Work axes
Our work axes
The Center for the Study of Equity and Governance in Health Systems and the Network of Community Advocates for the Right to Health work together to defend the right to health through citizen oversight of public health policies.
For the follow-up of the actions which are developed under the following work axes.
Technical assistance to the accompaniment process
Through this axis we promote a culture of denunciation of rights violations and abuse of power in the population, in order to generate evidence of violations of the right to health.
The CEGSS technical team, together with the REDC-SALUD health rights defenders, accompany and follow up on users who report cases that require accompaniment.
Technical assistance to the citizen oversight process of public policies and services.
We generate evidence on the reality of access to health services in rural areas, promote the inclusion of indigenous activists in the implementation of public policy, with the aim of improving public services at the local level.
Through the monitoring of health services, we generate evidence on the situation in these services and this allows us to promote spaces for dialogue and negotiation with the authorities in order to find solutions to the problems presented.
We also seek to position the reality of the health sector, developing awareness campaigns on the problems of public health services, with emphasis on rural areas of the country.
Communication
For CEGSS, communication is a key component of the work we do at different levels. Through communication strategies we seek to make visible, denounce and communicate the reality of health and access to health care in rural communities in the country, in order to position and generate opinion about this reality.
Likewise, communication and information allow us to disseminate the knowledge generated by CEGSS/REDC-Health to different audiences through different media.
Citizen Training
Through this axis we contribute to the construction of active citizens who defend and exercise their rights, for which we empower citizens.
In addition, we seek to develop and implement innovative processes that strengthen the knowledge and capacities of indigenous activists. We use popular education methods, the use of information technology and promote legal empowerment processes.
We have systematized the training process that during the last 15 years has been carried out with the REDC-SALUD, which resulted in the development of the Citizen School for the Right to Health, (insert link) which seeks to be the training platform on human rights and various topics related to the Right to Health. Currently there is a version in Spanish and Kekchi, and we are working on the process of translation into 5 more languages.
The first version of the school seeks to reach the largest possible population, and is intended as a basic course for any citizen who wants to enter the field of defense of the right to health and develop processes of citizen oversight of the right to health.
Strategic impact
CEGSS, together with REDC-SALUD, establishes and promotes spaces for dialogue and negotiation with authorities at the municipal, departmental, national and international levels.
We work forging alliances with organizations and other actors in order to accumulate strength and to be able together to present to the State institutions the problems and bottlenecks in public administration that affect the provision of health services, affecting the enjoyment of our rights.
In addition, we use different tactics and methods to influence decision making at different levels of public service governance.
Applied research
CEGSS develops participatory action-research processes on problems that affect access to public services, the full exercise of rights and the organizational capacities of the population.
We seek to generate knowledge that is at the service of the social struggles of the communities where we work, and from this knowledge we also generate inputs to promote our processes of legal empowerment and citizen oversight.
Learning systematization
We develop participatory processes for the reflection and systematization of knowledge and experiences generated by CEGSS and REDC-Health; with which we seek to permanently feed back our actions and make the necessary adjustments in our actions.
We also promote learning processes in order to share and replicate with other organizations.
Technical assistance to the accompaniment process
Through this axis we promote a culture of denunciation of rights violations and abuse of power in the population, in order to generate evidence of violations of the right to health.
The CEGSS technical team, together with the REDC-SALUD health rights defenders, accompany and follow up on users who report cases that require accompaniment.
Technical assistance to the citizen oversight process of public policies and services.
We generate evidence on the reality of access to health services in rural areas, promote the inclusion of indigenous activists in the implementation of public policy, with the aim of improving public services at the local level.
Through the monitoring of health services, we generate evidence on the situation in these services and this allows us to promote spaces for dialogue and negotiation with the authorities in order to find solutions to the problems presented.
We also seek to position the reality of the health sector, developing awareness campaigns on the problems of public health services, with emphasis on rural areas of the country.
Communication
For CEGSS, communication is a key component of the work we do at different levels. Through communication strategies we seek to make visible, denounce and communicate the reality of health and access to health care in rural communities in the country, in order to position and generate opinion about this reality.
Likewise, communication and information allow us to disseminate the knowledge generated by CEGSS/REDC-Health to different audiences through different media.
Citizen Training
Through this axis we contribute to the construction of active citizens who defend and exercise their rights, for which we empower citizens.
In addition, we seek to develop and implement innovative processes that strengthen the knowledge and capacities of indigenous activists. We use popular education methods, the use of information technology and promote legal empowerment processes.
We have systematized the training process that during the last 15 years has been carried out with the REDC-SALUD, which resulted in the development of the Citizen School for the Right to Health, (insert link) which seeks to be the training platform on human rights and various topics related to the Right to Health. Currently there is a version in Spanish and Kekchi, and we are working on the process of translation into 5 more languages.
The first version of the school seeks to reach the largest possible population, and is intended as a basic course for any citizen who wants to enter the field of defense of the right to health and develop processes of citizen oversight of the right to health.
Strategic impact
CEGSS, together with REDC-SALUD, establishes and promotes spaces for dialogue and negotiation with authorities at the municipal, departmental, national and international levels.
We work forging alliances with organizations and other actors in order to accumulate strength and to be able together to present to the State institutions the problems and bottlenecks in public administration that affect the provision of health services, affecting the enjoyment of our rights.
In addition, we use different tactics and methods to influence decision making at different levels of public service governance.
Applied research
CEGSS develops participatory action-research processes on problems that affect access to public services, the full exercise of rights and the organizational capacities of the population.
We seek to generate knowledge that is at the service of the social struggles of the communities where we work, and from this knowledge we also generate inputs to promote our processes of legal empowerment and citizen oversight.
Learning systematization
We develop participatory processes for the reflection and systematization of knowledge and experiences generated by CEGSS and REDC-Health; with which we seek to permanently feed back our actions and make the necessary adjustments in our actions.
We also promote learning processes in order to share and replicate with other organizations.