The context
Whether responding to climate disasters, supporting displaced populations, or intervening in conflict settings, wherever people face crises—whether acute or prolonged—mental health and psychosocial support actors are confronted with the limits of dominant approaches.
Psychological suffering, intensified by crises and structural inequalities, is still too often reduced to standardized, decontextualized, and predominantly biomedical models. These approaches, often rooted in positivist frameworks, leave little room for clinical, ethical, and organizational questioning.
In response, we work to repoliticize mental health, to examine power dynamics and the social and environmental determinants of distress, and to promote a plurality of practices and forms of knowledge.
We also aim to strengthen coordination among actors, support professionals working in challenging environments, and contribute to more just, sustainable, and context-sensitive interventions.
The collective: mission and approach
Everything began with a shared conviction, articulated in our Manifesto: mental health is a political act.
Emerging from a collective dynamic initiated in 2008 and formally structured in 2026, the Altérités Collective works toward a profound transformation of mental health and psychosocial support practices and frameworks.
We advocate for a vision of mental health that integrates social, ecological, and political determinants. It is not only about treating individuals, but about contributing to “maintaining and repairing our world.”
At the core of our approach lies a key principle: interdependence. Mental health cannot be understood independently of the cultural, social, ecological, and institutional contexts in which it is embedded.
Our three strategic pillars
- Holding together
Building lastingsolidarities among practitioners, reducing professional isolation, and strengthening coordination between NGOs, public institutions, and civil society, both in France and internationally. - Questioningdominant frameworks
Producing and sharing situated knowledge, critically examining dominant standards and training formats, and promoting diverse approaches—community-based, experiential, and decolonial. - Openingpolitical horizons
Advocating collectively with organizations and donors for more contextualized interventions that respect local temporalities and address structural inequalities.
Our thematic workstreams
The Collective develops thematic workstreams to explore key issues:
- Environment, solidarity & climate: linking climate crises and mental health, and strengthening advocacy within international networks
- Migration: sharing MHPSS practices and advocating for access to rights and care for migrants
- Plurality of knowledge: exploring linguistic, cultural, and theoretical translation to build a shared and respectful language
How we work
Hosted and facilitated by Groupe URD, the Collective operates through a shared governance model structured around:
- An Agora, a space for collective reflection and decision-making.
- Working Circles, thematic groups for action, experimentation, and knowledge production.
We encourage the circulation of knowledge and collaboration across academia, NGOs, and civil society, while acknowledging and working through existing asymmetries.
We are funded by the Fondation de France.
Our members
The Altérités Collective brings together practitioners, researchers, trainers, students, social workers, and members of NGOs, institutions, and grassroots initiatives involved in MHPSS.
Current members are affiliated with organizations such as Action Against Hunger, Handicap International, Médecins du Monde, Médecins Sans Frontières, Première Urgence Internationale, the French Red Cross, CCOMS, Groupe URD, as well as independent experts.
Who can join?
The Collective is open to anyone willing to engage in a reflective and collective approach to MHPSS, and able to communicate in French.
Membership is free and can be individual or institutional.
Most activities take place online, enabling participation from across French-speaking regions worldwide.
What you gain by joining
By joining the Altérités Collective, you become part of a dynamic community and gain access to:
- A decision-making space (the Agora): contribute to shaping the Collective’s vision and strategic orientations.
- Action groups (Working Circles): participate in or initiate thematic groups to develop tools, conduct research-action, and experiment with new practices.
- Shared resources and tools: access internal platforms (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, mailing lists) and Collective outputs.
- A support and learning network: participate in webinars, annual study days, and peer-support spaces.
- A collective voice: contribute to advocacy efforts aimed at influencing donors and institutions.
How to join
Membership is currently free.
To join, simply send your request to: collectif.alterites@urd.org