Fondazione Marista per la Solidarietà Internazionale (FMSI) is the Marist Foundation created by the General Administration for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. Together with the Solidarity Secretariat, it is the entity responsible for the Institute’s work with the United Nations.
FMSI is positioned as the operational and advocacy arm of the Institute, working to develop the potential of children and young people, especially those in situations of vulnerability and exclusion. Through educational projects, advocacy programmes and sustainability strategies, FMSI furthers the Institute’s commitment to social justice, amplifying its impact and visibility in the global community and ensuring that the Marist values of dignity and solidarity are present in every initiative. As explained on its website, FMSI “believes in a world where children are respected and protected, free from violence and fear, where children are full citizens and recognised as active members of their communities and society”.
From Champagnat Global, we had the opportunity to speak with Andrea Rossi, director of FMSI:
Three educational works that stand out in FMSI
In a more strategic approach, FMSI is accompanying the Institute in the transition from a project-based approach to a programme-based approach. This shift in focus aims to achieve deeper and more sustainable systemic change, addressing the roots of problems and not just their symptoms, thus ensuring a more lasting impact on the defence and promotion of children’s rights. We do this in close collaboration with the Provinces, for example, working with Madagascar and Norandina in 2023. Examples of other strategic initiatives include the New Horizons Project in 21 schools across the province of South Africa and the creation of a network of children’s rights clubs across the Africa region. In addition, we continue to support the Institute with the construction of new Marist schools: in the last five years eight new schools have been built in Madagascar, Cameroon, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mozambique and East Timor. This year we started our first project in Pakistan on child protection and inter-religious dialogue.
Which children’s rights are the least respected internationally?
According to the most recent UN reports, the greatest international challenges to children’s rights include violence, exploitation, lack of access to quality education and the refugee and migrant crisis, which puts the well-being and rights of millions of children around the world at risk. Furthermore, without opportunities to express their views and contribute to society, children cannot become agents of change, which is essential to address these contemporary global challenges.
What do you see as the most important issue for children internationally?
The rights of children and young people to be heard and actively participate in making decisions that affect their lives are among the least respected internationally. Children are often seen as objects of rights rather than subjects with voice and agency, which requires a significant shift in global perception and practice. We add as a problem the lack of empowerment and participation of children in issues that concern them, such as climate justice and peacebuilding.
What initiatives are being taken to advocate for children’s rights in FMSI?
FMSI, the Solidarity Secretariat and the Marist Brothers have submitted 74 UPR reports, incorporating contributions from brothers, lay people, children and young people to highlight specific human rights issues in 44 countries, resulting in a total of 1089 recommendations. This extensive work represents an invaluable legacy for the Institute, which is now present on our UPR map.
1089 recommendations in which the Institute advocates for quality education, equal access to education, the right to health, water and food; defending the rights of migrants, refugees, displaced persons, girls, indigenous peoples, minorities and persons with disabilities and special needs. Denouncing situations of child detention, sexual abuse, exploitation, child marriage, corporal punishment.
These will become new policies, new applications, new standards.
Throughout your career, what is the most surprising and moving thing you have seen in children?
I have had the privilege of visiting many Marist missions. I have seen the desire to go back to school in Syrian children just two weeks after the earthquake. The strength of the 155 Blue Marist volunteers. The hope for a better future for many Venezuelan children, the many difficulties of the children in Haiti, the 10,000 children in the seven Marist schools in Madagascar, soon to become eight schools. The experience of the social works in Talit, Malawi, Lebanon, Palawan, Zambia, Malawi, Maicao… Our missions are unique in the world!
What would you highlight as fundamental when working with minors in vulnerable situations?
The commitment of the Marist Brothers and FMSI to the defence of human rights, particularly those of children, embodies their mission and legacy. Their holistic approach ensures that the rights and well-being of children are consistently prioritised at the Institute level and on the international stage, fostering a more just and equitable world for future generations. Because children are our future, their voices and rights must be at the forefront of our efforts to create lasting change.
Addressing fundamental violations of children’s rights requires a two-pronged approach, including not only advocacy at the grassroots level, but also high-level policy-making tools, such as with UPRs. Advocacy and policy-making are crucial to creating lasting change and ensuring that children’s rights and well-being are prioritised and protected. Seventeen of these UPR submissions were made with the direct participation of children, highlighting the importance of including the voices of young people and children in advocacy actions. This method aligns perfectly with the Marist charism, which emphasises education and advocacy for children’s rights, ensuring that their rights and needs are prioritised in international human rights discussions. This child-centred approach has been instrumental in shaping policies and recommendations that genuinely reflect the needs and rights of young people, thus contributing to more meaningful and sustainable improvements in their lives.
What can schools do to respect and promote children’s rights?
Protecting children has been, and always will be, our priority. During the war in Syria, in Congo, in Liberia, in Cameroon, during apartheid in South Africa, during the severe humanitarian crisis in Haiti, we, as Marist Brothers, have been at the forefront of the most serious violations. Proximity to those suffering severe human rights violations has become part of our DNA: those on the margins became the fourth call of our 22nd Chapter, ‘Accompanying children and young people living on the margins of the world’. It is our charism that guides us towards the need to ensure that children grow up in environments where they are both protected and empowered. A space where these two energies are not in contradiction but complement each other in harmony. It is from this space that we find the inspiration to continue our educational and transformative mission with renewed spirit and commitment.