Survie facts for kids

Survie (which means "survival" in French) is a special group, or non-governmental organization (NGO), that started in 1984. Its main goal is to fight against hunger and corruption, especially in developing countries. Over the years, it has grown into a network of local groups with about 1,600 members, around 100 active volunteers, and six staff members. Since 2005, Odile Tobner has been the president of Survie. Before her, François-Xavier Verschave led the group. He was well-known for speaking out against how France sometimes kept control over its former colonies in Africa, a situation he called Françafrique.

How Survie Started and Grew

The Beginning of Survie

Survie began in 1984 because of a powerful message called the Manifesto Appeal of the Nobel Prizewinners. This message, written in 1981 by Nobel laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, French engineer Jean Fabre, and Marco Pannella from Italy, called for action against hunger. Many famous Nobel Prize winners signed it. To spread this message, an international NGO called Food and Disarmament International was created in Belgium. Survie was then launched in France, Belgium, and Italy, gathering support from thousands of people.

Laws for Survival

In 1983, after some Belgian mayors got involved and a blind man started a hunger strike, the Belgian Parliament passed a "Survival Act." This law set aside a lot of money to help with development aid in East Africa.

In 1984, over 8,000 French mayors were part of Survie. The next year, the Italian Parliament also passed a similar "Survival Act" to help countries dealing with hunger. Survie then focused on talking to members of the French Parliament (MPs) to get a similar law passed there. By 1993, many MPs, including the Prime Minister and other important ministers, supported a proposal for a Survival Act. This proposed law would set aside a small part of France's national budget each year to help development, with a focus on involving regular people and groups.

During this time, Survie noticed that a lot of the money meant for development aid was being misused. They called this "secret aid to counter-development." They believed this aid was actually helping to keep a system of control, known as Françafrique, by supporting leaders who were not always good for their countries.

Survie and the Rwandan Genocide

The terrible events of the Rwandan genocide were a big shock. They showed a darker side of France's connections with its former colonies. François-Xavier Verschave, who was the president of Survie at the time, wrote books saying that the French government was involved in some way. He claimed some French people played a part in the genocide. However, it's important to know that all French forces left Rwanda in December 1993. They only returned later for specific missions, like helping people leave safely during the first days of the genocide, and then as part of a UN mission called Operation Turquoise, which helped save civilians. Survie wanted a full investigation by the Parliament into what happened.

Survie's View on Mayotte

Survie believes that Mayotte, which is a French territory, should become part of the Union of the Comoros. They argue that the vote where people in Mayotte chose to stay with France was not fair. If Mayotte cannot rejoin the Comoros Islands, Survie suggests that people from Mayotte should have special travel rules so they don't need visas to go between Mayotte and the Comoros.

Working with Other Groups

Survie has helped start several other important groups, including ATTAC. It is also part of other networks, like the Citizen Commission of Investigation on the Implication of France in Rwanda, and a group of NGOs working for the International Criminal Court.