1Decide to use social transformation with populations in situations of vulnerabilities
« Social transformation that aims to reduce situations of various kinds of poverty, inequality and injustice is conducted by and with the populations in situations of vulnerabilities as a priority. »
Our starting base :
- Situations of vulnerability are plural and relative to their context : they can be economic, cultural, legal, social, environmental or psychological. They are the outcome of an economic and social system.
- Several levels of transformation can be seen : individual, collective, and systemic.
- Social transformation involves the active and voluntary participation of the populations in situations of vulnerabilities.
- Social transformation requires the people concerned to become aware of the structural causes of their own vulnerability.
- Social transformation involves recognising the powers to act of people in situations of vulnerabilities.
What we have learned
Impact studies of projects conducted by members of the Train to Transform collective were carried out in 2022. The cross-functional analysis of these studies highlighted lessons learned by the organizations regarding the concrete application of the six priorities for social transformation. Here is what we learned for priority 1 :
- Social transformation involves the long-term improvement of the living conditions of vulnerable people. Improving living conditions drives commitment to social transformation.
- Improving someone’s physical living conditions can change the way they are perceived by people around them : a change in earnings or material possessions, demonstrates that an individual can influence their own situation and is proof of a change in their social position.
- Considering economic and material factors are drivers in the participation of vulnerable people, we should pay attention to the effects of participation on them and on their family and friends, so that the family and friends are able to form an alliance with the person (compensation for their availability, social recognition, etc.).
An example of activities/actions : FEDINA in India !
"Domestic workers, textile workers, agricultural processing workers, retired people from the informal sector unite together in mutual aid groups which are formalised as trade unions. The dialogue and collaboration between the groups that Fedina supports encourages joint actions that are broader. The impact of these actions is related to the capacity to mobilise different trade unions from all sectors. "
