Annual Solidarity Programme
The Annual Solidarity Programme is the key mechanism for sharing and solidarity within the Emmaus movement. Every year, the groups worldwide contribute to a ‘common pot’ of solidarity through voluntary contributions, often the proceeds of special sales days or regional and national fairs. In this way, everyone participates in international solidarity according to their means so that groups across the globe have the resources required to lead their struggles.
Emmaus International member groups, who wish to bolster their capacity to act and develop their activities, can then apply for financial support from the annual solidarity programme. These requests are submitted to the Board who will then prioritise and approve the selected initiatives and the sums allocated.
The projects financed by this programme must meet one or more of these objectives:
- Enabling the vulnerable people concerned to acquire the keys to understanding and the means to change their situation in order to educate and raise awareness
- Working for and with the people concerned (and not instead of them) to work towards the empowerment of all
- Considering the way that they can strengthen their group economically to increase their self-sufficiency
- Bearing in mind that they can contribute to restoring the rights and place of excluded persons in order to foster democracy and defend diversit
- Seeking to mobilise as many people as possible around a specific idea of a shared resource and to foster the integration of all, thanks to a better distribution of wealth and equitable access to fundamental rights.
” By striving towards exemplariness, we have to ensure that within our groups, our actions live up to our words.” “
Patrick Atohoun, Chair of Emmaus International
« Thanks to the solidarity funds, we have been able to create two additional jobs and significantly increase the number of people we support. For us, it´s essential we give something back. At Jekawili, as well as paying our Emmaus International subscriptions every year, we also hold a big solidarity sale, which is quite unique as we sell chickens! We donate all the proceeds. Even if we don´t raise all that much – because here, people are poor – all the regions benefit from it. That´s what´s most important. »
Nantegue Kone, Leader of Emmaus Jekawili, Côte d´Ivoire