About Us

Founded by urbanists, economists, corporate executives, jurists…, Aitec is an international solidarity association committed in the fight for economic, social and ecological justice. Through research, advocacy and support provided to the social movements’ campaigns and mobilisations Aitec participates in building an expertise that is rooted in resistance and critical action. Aitec strives to propose alternative perspectives and policies.

The overall vision of AITEC was defined in its founding text (1983) : “To establish practically and professionally a refusal of the technical “diktats” and to give political debate its importance back”. This means “overcoming the divide between the professionals and the activists”, and “progressing on both a political and a professional front in order to better respond to the demands of workers and peoples for progress and independence”. By refusing to make knowledge exclusive and unaccessible, we encourage a variety of approaches and invite technicians to accept or to widen and develop debates. AITEC’s project is strongly rooted in the field of international political economy : it has developed its reflection on differents themes since its creation, among which :

• housing access and right to the city
• public services, access to rights and democracy
• the reform of the International financial institutions
• debt cancellation and financing for development
• trade and development, regulation of international trade

In this way expertise, in connection with social movements, NGOs and trade unions, represents a dominant axis. AITEC defines itself as a network of professionals, associations and professional and expertise groups, working itself in connection with a number of associations. Through various activities (seminars, workshops, publications, briefing and policy papers, experience sharings…), AITEC aims at contributing to the exchange of informations, analysis and expertise, while avoiding north/south dichotomy or citizens/specialists divisions. AITEC collaborates with other organizations for much of its work. AITEC is becoming increasingly involved in collectives, it has a strong presence in international conferences, working alongside other organizations challenging the dominant currents. AITEC participates in the alternative globalisation movement, particularly through themed seminars : social forums, particularly the first World Social Forum at Porto Alegre (in reaction to the Economic Forum at Davos), counter summits to the G7-G8, at the counter Franco-African summit, etc… Thus AITEC shows itself as a part of the world social and citizen’s movement.