International solidarity: an imperative for our common humanity
In a globalized world where health, economic, climate, and social crises are crossing borders at an unprecedented speed, international solidarity is no longer an option but a vital necessity. It is based on a profound conviction: we are interdependent, and the challenges of one people become the challenges of all. Faced with injustice, poverty, forced exile, or environmental degradation, responding with solidarity means choosing humanity.
International solidarity aims to ensure that every individual, wherever they are, has access to decent living conditions. It is an ethical, political, and humanitarian approach. It involves sharing resources, knowledge, and skills to reduce global inequalities. It is based on the values of fraternity, social justice, and shared responsibility.
Current challenges of solidarity beyond borders
Today, more than 700 million people live below the extreme poverty line, according to the World Bank. Many children are excluded from the education system. Young people without prospects are falling into exclusion. Entire communities are displaced by conflict or climate change. In this context, acting internationally becomes a moral duty and an act of global transformation.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations underline the importance of building bridges between countries to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace. Every act of solidarity, however modest, contributes to this collective effort.
How can everyone get involved in international solidarity?
Volunteering remotely or in the field
It is possible to volunteer for a cause that matters to you, even without leaving your own country. Many NGOs offer online volunteering opportunities: academic support, professional coaching, translation, communication, etc. For those who want direct immersion, solidarity projects or international volunteering offer an intense human experience.
Regular or one-off financial donations
Donations are a vital source of funding for development projects. They help build schools, provide training, support micro-entrepreneurs, and provide access to clean water. Even a small donation can have a big impact in some parts of the world.
Advocacy and awareness raising
Getting involved also means talking to those around you, sharing informative content, and calling on your elected officials to promote fairer trade or a better distribution of public development aid. Everyone can then become an agent of change through their words and daily choices.
Focus on concrete actions of Fondacio
For over 50 years, Fondacio has been working for sustainable human and social transformation in more than 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Its approach is based on deep listening to local needs, close collaboration with communities, and a Christian vision of a more fraternal world.
HOPE – Providing quality education to disadvantaged children
HOPE is a flagship Fondacio program dedicated to children aged 5 to 16. In situations of great deprivation, it establishes educational centers to offer them a second chance at school.
- Success+ Project (Togo, Cameroon): academic support, literacy, cultural activities.
- Sichem Education (Togo): educational integration in rural areas.
- OSSEA (DRC): basic education for street children in Kinshasa.
- DIVINA (Congo Brazzaville): strengthening basic skills.
These projects allow more than 2,000 children each year to rediscover the desire to learn and dream of a future.
IMPULSO – Fighting inequalities for young adults
With IMPULSO, Fondacio supports young people aged 16 to 25 in precarious situations. The objective: to enable them to train, integrate professionally and become agents of change.
- YLDC (Young Lives Development Centers) in Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Colombia: personal development and leadership programs.
- IFF Africa (Togo): supporting young people in building their life projects.
- Les Étincelles Center (Ivory Coast): training in entrepreneurship and civic responsibility.
Each year, more than 500 young people benefit from personalized courses, with concrete results: creation of income-generating activities, professional integration, return to school.
FOCUS – Guiding young people in their quest for meaning
FOCUS is aimed at young people aged 11 to 30 seeking personal and professional guidance. Through discernment courses, retreats, and training sessions, young people are supported to find their vocation, overcome their blockages, and make informed choices.
Youth camps, personal development workshops, and intercultural meetings are offered regularly in several countries. The goal is to awaken the potential of each individual and help them find their place in society.
Why choose Fondacio to get involved?
- A field presence, close to local realities
- Committed and trained multidisciplinary teams
- A comprehensive approach: education, environment, entrepreneurship, spirituality
- A real transformation of beneficiaries, measurable and documented
4. Integral Ecology – Caring for Humans and the Earth
Fondacio's ecological commitment is part of a global and profoundly human vision: integral ecology. It is not just about preserving nature, but about creating dignified, supportive, and sustainable living conditions for all, in connection with our environment. This program is structured around two complementary components: social projects and environmental projects, often carried out in collaboration with local partners.
Social projects – Ecology at the service of human dignity
In several countries, Fondacio develops human development projects to meet the essential needs of the most vulnerable populations. These initiatives help combat poverty, social exclusion, and insecurity, while also integrating an ecological dimension.
Among the actions carried out:
Training in agroecology to enable healthier, more sustainable agriculture that respects local ecosystems.
Creation of community gardens to strengthen food security and build social ties.
Support for ecological income-generating activities, particularly in rural areas.
Support for women and young people in integration, around professions linked to the ecological transition.
These projects show that human and inclusive development can go hand in hand with responsible management of natural resources.
Environmental projects – Raising awareness and taking action for the planet
Fondacio and its partners also take action on the ground to actively protect the environment, through awareness campaigns and concrete actions. Among the flagship projects:
Collective cleanups in urban neighborhoods, beaches or rivers.
Plastic recycling and recovery programs, transforming waste into useful objects.
Awareness-raising workshops in schools and communities on waste management, responsible consumption and the climate emergency.
Education in integral ecology, through activities, training modules and local campaigns.
These actions not only help to reduce pollution, but also to raise awareness, particularly among young people, by placing them as actors of ecological change.
Acting together for a united world
International solidarity is not a luxury reserved for a few. It is a commitment that is possible for each of us. By joining initiatives like those of Fondacio, we are helping to build a more just, fraternal, and sustainable world. Together, in France, Africa, Asia, or elsewhere, we can make a difference. The future of our planet depends on our ability to cooperate across borders.
Getting involved today means offering hope for a better world tomorrow.
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