Outline of a talk given by Maria Riley, OP at the Solidarity Retreat, Center of Concern, Washington, DC - June, 2006.

"Although the word solidarity is relatively new in social justice rhetoric, it has a long rich history in Catholic Social Theology. In its original meaning, solidarity identifies the two-fold reality of the human: our unique individuality AND our essential sociality. It challenges the inadequacies of both individualism and collectivism by insisting that the human person is a social being and the goal of the social order is not only the highest good for each person, but also the common good of all. As such, solidarity is a key principle of social order."

Although the word solidarity is relatively new in social justice
rhetoric, it has a long rich history in Catholic Social Theology. A
feminist reflection on solidarity would be shaped by several key
feminist moral insights: the centrality of relationship, the wholism of
the human experience and mutuality.