Solidarity in Europe and the World

We think of solidarity as “the ability to engage in cooperative activity to strive for common goals, and a sense of unity and bonding” (Jeffries, 2014, p. 7). Following Mbembe’s lead, solidarity entails the mutual recognition of our common vulnerability and finiteness and in turn creates a basis for dealing with it.

In the multi-layered network of structures of living together, solidarity can find an expression at different levels and in a variety of intensities. The extent of solidarity that can serve as basis for collective action also arguably varies with the sources of vulnerability. These may vary from the human condition itself, in line with Mbembe’s cosmopolitan argument, to less inclusive definitions of “we” based e.g. on pre-existing “bonds which unite men with another”, as Durkheim (in Lukes, 1972, p. 139) or Sen (2009) would argue, or constitutional bonds, in line with Rawls or Habermas (Banting & Kymlicka, 2017, pp. 5-47, p. 3-4). 

Historically, solidarity has come to be centrally anchored at the level of the nation-state, where the “nation” defines a “we” that claims to rule itself (Appiah, 2018, p.147) and that therefore also can both invoke national sovereignty to fend off external influences and, internally, justify the enforcement of particular entitlements and duties. Consequently, the predominant role of supra-national structures has been seen as merely to support national-level structures in fulfilling this role. This tradition is deeply rooted in European Humanism (Grotius in Nussbaum, 2019, pp. 105-55), which has been a rich source of inspiration not just to reflect on solidarity but also to justify a model of civilization imposed through colonization or other strategies of western domination.

Projects

SCRIBANI network

gathers 15 European Jesuit centres on the social construction of Europe

FUCE Summer School

UCSIA is part of the European Federation of Catholic Universities, which offers a summer school on European Humanism in the Making

Peace Education Chair

examines an aspect of peace in its manifold manifestations and subjects it to a scholarly multidisciplinary investigation.

Events

Just Transition in Food Systems

Just Transition in Food Systems

conference
30 May 2024

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AI Remaking Humanism?

FUCE Summer School
1-5 July 2024

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Europe and Solidarity

News

Missions, Maps & Mediators

Let's rewind to a magical exploration of Latin America in the Nottebohm Room. Mirela Altic took a close look at Jesuit maps from the seventeenth century. Francismar Alex Lopes de Carvalho examined the conversion of local people in the Amazon region and found that it was not a one-way street. This was followed by a panel discussion with our two guests led by Christiane Stallaert.
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Maria Cordero-Fernández

Meet our new ELP fellow!

UCSIA welcomes Maria Cordero-Fernández from Nicaragua as the third fellow of the European Leadership Programme. She will join the UCSIA team for the coming year. UCSIA has supported this Jesuit Social Centre (JESC) programme since 2020. Maria obtained an international master’s degree in rural development in 2021 and will focus on the topic of food security.
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Grote Vragen van Barokke Influencers

Scholarship Louis Bruyns

UCSIA finances a scholarship for a PhD student at a university in the Global South, who wants to spend a period at the University of Antwerp under the supervision of an entitled UAntwerp academic staff member. During his/her stay at UAntwerp, the student will also co-organize a public event on a topic of concern for the Global South!
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Publications

Minorities, Belonging and Values
A Requiem for Peacebuilding?

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on Europe and Solidarity

UCSIA

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