Overview
Solidarity is the principle of mutual support, interdependence, and unity among members of a community — particularly across differences of circumstance, identity, or position. It contrasts with charity (top-down giving) by emphasizing mutual obligation and shared vulnerability.
In Catholic social teaching and social democracy, solidarity is paired with Subsidiarity — together they balance local autonomy with mutual responsibility across scales.
Forms
- Social solidarity: Trade union movements, mutual aid networks, collective bargaining
- International solidarity: Cross-border support for oppressed peoples or shared global challenges
- Economic solidarity: Cooperative enterprises, community land trusts, commons-based institutions
- Ecological solidarity: Recognizing interdependence with non-human life and future generations
Related
- Subsidiarity — The complementary principle of local autonomy
- Commons — Shared resources governed through solidarity
- Governance and Community — Collective organization principles