Vision & values

SOLIDAR's strategic objective for the period 2021-2025 is to influence, together with our members and allies, the recovery processes at the EU as well as the national level for a socially just and sustainable Europe through a just transition, mirrored also in the EU's external relations.

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. 

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 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.

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.

Our values

The values below constitute guiding principles for all employees and representatives of SOLIDAR.

SOLIDARITY 

The work that we do aspires to foster and support solidarity as a basic principle in our societies. It is thus paramount that we place this principle at the heart of our organization to stay true to ourselves. Solidarity in the workplace implies assisting your colleagues when needed, showing empathy in relation to other people’s circumstances, and working together as a collective to help one another for the betterment of the organization. It further implies that we as an organization take responsibility for everyone’s wellbeing in the workplace. 

EQUALITY 

Ensure that everyone can achieve their best potential, at personal and professional level, independently of their sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity etc. Everyone in our organization deserves to be treated with respect as an individual and employee, always. This relates to the effort they put into their work, and the role and mandate they have been entrusted. As an organisation we value and respect the diversity of our workplace in terms of backgrounds and identities, we make sure that we are considerate and empathetic when we articulate ourselves and when talking to and about a colleague that is not present as well as when giving feedback on proposals, presentations, and work tasks.     

AUTONOMY AND PARTICIPATION 

We have the freedom and responsibility to act according to our values and principles in relation to others as well as towards each other in the organisation. Autonomy is the basic principle for participation and interaction, and free and autonomous participation is key to access the collective intelligence of the organization, as well as to demonstrate the boldness needed to stand up for our principles in all our relationships, with partners, allies and among members. For participatory and collective efforts to be efficient and constructive everyone is thus expected to demonstrate individual responsibility, autonomy, and a high degree of integrity in meeting the expectations of your assignment guided by the objectives and values of SOLIDAR.  

TRUST  

Everyone in our organisation deserves the trust of their colleagues, in relation to their efforts and their professionalism as well as their assigned roles and mandate. Trust is the building bloc of the change that we aspire to and the glue that keeps our network and alliance together, this means to trust your colleagues’ best intentions, efforts and to be able to trust people to stay true to their word. Trust and transparency go hand in hand, one cannot get the one without the other and a high degree of transparency in relation to decision making is therefore fundamental. As a Secretariat we have the trust of the board and our members to advance and develop the network to further their goals and vision. It is key that we stand by our word and take responsibility for our actions when things go well and when they do not. This increases trust and is fundamental to accountability. We depend on each other for our work, mistrust can be highly destructive. Trust therefore needs to be earned as well as cherished. 

AMBITION 

The tasks that we have set for ourselves demand from us that we are bold and ambitious as an organization and alliance. This further implies that we as employees shall carry out our respective duties with the highest quality and ambitions equal to the ones that we have set for the organisation and for our movement. You should be able to expect to be encouraged and empowered when taking initiatives. It is expected by everyone that they do their very best, to embrace change, welcome constructive feedback, and strive for creative solutions. 

PROFESSIONALISM 

As an organisation we set the highest professional targets for ourselves, as well as strive to be a learning and constantly evolving organisation that offers the possibility to our employees to develop professionally. To safeguard the reputation of our organization and alliance in relation to members, partners, donors, and colleagues in the field, it is expected of everyone that we show the highest level of professionalism both in relation to each other, and when representing the organization. 

DIVERSITY 

Our progressive family is diverse and rich as it involves a multitude of different organisations, in terms of character, objectives, size and structure. Diversity in terms of geography, language, gender, background, identity, age, and organization, is fundamental to create a representative, creative, balanced, and inclusive network. We value and cherish our diversity also in terms of the internal organisation of our network, when we recruit staff members, establishing criteria for electing board members, setting up working groups, and task forces, and when facilitating access to information in the languages of the network.