About us

In December the Federation Mani Tese was officially established, with its own Statute, as a secular movement which intends to lead, with method and continuity, a campaign against hunger.

The first project in Bangladesh is funded.

The campaign for civil service is launched.

Launch of the campaign “Operation 1%” which propose self-assessment and the commitment of public institution.

The first “National day of fight against hunger” is organized and various initiatives take part in the main Italian cities. On a national level, the initiative “work camps” starts: collecting materials and studying are an occasion for raising awareness and bring together youg people.

Since its birth, Mani Tese funded 308 micro-realizations for 415 million lire and emergency interventions for 114 million.

The first national march takes place in Parma. 18 thousands people participate.

An international march for development takes place in Rome: about 100,000 participants. In this occasion, a delegation of Mani Tese has been received by the Prime Minister.

A march for justice occurs in Florence and 35,000 young people participate. Among the speakers there are Monsignor Camara, Follerau and Father Rogers.

There a NGOs’ march-demonstration in Brussels to ask for a better cooperation between the EEC and countries of the Third World.

Mani Tese participates as a delegate at the FAO World Food Summit in Rome.

Mani Tese participates to the first NGOs and EEC convention in Brussels to verify the possibility of collaboration for the realization of projects among the Lomé Convention. Mani Tese proposes in Italy a World Day for knowledge about development’s problems; in this occasion, the movie “5 minuti a mezzanotte” is played in Rome in Palazzo dei Congressi.

The Association Mani Tese ‘76 is established. The Federation Mani Tese cedes all the activities, assets, and Mani Tese’s brand.

“Work camps” are launched for the recovery of second-hand clothes, so they can be recycled and become means of solidarity.

The campaign for the awareness of an alternative trade is launched.

The campaign “One day off for the Third World” is launched.

Mani Tese is recognized Non-Governmental Organization, qualified to carry out activities in developing countries, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

National Week of the Third World. In March 1981, Mani Tese is acknowledge Charitable Organization with a decree of the President of the Republic.

Mani Tese proposes to improve the quality of the cooperation intervention after the call of 1300 mayors for the approval of a law against the extermination by starvation.

Mani Tese launches the idea of a March for Peace in Geneva. In the field of micro-realizations Mani Tese invests a billion and 134 million lire, 161 of which for emergency programs.

For Mani Tese’s twentieth anniversary a special edition of the monthly publication and and a seminar about the philosophy and the image of the association are organized.

During the International Youth Year, in Florence, the National Convention “Young people, Development and Participation of the Communities” is held.

The Center of Documentation for the collection and classification of documents about development was born. The campaign against “Merchants of Death” is launched to put pressure on MPs of the Defence Commisions of Chamber and Senate and to review the law on weapons’ production and trade.

There’s the first campaign “Democracy is Participation”. In Milan, the Cooperative “Recycling and Solidarity” is founded.

The “Center for Research on Development Education” (CRES) is founded and it receives the recognition for the realization of training experiences for teachers by the Ministry of Public Education.

The Convention “America Latina Es Tu Hora” takes place.

A press conference announces the launch of the “Campaign of Eritrea”.

In Genoa, the cultural initiative “To reverse Colombo’s course” is organized. The publishing house Bulgarini publishes “Foreste tropicali: quale futuro?” and “Brasile, la Terra degli Altri”.

As part of the “Campaign of Eritrea” the convention “Eritrea, Which Future” is held. The Somali emergency explodes and Mani Tese moves on several fronts: fundraising for a rapid response program and denunciation of the responsibility of the Italian Government. Regione Veneto awards the Venetian Prize for Peace to Mani Tese.

The main theme in 1993 is “Participation of the Populations for a New World Society”. 1300 people and 61 NGOs take part at the International Convention “This World is Ours Too” in Florence.

The Antimine Campaign is launched. The emergency in Rwanda explodes in all its gravity. Mani Tese, together with other European NGOs, participate in the realization of a program in two regions aiming at the settlement of 200,000 refugees.

Mani Tese joins the World Campaign for Women in Pechino. More than 1,000 participants take part in the International Convention “The future that connects us. The responses of the civil society to globalization”.

Mani Tese addresses the “Campaign New International Economic Order” to the financialization of the economy and to the Tobin Tax.

The “Italian Campaign against Mines”, coordinated by Mani Tese, wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Cooperative “Verso la Banca Etica” becomes “Banca Popolare Etica” and Mani Tese is a founding member.

Mani Tese participate to the Commission for Social Development and is involved in the preparation of the “Millenium Assembly”, the General Assembly which the United Nations will realize in 2000.

The International Secretariat of the Global March asks Mani Tese to oversee the European coordination of the Movement, thanks to the great success obtained by the Global March in Italy.

Mani Tese adheres and promotes the popular self-managed referendum “Earth is the only one we have and it is not for sale”. In April 2001, Mani Tese’s members delibarate to modify the denomiantion of the association from “Mani Tese ‘76” to “Mani Tese”.

Mani Tese is present: to the Davos World Economic Forum (which took place in Porto Alegre); to the special edition of the Perugia Assisi March to say stop to the massacre of Palestinian and Israeli people; to the European Social Forum.

Mani Tese participate to the World Trade Organization Convention in Cancun. The credit card of Banca Etica is launched.

The Social Cooperative Mani Tese was born. Mani Tese promotes the first world convention of former child workers.

Mani Tese adheres to the mobilization against the construction of the high-speed line on the Turin-Lyon link.

The Italian Donation Institute gives Mani Tese the concession of the ethical brand “Give with trust”. Mani Tese organizes in Riva del Garda the convention “Global who? Citizens of a world between centers and suburbs”.

First edition of the fundraising campaign “Molto più di un pacchetto regalo” in partnership with Feltrinelli libraries.

Mani Tese contributes to the launch of the Global Campaign for Education in Italy. Mani Tese organizes in Riva del Garda the international convention “The balances of hunger: is cooperation the answer?”.

Mani Tese launches the “Campaign for Food Sovereignty” that reaches more than 1 million people and collects 10,000 signatures which are delivered to the European Parliament.

The Convention “We are what we eat. The right to food, democracy and markets” takes place at Palazzo dei Congressi in Florence. Radio Popolare Network broadcasts two cycles of programs about the project “From food soveregnty to safety”.

The Committee for Expo dei Popoli is established.

The Parliament is asked for a new Common Agricultural Policy which supports small farmers and the transition towards more equal and sustainable food production chains. The World March for Food Sovereignty takes place and, within it, the theater tour “When I eat, I feel like a king”.

Mani Tese promotes the campaign “Fair Future” for the access, management and control of natural resources, by funding the production of the condemnation movie “Adelante Petroleros”.

180 delegates from over 50 countries answers to the challenge launched by Expo 2015 “Feeding the planet” with a 10 point declaration titled “Food Sovereignty and Agroecology to heal sick food systems”.

Mani Tese launches the campaign “I exist- Say no to modern slavery” with 2014 Peace Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, and is received by the Pope in Rome.

The FEDERATION MANI TESE ETS was born, a new reality made up of national, local and territorial organizations that refer to the experience and history of the Mani Tese Association, which has been committed to fighting injustices worldwide for over 50 years.

Mani Tese launches the Made in Justice program to educate, inform and collaborate with public opinion on the limits of "business as usual" and on the virtues of new ethical and inclusive business models, involving civil society actors (profit and non-profit) ) in a path of dialogue and collaboration that can translate sustainability into daily practices.

For the first time Mani Tese organizes an interactive experiential installation to raise awareness of the true cost of fast fashion, the "disposable" fashion that has been widespread in recent years. "THE FASHION EXPERIENCE - the truth about what you wear" has been visited in Milan by over 5000 people.