Institutional Members

Centro de Estudios de Justicia de las Américas (CEJA)

The Justice Studies Center of the Americas (CEJA) is an international organization created in 1999 by the institutions of the Inter-American System. It is based in Santiago de Chile and its members are all the active countries of the Organization of American States.

CEJA arises in a context where the continent's countries, almost without exception, have over the past twenty years deeply reformed the programs of their justice systems, where the main areas addressed are criminal justice, government, access and system management. However, there is a widespread perception that the reforms have not yielded any results. Moreover, there is no systematic and thorough assessment of what has been accomplished to date. Given this situation, the Center was designed to reverse the status quo and to give new impetus to the modernization of justice systems throughout the continent.

Thus, CEJA’s mission is to support states in the region as they undergo processes of judicial reform, for whom it develops training activities, studies and empirical research, among other activities, aiming to meet its three key goals, which are:

• Thorough examination of the justice systems and development of innovative approaches in the discussion of judicial reform
• Promote cooperation and exchange of experiences among key actors in the justice sector at the regional level
• Generate and disseminate instruments that improve the information on justice in the Americas

Web page: www.cejamericas.org

Centro de Estudios en Seguridad Ciudadana (CESC)

The Center for Studies in Public Safety (CESC) depends on the Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Chile and began in October 2001, when it took over the first National Contest on Projects for Public Safety convened by CONICYT and the Ministry of the Interior. Under the leadership of Hugo Frühling, CESC develops its work through the design of public policies,
research, conducting outreach, and education.

Mission
CESC's mission is to contribute to the design of fully democratic public policies on citizen safety, the respect for people's rights, the opening for healthy criticism with a focus on the preventive dimension of violence reduction.

Objectives

• Elaborate studies and research of high methodological quality that address issues of concern in the treatment of crime and violence in general.
• Build information systems that provide adequate support to local and national policies that address the issue of violence.
• Assess the impact of intervention programs for risk groups that are aimed at reducing violence.
• Advise public and private institutions in the design, evaluation and systematization of programs to prevent violence and reduce crime.
• Participate in the training and qualification of professionals working in the areas of public safety and criminal justice.
• Maintain links and exchange with national and international bodies related to the reduction of violence and public safety.

Web page: www.cesc.uchile.cl

Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)

The Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) is an NGO that has been working since 1979 to promote and protect human rights and strengthen the democratic system in Argentina.

Objectives
The main objectives of the institution are the following:

• Denounce human rights violations
• Influence the formulation of public policies based on respect for fundamental rights.
• Promote legal and institutional reforms aimed at improving the quality of democratic institutions.
• Promote the exercise of these rights for the most vulnerable sectors of society

Web page: www.cels.org.ar

Fundación Ideas para la Paz

The Ideas for Peace Foundation (Fundación Ideas para la Paz, FIP) is an independent think tank, created in 1999 by a group of members of the Colombian business community. Its mission is to generate knowledge and propose initiatives that contribute to overcoming armed conflict and building sustainable peace in Colombia. Since its creation, FIP has evolved in accordance with the developments and shifts that have unfolded in the Colombian strategic scenario. Therefore, in its evolution it has been attentive to the ways in which the Colombian armed conflict has changed. It upholds the conviction that the end of armed conflict in Colombia will necessarily be achieved through negotiation or a series of peace negotiations that will require proper preparation and technical assistance. Thus, FIP has drawn attention to the importance of preparing the country for a post-conflict scenario.

To face these challenges, FIP has broadened its agenda and strengthened its analytical capabilities. This has been thanks to the consolidation of a solid academic and professional team that works in the following four divisions:

• Dynamics of the Armed Conflict and Peace Negotiations.
• Peace Building and Post-conflict.
• Private Sector and Conflict.
• Security and Defense Studies.

Work in each of these areas is conducted from an independent stance. It is aimed at producing both objective analysis and relevant proposals that contribute to building sustainable peace in Colombia, and are based on the respect to human rights, pluralism, and preeminence of the public realm. FIP’s work is funded through annual contributions by national and multinational companies that operate in Colombia, funding from foreign governments and international cooperation agencies, and donations from philanthropic institutions.

Web page: www.ideaspaz.org

ICPC International Centre for the Prevention of Crime

ICPC is an international NGO created in 1994 and based in Montreal, Canada. ICPC is an international forum that includes national governments from different regions, local authorities, public agencies, specialised institutions, and non-government organisations to exchange experience, consider emerging knowledge, and improve policies and programmes in crime prevention and community safety. ICPC monitors developments, provides direct assistance to members, and contributes to public knowledge and understanding in the field. ICPC is the only international organization specialized on crime prevention and is affiliated as an expert to the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. ICPC's action is inspired by the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime.

Web page: www.crime-prevention-intl.org

Insyde

The Institute for Security and Democracy, AC-Insyde, is an autonomous and multidisciplinary organization dedicated to strengthening democratic coexistence, and therefore seeks to create suitable spaces for the development of innovative ideas on public safety and the police, criminal justice, human rights and media news.

Our work focuses on the democratic reform of the police, developing and using polished international tools directed towards police forces and focusing on adapting them to the local level, in addition to incorporating the experience of those who are, at all levels, part of these bodies. Moreover, we design and implement specific projects in partnership with other social organizations, providing methodological and technical inputs. We are also concerned about promoting the professionalization of journalists, media institutions and communicators involved in the production of news content on public safety and criminal justice, and its implications in relation to human rights.

These interests and concerns are reflected in the three major projects that guide the actions of our Institute:

• Bureau of Research and Police Reform
• Office of Technical Services to Civil Society
• Project of Violence and the Media

Web page: www.insyde.org.mx

Programa de Estudios para la Seguridad Pública y el Estado de Derecho (PESED)

The Program for the Studies of Public Security and the Rule of Law is a group of institutions concerned with public safety issues, consisting of: CIDE, ALTUS, Seguridad Ciudadana, and CESC, which brings together experts in the field to publicize the result of their studies in order to generate a dialogue on the topic of Public Security in Mexico.

Objective:

To generate empirical knowledge on issues related to crime, institutional performance, criminal justice and the design of public policies, in order to strongly impact the public debate on issues of public security in Mexico; other goals are to promote research in this area and implement academic and research leadership in Mexico.


There are four central themes:

1. Network of specialists in public security, police reform and human rights. In partnership with the Center for Security Studies Ciudadana (CESC), University of Chile.
2. Generation of statistical information. Takes place in the Legal Studies Division CIDE.
3. Indicators of institutional performance. Carried out in collaboration with Seguridad Ciudadana AC.
4. Program on the regulation of public spending. Done by the Legal Studies Division of the CIDE.

Web page: http://www.seguridadpublicacide.org.mx/CIDE/Portal/

Viva Río

Viva Rio is an NGO based in Rio de Janeiro involved in fieldwork, research and formulation of public policies designed to promote a culture of peace and social development. Founded in December 1993 by representatives of various sectors of civil society in response to increasing violence in Rio de Janeiro, Viva Rio has developed and consolidated a wide range of activities and successful strategies.
 
Through research, development and testing, the solutions proposed by Viva Rio have been held initially at a small scale. With positive results, these actions can expand and evolve into public policies implemented by the State, the market and other NGOs.

Although the work of Viva Rio has been intially a response to local concerns, to which it remains deeply committed, the multifaceted nature of security has led to international participation. Therefore, solutions must be global and local simultaneously.
 
Viva Rio has identified the following social scene of urban violence:

• Risk groups: the younth population of slums are the main risk group for gun violence.
• Vector: The main vector of the epidemic of urban violence is guns, which aggravate the conflict, banalize lethal crimes, and symbolize insecurity.
• Critical Areas: The critical areas are the poorest neighborhoods and suburbs. Social work should be integrated into the processes of urban regeneration.

 
While there is no simple reason that links poverty and social exclusion with gun violence in urban areas, where the violence begins, these three factors reinforce each other in a vicious circle. To break the cycle, safety, social inclusion and development must be integrated. Based on these assumptions, Viva Rio has developed its work in three areas: Community Action, Communication and Human Security, which have the common goals of incorporating young, at-risk people, reforming the security sector and controlling the demand and supply of light firearms.

Web page: www.vivario.org.br