SOLIDAR

SOLIDAR is a European and worldwide network of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working to advance social justice through a just transition in Europe and worldwide. With over 50 member organisations based in 26 countries (20 of which are EU countries), member organisations are national CSOs in Europe, as well as some non-EU and EU-wide organisations, working in one or more of our fields of activity. 

The network is brought together by its shared values of solidarity, equality and participation.

Read SOLIDAR Organisational Strategy for the period 2021-2025.

To know more about our work in 2022, read our Annual Report.

How we work

SOLIDAR voices the concerns of its member organisations to the EU and international institutions by carrying out advocacy actions, project management and coordination, policy monitoring and awareness-raising across its different policy areas.

Our vision

SOLIDAR’s vision is a world defined by solidarity, peace, social justice, and sustainable development, organised in a social contract that guarantees universal human rights and freedoms, decent work, and a decent life for all.

We regard social justice as the equal distribution of wealth, knowledge, income, and power within our global societies, ensured access to universal and quality social services, lifelong and life-wide learning, decent work, social protection, and a decent life for all expressed through a new social contract and in the form of a truly social citizenship. Sustainability is the way in which we achieve social justice while respecting the planetary boundaries in an economic system that puts people and planet first.

Our mission

SOLIDAR’s mission is to support our members in their work to achieve our vision at the national, European, and international level through the formation of alliances, coordination of collective actions, advocacy work, and policy influence, exchange of experiences, and access to funding and opportunities.

We regard Just transition as the guarantee that the transformation processes and drastic structural adjustments that are needed to meet the climate emergency, the digital revolution and tackle the continued structural gender inequalities and reoccurring social and economic crises, are being implemented taking the needs and rights of affected present and future communities into consideration. This is done through processes of social and civil dialogue that guarantees both social justice and sustainable development. SOLIDAR voices our members’ concerns and advocates for their priorities at any relevant opportunity before European institutions and stakeholders, providing our members with the ability to shape the debate at the EU level and engage with increasingly important decision-making. In so doing, we constitute a counterweight to authoritarian, nationalistic, and right-wing populist forces, as well as to conservative and neoliberal interests.

Who we work with

SOLIDAR works in cooperation with progressive civil society, labour movement organisations and progressive parties.

SOLIDAR is a member of:

SOCIAL PLATFORM (European platform of social NGOs)

CONCORD (EU NGO Confederation for Relief and Development)

Lifelong Learning Platform (European Civil Society for Education)

Civil Society Europe (European network promoting civic participation and civil dialogue)

SDG Watch Europe (EU-level, cross-sectoral CSO alliance of NGOs from development, environment, social, human rights and other sectors)

ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles)

Annual General Assembly

All full member organisations can attend the Annual General Assembly and possess one full vote each; affiliate members are also invited to attend in an advisory capacity. The last SOLIDAR Annual General Assembly was held in Brussels in a hybrid format on 28 June 2023.

SOLIDAR Board

Click for an overview of the SOLIDAR Board.

Our Members

Click for an overview of the SOLIDAR Network.

The Secretariat

The organisation’s activities are coordinated by a Secretariat in Brussels which is headed by the Secretary General.

The Secretary General acts as the link between the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the Secretariat. He is responsible for the management of the Secretariat and represents SOLIDAR and its values externally. Currently, Mikael Leyi holds this position since May 2020.

Policy teams and Projects

SOLIDAR members are active in the different policy teams at SOLIDAR (Social Affairs, International Cooperation and Education & LLL), Working Groups and Forums (Cooperation in the Field and ad hoc) as well as around projects. Participation is open to all full and affiliated members and the different forums meet 3-4 times a year.

Our history

SOLIDAR was founded in 1948 to encourage international cooperation between social aid organisations connected to the labour movement. First know as International Workers’ Aid the organisation set up its headquarters in Brussels in 1995 and was renamed SOLIDAR. A detailed description of SOLIDAR’s history can be found in the publication ‘SOLIDAR, history of a movement’ (published in 2008).