About the AAAS/IPLS/EWMI

AAAS Science and Human Rights Program

The Science and Human Rights Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) seeks to protect the human rights of scientists and to bring the methods of science to human rights work. The Program develops and advances methods for human rights documentation and monitoring, fosters support for human rights among scientists, and conducts research on a variety of related issues.

East-West Management Institute

The East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting reform in developing and transitional societies. Since its founding in 1988, EWMI has run numerous programs throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in areas such as legal and regulatory reform, privatization, enterprise restructuring and capital markets development. In addition, EWMI has assisted in the development of NGOs throughout the region.

Institute for Policy and Legal Studies

The Institute for Policy and Legal Studies (IPLS) was founded in early 1999 by a group of Albanian Western-trained attorneys with initial funds provided by its affiliate East West Management Institute. IPLS is an independent not-for-profit organization that promotes the development of civil society and democratic institutions through the creation of public fora for the free exchange of ideas; the drafting of legislation to protect civil liberties and the rule of law; and the training of government officials, educators, and NGO activists in research methodologies on environmental and human rights issues. IPLS founding members were responsible for drafting Albania’s current Constitution and over twenty laws on human rights, data protection, and the law on the Ombudsman.