We are an international alliance of Catholic development agencies working together for global justice. 16 catholic development organisations from Europe & North America, inspired by shared Christian values, come together under the CIDSE umbrella to promote global justice and solidarity. Central to CIDSE’s policy formulation and advocacy is its member organisations’ work on a wide range of priorities, with local partner organisations in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Contributing to the fight against poverty and inequality, as well as bringing about sustainable development and well-being by challenging global structural injustices are key elements of CIDSE’s mission, which we attempt to achieve through joint advocacy, campaigning and development cooperation work.

Our priority issues are global governance; resources for development; food, agriculture & sustainable trade; climate justice; and business & human rights.

As a lay-led Catholic network, we believe in a world with peaceful and fair foundations where the lives and choices of rich and poor alike are transformed through solidarity.

 

OUR WORK

 

Advocacy and campaigning

Advocating and campaigning for the reform of current policymaking is one of CIDSE’s core priorities and strengths. This is where we promote and facilitate the social justice agenda of our members and partners. Through coordinated efforts, we target key events at European, North American and international level in order to influence policy making and therefore impact the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Our work is based on solid research capacity as well as on the expertise and experience built up by CIDSE as a network. Influencing these policies and working towards structural change is therefore complementary to the development cooperation programme and project work that CIDSE members support.

 

Development co-operation

CIDSE members have been working in more than 100 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America for over 40 years, building strong relationships with local Churches and NGOs. We work on a social justice agenda guided by Catholic Social Teaching, resulting in socially and culturally sensitive development co-operation programmes. We aim to extend and deepen the collaboration among members on our development co-operation programmes. Through regular analysis and review of the effectiveness and impact of our approach, we attempt to make a greater difference to the lives of poor people that we serve in developing countries. We closely cooperate with our Southern partners. Through country and regional groups we strengthen their, and build linkages to our, advocacy work.

 

Alliances and networking

Our vision calls us to work with other people of goodwill in order to promote justice and global solidarity and end poverty and inequality. This includes other Catholic, faith-based and secular organisations and networks as well as international alliances pursuing similar goals. CIDSE is an active and continuously evolving network, with a good capacity to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities.