingle photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron. Preferred CitationIdentification of specific item; Date (if known); Center for Economic and Social Rights, 1989-2003; Box and Folder; Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library. Ownership and Custodial HistoryThe Center for Economic and Social Rights Files were the gift of Ignacio Saiz, Executive Director of CESR, to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University in 2015. About the Finding Aid / Processing InformationColumbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library Processing InformationCollection-level record describing unprocessed material made public in fall 2018 as part of the Hidden Collections initiative. This collection was processed by Evelyn MacPherson, GSAS 2025. Finding aid written by Evelyn MacPherson in June, 2022. Subject HeadingsThe subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives. All links open new windows. Subject
History / Biographical NoteBiographical / HistoricalIn 1991 an interdisciplinary research team from Harvard University traveled to Iraq to record how the Gulf War and economic sanctions had adversely affected the Iraqi population. In their exploration of the humanitarian crisis, the group focused on childhood health and malnutrition. The team interviewed mothers and other female caretakers to assess childhood mortality and morbidity. Their initial report, which found a substantial link between Gulf War era sanctions and early childhood malnutrition and death, made international headlines. Two years later, Roger Normand, Sarah Zaidi, and Chris Jochnick (three members of the Harvard research team), founded the Center for Economic and Social Rights. The organization's founding coincided with another important development in Human Rights. In June of 1993, at the World Conference on Human Rights, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was adopted. The declaration affirmed that all human rights – be they civil, political, economic, social or cultural – were indivisible and interrelated, and as such they should be protected equally. In turn, CESR sought to identify the relationship between socioeconomic policies and people's rights. Throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s, CESR continued to research Iraq, partaking in a series of five research missions. In 1997, they expanded their scope of study to include adult health, as well as food security. In 2001, CESR founded the "Iraq Sanctions Project" and over the next several years they would continue to publish material against US sanctions against, and later the invasion and occupation of, Iraq. While CESR's early work focused on Iraq, over the course of their thirty year history the organization has turned its attention to a number of regions and human rights violations. These injustices range from the mining of gold in Honduras to the mistreatment of taxi drivers in New York City. One of their early large scale projects took place in Ecuador and focused on the environment and health. Their sponsored programs include Right to Water, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, and the Women's Economic Equality Project (which was also founded by Sarah Zaidi). Their sister organization, Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales (CDES) [Center for Economic and Social Rights], was originally based in Brooklyn alongside CESR offices, but is now an independent organization based in Ecuador and operating across Latin America. In 2004, the original founders stepped down, although they remain on the advisory council. From 2004-2008 Eitan Felner took over as Executive Director, and Ignacio Saiz took on this role from 2009-2021. During this time, the CESR offices moved to Madrid, although they have since returned to New York. Kate Donald is presently the acting Executive Director. CESR continues to conduct projects and research globally. In light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, CESR has heightened its focus on the connection between the environment and human rights. |