News: 25 years of International Development

The International Development Unit in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory of The Salvation Army was created in 1997.

Over the past 25 years The Salvation Army has established a presence in 27 new countries and is now reaching 132 worldwide. During this time the International Development Unit has supported projects in more than 60 of these countries, partnering with territories and working alongside communities to overcome the challenges of poverty and injustice.

Our work over the years has adapted to global trends in international development, and we have responded to the emerging challenges faced by communities around the world.

We continue to seek to form mutually accountable, deep-rooted partnerships with Salvation Army territories around the world to strengthen the projects we support and create lasting change.

Successful, sustainable and equitable partnerships require mutual accountability, openness and understanding. In recent years, therefore, we have begun a journey of decolonisation in our working relationships and practices with a view to interrogating and transforming the institutional and structural legacies of colonialism. This journey involves critically examining what we do, how we work, and how we engage with our partners.

We are continuing to learn, through our partnerships, how our working policies and practices can be adapted or dismantled to correct power imbalances and refocus resources for a more equitable future. We recognise that change will not happen instantly and so we are committed to this journey.

Whilst our areas of work may shift, team personnel come and go and our working locations change, we continue to collectively work towards our vision of a world without poverty and injustice.

We are incredibly thankful for everyone who supports our work, be it through awareness raising, fundraising or prayer. We have been involved in hundreds of projects over the past 25 years and we couldn’t have done this without your support.

Whether you have been engaged in our work since 1997 or just since last week, we want to share a heartfelt thank you. We hope you will continue to journey with us over the years to come.