Defending labour rights and the right to social protection;
Preventing and eradicating poverty and exclusion;
These are WSM’s mission every day.
Hoe we dit bereiken?
We zorgen ervoor dat mensen geïnformeerd zijn, zich verenigen en samen opkomen voor hun rechten. Dit doen we door:
Change starts when people get organised to make their voices heard. WSM works with social movements in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Belgium.
"Because social movements are drivers of change at grassroots level"
They bring people together and empower them, so that they can defend their rights and their access to essential services. They are:
These organisations are drivers of change at grassroots level. If we want them to play a role in society to the best of their ability and to be strong enough to enter into dialogue with economic actors or governments, it is necessary to focus on several skills: organising and training their groups of beneficiaries, developing their own expertise, mobilising their members so that they are sufficiently representative, ensuring the quality of their services to their members, being able to enter into dialogue with other actors, or oppose them, etc. WSM invests in the capacity-building of social movements and networks. At their request, we identify within our networks the most appropriate actors to meet their needs.
More than ever, social movements are interconnected around the world; they wage the same struggles to be heard, and work upon with the same issues: changing and transforming society to achieve better solidarity and social justice, and move towards a more sustainable and inclusive society.
"Transcending borders, uniting the strengths of all these movements in national, continental and global networks – adding weight to their ability to change the world"
All stakeholders have a major role to play in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs): governments, the private sector and social actors. The robust social base that social movements rely upon adds the necessary legitimacy to support their demands. Through their multiple networks, they are in a better position to demand a sustainable world, which places the human person at its heart, and in which the limits of our planet are respected.
In Belgium, WSM is part of the Christian Labour Movement, in which it has developed a strong collaboration with the ACV-CSC trade union and the Christian Mutuality. WSM is also an active member of various platforms and local, regional and/or national umbrella organisations, notably in the Belgian development cooperation sector, being a member organisation of CNCD-11.11.11 & 11.11.11 and of Acodev &NGOfederatie, as well as within achACT-Action Consommateur Travailleur, the Trade & Sustainable Development platform, MASMUT platform, the Belgian network of natural resources (RBRN), etc.
We also coordinate the Decent Work platform, which builds strategies promoting decent work worldwide. The three Belgian trade unions, two mutual health organisations and three NGOS are represented.
At the international level, we have been building a thematic network on the right to social protection for several years now. It consists of around a hundred organisations and 21 multi-stakeholder networks across the world, gathering together trade unions, mutual health organisations, women's and youth movements, etc. at national and continental levels. It is vital to carry out this work with different social movements, regardless of their beliefs or target groups. Unity makes strength: it allows us to share our expertise and build joint strategies, thus forming an important pillar to contribute to inclusive social protection policies at national, continental and international levels. With this network, we are developing innovative strategic alliances with other global networks such as AIM (International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies), ITUC-CSI (International Trade Union Confederation), GCSPF (Global Coalition for Social Protection floors), RIPESS (Continental Network for the Promotion of the Social Economy of Solidarity).
WSM strives to ensure that the right to social protection and respect for labour rights are prioritised in national policy agendas and in continental and global forums.
"Putting pressure on political, economic and social decision makers to demand that the human person is placed at the centre of the economy"
Although dignified work and social protection are human rights, they are not yet – and are far from being – a reality in many places. Therefore, networking with our partner organisations and promoting new and strategic alliances are key to putting pressure on decision makers worldwide and advancing these rights. Together, we are strengthening our expertise on these themes to contribute to the reflections of the different actors concerned. Also, we organise thematic seminars to share experiences and expertise and highlight the innovative strategies of these partners, aiming to realise these rights all around the world.
To build global commitment, WSM’s work focuses on awareness-raising and the mobilisation of the general public, and members of the Christian Labour Movement in particular.
"In our interconnected world, we – men and women who are citizens of the world – do have power. Let us not underestimate it!"
Educating for global citizenship and solidarity aims to stimulate and strengthen citizen mobilisation: to raise awareness on global injustices and inequalities and foster the individual and collective actions of citizens, men and women, who are aware of global concerns and have a sense of co-responsibility.
To this end, we concentrate on thematic campaigns in Belgium and also on the globalisation of our work. WSM promotes exchanges between social movements and partners both in Belgium and in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with the aim of working upon common foundations, discovering our respective realities, exchanging good practices, sharing work methods, pooling means of action, inspiring each other, etc.
Creating educational tools, developing training, communication and an information policy through our publications and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) allow us to reach out to the largest audience possible and convince them with regard to our solutions to fight against poverty, inequality and social injustice.
Let us make our voices heard for a more just world.
Make change happen!
