Survie facts for kids

Survie (which means "survival" in French) is a special group called a non-governmental organization (NGO). It was started in 1984. Its main goal was to fight against hunger and unfair practices in poorer countries. Over time, Survie grew. It became a network of local groups across France. Today, it has about 1,600 members and many active volunteers. In September 2005, Odile Tobner became the president of Survie. Before her, François-Xavier Verschave led the group. He was well-known for speaking out against how France sometimes acted like a colonial power in its former African colonies. He even created the word Françafrique to describe this.

A Quick Look at Survie's History

How Survie Began

Survie was created in 1984. This happened after a special message called the Manifesto Appeal of the Nobel Prizewinners was written in 1981. This message was about fighting hunger. Nobel laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, French engineer Jean Fabre, and Marco Pannella from Italy wrote it. Many Nobel Prize winners signed this appeal. To help spread this message, an international NGO called Food and Disarmament International was formed. Survie was then launched in Belgium and Italy. It quickly gained support from thousands of people.

Laws for Survival

In 1983, something important happened in Belgium. After many mayors got involved and a blind man started a hunger strike, the Belgian Parliament made a "Survival Act." This law set aside a lot of money for 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 Survival Act. This law provided money for an 18-month program. It helped countries badly affected by hunger and dry lands. The French Parliament had not passed a similar law before. So, Survie started working directly with members of Parliament (MPs) instead of mayors.

By March 1993, many French MPs signed a proposal for a Survival Act. Even the Prime Minister and other key ministers signed it. This bill was first thought of in 1989 by five MPs from different political groups. It suggested using a small part of France's national budget each year for development aid. This aid would be given in a new way, letting regular people and groups have a bigger say.

During this time, Survie noticed a lot of unfairness in how public aid was given out. They called it "secret aid to counter-development." They believed this aid was used to support certain leaders in former French colonies. Survie argued this was a form of neocolonialism.

The Rwandan Genocide and Survie

The Rwandan genocide was a very sad event. It showed the difficult parts of France's connections with its former colonies. François-Xavier Verschave, who was the president of Survie at the time, wrote books about it. He raised concerns about France's role in Rwanda. He also called for more investigations. French forces left Rwanda in December 1993. They returned later for Operation Amaryllis to help people leave. They also took part in UN Operation Turquoise, which helped save many civilians. A special group in the French Parliament looked into the events in Rwanda. Survie wanted a full Parliamentary Investigation Commission to be created.

Survie and the Comoros Islands

Survie believes that Mayotte, a French overseas territory, should be part of the Union of the Comoros. The group says that the vote where Mayotte chose to stay with France was not fair. If Mayotte cannot join the Comoros Islands, Survie suggests a special status for people from Mayotte. This would mean they would not need visas to travel between the Comoros and Mayotte.

Working with Other Groups

Survie has helped start several other important groups. These include ATTAC and the Observatoire de la Coopération Française. Survie is also a member of other organizations. These include the Center for research and information about development and the Coalition des ONG pour la Cour Pénale Internationale (a group of NGOs working for the International Criminal Court).