The international solidarity stakeholders in Brussels are joining forces

The Brussels-Capital Region has several citizens and associations that work daily to promote international solidarity. Their initiatives demonstrate and highlight the relations between our region and the world. Instead of focussing on their diversity, the international solidarity stakeholders in Brussels chose to concentrateon theirshared interest and organise themselves in a network for meetings and exchanges.

The result was the Réseau régional bruxellois de la Solidarité internationale (RRBSI). This participatory platform welcomes all the international solidarity stakeholders in Brussels. Its mission is to create synergies and partnerships between stakeholders, in a flexible and relevant manner, which is all the more useful given the complexity of Belgium’s institutions.

Third annual meeting

The RRBSI gathered 100 participants from different backgrounds in Brussels on 16 March 2018 for its annual conference. They included small and large civil society organisations, municipalities, the Region and citizens interested in civic engagement.

After the keynote speech by State Secretary Bianca Debaets, the participants listened to Ben Lahoucine, who gave a presentation about the French Centraider network, of which he is the president. This network gathers and supports international solidarity organisations in the Centre-Val de Loire Region and is an important source of inspiration and experiences for the RRBSI.

During the second halfof the day, the participants were split into working groups. The purpose was to define which actions need to be taken in the near future in the framework of the network.

The RRBSI’s 3rd annual meeting was filled with encounters, allowing the RRBSI’s members to develop many positive interactions and synergies.