INTRODUCTION
In 1975 a group of young Canadian activists gathered in Ottawa to create an organization that would join in common cause with activists in Canada and the South - as equals, among equals - to combat the causes and effects of poverty worldwide, and to use the lessons of this action in Canada in public education and policy advocacy. Their dream was to help change the world - to make it a just and healthy place for every person alive and for generations to come.
These activists envisioned a new form of international cooperation, conceived not as charity, but as profound, radical solidarity. Thirty years later, we continue to develop these kinds of relationships with people who share an analysis that poverty and underdevelopment are caused by structural inequalities between and within nations, and who work to promote social justice in their communities and countries.
Inter Pares supports people's efforts to build community, and create the social cohesion necessary for healthy, caring societies. We assist in the development of sustainable livelihoods that meet the needs of all community members. Inter Pares accompanies people in their efforts to hold their governments accountable, promote democratic social and economic policies, and bring about real possibilities for change. Inter Pares emphasizes making women's lives and work visible, empowering women in their role as community leaders and agents of change, and working towards one universal standard of opportunity and dignity for all, regardless of gender.
We support people's efforts to challenge structural obstacles to change, their struggles for self-determination, and their alternative development approaches. Inter Pares raises money for the work of our counterparts. We defend their work and their lives through our presence and support, and through international advocacy and education. We collaborate with counterparts in international campaigns to influence the social and economic conditions in which they work. And we create opportunities for our counterparts to learn directly from each other, by supporting mutual support networks and exchanges. Inter Pares also relates to social and economic issues in Canada, linking social action at home with social change internationally.
We learn from all these efforts, make them known to Canadians, and advocate nationally and internationally for global justice and equitable development. What we do - and what you do when you support this social justice action - we do in our own name and in our own interest, and in the interest of people whose actions we support all over the world.
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| Reviewed April 28, 2005 |  |
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