Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity

Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity (ECIS) is a kind of non-conventional education that raises awareness of development issues and plays a crucial role in advancing toward the Sustainable Development Goals. ECIS promotes the commitment of all citizens to a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable world.
Since 2009, AFD has been supporting the ECIS initiatives alongside French civil society organizations.
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Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity
SUPPORTING THE ECIS PROGRAMS OF FRENCH CSOs
Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity

Passing on ECIS values

Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity

Passing on ECIS Values

ECIS embodies values that are essential for the resilience of our societies: solidarity and citizenship. They promote cohesion among people from different countries and are a prerequisite for making the transition towards a fairer and more sustainable world. 

ECIS stakeholders carry out many awareness-raising activities on the environment, inequalities and human rights. ECIS addresses schools and teachers, students, rural dwellers, adults from all walks of life, organizations and institutions. These activities improve understanding between generations and cultures and promote civic engagement for sustainable development. To disseminate ECIS values, CSOs develop innovative tools for education stakeholders and citizen mobilization. 

Associations, collectives and universities involved in international cooperation mobilize citizens for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthen solidarity between territories. They promote meetings and exchanges between territories, especially between young people, with the aim of increasing their ability take action and fight against inequalities. 

Promoting responsible consumption patterns

Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity

Promoting responsible consumption patterns

ECIS also aims to raise awareness of the potential damage done by certain environmental, production and consumption patterns. When they are well informed of these issues - and the alternatives - they can change their consumption patterns and buy from channels that operate with more solidarity and respect for human rights and the environment.

These activities also defend the rights of women workers and human rights in production chains, value the work of people who respect these values and promote local consumption. 

While providing the public with information about their energy consumption, the use of scarce resources, waste production and management, ECIS also offers alternative models of equitable and solidarity-based tourism and solidarity-based finance to address the current climate and social challenges.

Meetings and exchanges around the world laud the merits of active citizenship, deconstruct prejudices and offer individual or collective ways to get involved.

Skills-based volunteering or jobs at FONJEP (Youth and Popular Education Cooperation Fund), which are supported by AFD, also increase the capacity for CSO action in the field of ECIS.

Mobilizing during major public festivals

Solidays festival, Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity

Mobilizing during major public festivals

Civil Society Organizations have initiated key annual events to promote the values of Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity. AFD supports them in these citizen mobilization missions targeting the general public.

These convivial events, gathering voluntary, sociocultural, economic and school stakeholders, are organized to mobilize the commitment of citizens of all ages for a fairer, more inclusive and more responsible world. Gathered for a week-end of concerts at the Solidays Festival, supported by AFD, participants also contribute to the fight against AIDS and have the opportunity to discuss international solidarity issues.

We also support thematic festivals to raise awareness of global food issues (Alimenterre Festival) and fight against discrimination (Migrant’Scène Festival).

5
million people reached and 45,775 focal points trained in 2019
100
projects financed between 2009 and 2019
50
CSO partners since 2009

One of the strengths of French civil society lies in its capacity to inform, raise awareness of global challenges and universal values. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are recognized as major stakeholders in citizen mobilization, both internationally and in French regions. 

By using a wide range of modes of action and tools, ECIS reaches an increasingly diverse public: young people, festival-goers, consumers and citizens of all ages.

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This map is illustrative and does not list all the projects funded by AFD. Find the complete list of our projects on the opendata.afd.fr portal
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