Irén Frändå

Diakonia is a force, a movement, a hope. We never stop, always evolve and fight tirelessly for a just, equal and sus-tainable future. For a world without violence, oppression and poverty. A world where gender justice and peace are not just a possibility, but a reality. Where we together take responsibility for each other and for the earth. A future where patriarchal structures are a memory. Where ALL people are free. In many ways the world is a better place than when we started our work in 1966. But at the same time, we see worrying signs of the progress being under threat. Growing resistance against gender equality, a backlash for democracy and a global climate crisis. The worlds challenges are complex. So, to create lasting change, sustainable and long-term change, we need to be smart. That is where Diakonia comes in. We have sprung from Christianity’s struggle for justice, and we stand firm on that foundation as we fight for the equal value of all human beings. We firmly believe in people’s ability create positive change. When we come together, we CAN change the world. We know we can, we have been doing so for over fifty years. To find smart solutions we need to really understand the problem and its roots. As lasting change is our goal, we need to change the underlying norms, power relations and structures that hold people in violence, oppression and poverty. To do that we work closely together with the people affected. We analyse, adapt and adjust our methods depending on where we are and what we are changing. We are not looking for quick fixes. We know that for change to happen we need three parts: knowledge, mobilisation and action. The first part is that drive and passion combined with knowledge of our rights. But for this to transform into actual change people need to come together, grow together and mobilize. Only then is the third part possible. Action. Rights can be claimed, defended, expressed and advocated depending on each context.