Member

Felm (Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission) is a faith-based organization that has been working over 160 years on a holistic mission to strengthen churches and support sustainable and well-being communities through church cooperation, development, peace and reconciliation, advocacy, and humanitarian aid. Felm is one of the largest Finnish civil society organisations working in global development and has received funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland since 1974. Felm’s work aims to promote human dignity and justice around the world. Our values are Love for one´s neighbour, Justice, Responsibility and Working Together. Felm adheres to humanitarian principles and follows a human rights-based approach emphasizing our responsibility and accountability to the people we work with. Their needs and agency and those of their communities are the starting point for our work. Other principles guiding our work are inclusivity, local leadership, and human rights-based approach.

Felm works in church cooperation, development, humanitarian aid, peace and reconciliation and advocacy currently in 24 countries with almost 100 partner churches and NGOs. Felm works through and with local partners supporting projects and learning in multiple ways (trainings, peer learning, sharing of best practices) and sends personnel to support and advise in this work such as: persons with disabilities, finance and administration support, education, climate resilience, peace, theology and diakonia. Advocacy is done from local to global UN-level through a variety of networks, always working with partners and building coalitions with other actors. In Finland Felm works with more than 300 parishes (members of Felm) in global and Christian education especially with youth and fundraising campaigns. Felm is globally active in many networks including ACT Alliance and in Finland an active member of FINGO the main umbrella organisation of CSOs working in development and humanitarian aid.