What is SOLIFONDS and how does it function?

SOLIFONDS (Solidarity Fund for the Social Struggles for Liberation in the Third World) is a foundation created by the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB), the Socialist Party of Switzerland (SPS), Solidar Suisse and several development organizations. The objective of SOLIFONDS is to support the social liberation movement in the Third World and the struggle to achieve and ensure human rights. In particular, SOLIFONDS supports political and trade union fundamental rights throughout the world and spreads information on that effect in Switzerland.

The SOLIFONDS receives funds from the founder organizations and, for the most part, from numerous donors who are regularly informed on the utilization of the funds.

SOLIFONDS promptly and unbureaucratically supports actions for social justice as well as for political and economic democracy.

SOLIFONDS supports organizations such as trade unions, women’s organizations, human rights committees; i.e. grassroot organizations that are struggling for the liberation from dependency, poverty and repression. It provides support for clearly defined campaigns of restricted duration such as strikes, land occupation, women’s manifestations, informations campaigns. SOLIFONDS also supports lawsuits resulting from such actions.

SOLIFONDS is however not to be considered as an aid agency financing long-term development projects.

SOLIFONDS intents to do networking and lobby work

SOLIFONDS aims to support trade unions, human rights committees, women’s organizations and other grassroot organizations not only financially but also politically and morally by intervening with letters of protest to governments and companies and demanding respect for human and trade union rights.

The objective is to put up a world-wide solidarity against the globalisation strategies that are pushed forward in the interest of capital. Consequently, we are deeply interested in increasing the contacts with a wide range of organizations and groups in the "Third World” from which we rely on receiving direct information regularly.

You will find all informations here: in german or french.

Application

Applications for support should include short information on the submitting organization, the background situation of the country, the amount of the contribution required and the purpose to which it will be used.

The application is subjected to a prompt and thorough appraisal by the coordination office and will then be submitted to the Board for a final decision. The outcome will immediately be communicated to the applicant by the coordination office which will also explain all further procedures.