When it comes to international solidarity, AFD acts for and on behalf of the French people to ensure that France can play its part in building a better world for everyone. This commitment to the future reminds us how important it is to get citizens involved, especially young people, who will be most affected by current decisions.
On November 30, 2016, the Interministerial Committee on International Cooperation and Development (CICID) tasked AFD with "promoting citizens' knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals in France and abroad, as well as education for development and international solidarity."
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Tools for the educational community
Understanding the challenges of international solidarity, learning about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or having an immersive, educational experience: these are the ideas behind our tools, which are free and accessible to everyone. Partnering with the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports since November 2021, AFD is helping the Ministry to more effectively integrate the teaching and communication of the SDGs and surrounding challenges into the education system.
Some of our tools are geared to educational programs and can be easily used by teachers, while others are aimed at a wider audience and reach. The goal is to provide students with a holistic understanding of current and future global issues, and of the interconnection of various sustainable development issues.
Should we protect the environment? At least 85% of French people are in favor, but only 15% actually take action (source Ademe). Easier said than done, perhaps. Climate, inequalities, women's rights: these issues are as pressing as they are difficult to grasp, especially in their global, interconnected nature.
To address this, AFD would like to mobilize young people and prepare them to face the challenges that lie ahead: this is what the Tilt digital ecosystem for 15-25 year olds is all about. The idea is to help young French people become aware of and take action on major global issues. Thanks to a series of themes, Tilt has been designed for all young people, regardless of their level of knowledge or initial commitment.
Tilt has videos, articles, inspiring testimonials, comics, and podcasts to help everyone get a clearer picture of the world's challenges. Tilt also features proposals for action from associations, public services, the creative world, and a thousand ways to get involved.
With exhibitions, conferences, debates, festivals, AFD is a partner for a wide range of events to raise awareness about development and share its commitment with as many citizens as possible throughout France.
Every year, AFD has exhibits in the Solidarity Village at the Solidays festival. Organized by the AIDS Solidarity association, the festival is attended by socially and politically committed artists, celebrities, decision-makers and associations. The goal is to inform the younger generation of the risks of AIDS, to set up innovative prevention methods, to talk about it free from taboos, and more generally, to raise awareness of development issues and solidarity.
AFD has also been partnering with the Angoulême International Comics Festival since 2018. They asked the author and historian Jul (who penned Flint and the City, Planet of the Wise and 50 Shades of Greek to name a few) to explore and embody the all too often abstract notions of "world citizen" and "common world" in drawings. What was the point? To challenge younger generations on the meaning of collective responsibility, and how that translates on an individual level. This is how the comic “Coloc of Duty” (a play on words of “Call of Duty”) came about, reminding us that we are all citizens of the world – and sharing the same planet!
AFD organizes other events where artists, entrepreneurs, students, professors, philosophers, and associations meet for conferences, performances, debates on stage, or in more informal meetings. The aim is to jointly rethink the world we would like to see and for each of us, in our own way, to come to a consensus on how to build a better tomorrow.
