Is Charity The Same As Solidarity?

Due to the increase in the social inequality gap existing in modern societies, there is a part of the population that is forced to live with few resources. Thus, day after day we are bombarded with images of misfortunes that affect our equals. In this context, the words charity and solidarity appear in the background.

Thus, we can ask ourselves to what extent are we responsible for the life and destiny of others? We live in a world in which, more and more, solidarity prevails and in it, little by little, we are becoming socially aware of what is happening around us. So today we want to talk about charity, solidarity and social justice.

Background

The system of social action as we know it today has passed throughout history from one model to another. The evolution of the models of this system are (Picornell, MA 2013):

• Charity.
• Charity.
• Social care.
• Social Security.
• Social services.

At first, when there was no model from which the State was responsible for the protection of citizens, assistance to people who were in precarious situations was carried out through charity. Going through the different named models, until we get to what we have today: social services, a fundamental pillar of the welfare state.

This primary assistance consisted of giving alms, grain deposits or deposits, care for orphans, hospital care … All this without government control. Then it was understood that poverty could be legitimate (illness, orphanhood …) or illegitimate (due to vicious or laziness). 

Charity, solidarity and social justice

To be more specific and differentiate more exactly, we are going to explain each of the terms:

The concept of charity, as Giraldo and Ruiz-Silva (2015) say, is linked to the notion of welfare. It does not imply the search for justice or equality, nor does it promote the development of the empowerment capacity of those who benefit. Rather, it could be said, that satisfaction is felt by the person who has provided the help. We must not forget, however, that the duty to protect citizens lies with governments.

On the other hand, solidarity, although it is usually associated with philanthropy, charity, altruism and fraternity among human beings (Vargas-Machuca, 2005, cited in Giraldo and Ruiz-Silva, 2015), entails some difference if we have note the definition given above.

Solidarity could be understood as it could be understood as a “human response to the contradictions of the present time” (Bárcena, 2006). The action of solidarity ranges from a momentary help that alleviates a specific situation to a daily, constant effort towards, as the authors cited above say, the reduction of human suffering and the realization of justice.

Finally, the term social justice is born from the feeling of inequality that exists in the world. As well as the need to build a better society. In fact, Aristotle (cited in Torrecilla and Castilla, 2011) already spoke in one of his works of distributive justice: “ give each one what is due; that is, in proportion to their contribution to society, their needs and their personal merits ”. 

Today, the concept of “social justice” is complex and dynamic. For the UN,  social justice is a fundamental principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence, within and between countries. The pursuit of universal social justice represents the core of its mission in promoting development and human dignity.

The world is constantly changing. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt positions that promote equality and justice. Not so much to momentarily alleviate a situation, if not to make available to people the necessary tools to improve their lives.

Ultimately, as Griffiths, 2003 says, social justice must be a dynamic project, never complete, finished or achieved. Thus, a motto is advanced: fight to build and get a better place.