Inter Pares Annual Report 2014 – Forty years of global solidarity

Forty years ago, Inter Pares was born, the optimistic creation of a small group of young Canadians fresh from a range of challenging experiences in Canada and overseas. They were passionate about global justice and peace, and making the world a better place than they found it. Forty years later, the passion lives on. Our voluntary Board of Directors and our staff are committed to continuing Inter Pares’ social justice action, bringing a vision for a more just, more equal future, and new and creative ways to work together.

 

While the current team at Inter Pares is a new generation, many of those who built Inter Pares remain close friends and supporters. The values and approaches they brought – of global collaboration among equals, of social justice, of feminist thought – have continued and evolved, as we have woven in new ideas, perspectives, and experiences.

 

Donors and supporters from across Canada have also shared the journey with us, many with a decades-long commitment to support social justice and equality. That generosity continues to sustain our work and reinforce our independence.

 

Central to Inter Pares’ work are our relationships with dedicated social justice activists around the world. They are the nexus where a wealth of cumulative experience meets the spark of new ideas. Through relationships of trust with hundreds of organizations, we have learned about emerging issues over the years – biotech threats to seeds and biodiversity, the abuse of temporary foreign workers in Canada, the unheralded consequences of investment treaties that privilege rights for corporations over people. Each of these issues has introduced us to new relationships of solidarity and support with activists and groups organizing to address the root causes of inequality and injustice.

 

Over the years, Inter Pares has collaborated with others in Canada to establish coalitions and organizations that address critical global social justice issues, such as the right to food, just tax systems, and the protection of democratic dissent. Exchanges we have facilitated among such groups in Canada and our counterparts in the South have become incubators of new ideas, shared strategies, and mutual support.

 

As a feminist organization committed to women’s rights, we support women’s leadership. Women’s central and crucial role in all societies is absolutely critical to profound social transformation.

 

Whether in the Philippines attending to women’s health, in Sudan challenging child marriage, in El Salvador taking practical steps to address violence against women, or in Canada promoting a federal leaders’ debate on issues identified by women, Inter Pares will continue to support women’s efforts to define their own lives, their culture, their problems, and their solutions.

 

This year Inter Pares celebrates its 40th anniversary, and enthusiastically launches its fifth decade of global social action. This Annual Report looks back at some of what we, our counterparts in the South, and our supporters and collaborators in Canada have achieved over those decades. And as we do so, we look forward to continuing to join our efforts with others around the world as we work, together,

to globalize equality.