– This is the joint webpage of the UNIMA Humanitas and Cooperation Commissions. Following a decision adopted at the UNIMA Congress 2025, the two Commissions share a common space under the co-presidency of Ms. Kata Csató (Humanitas) and Mr. Sama Mohseni (Cooperation). Please find below further information about the work and activities of both Commissions.
Cooperation Commission
The UNIMA Commission for Co-operation was created in 2008 to carry out actions of solidarity in puppetry-related contexts.
All UNIMA members and anyone involved in puppet theatre throughout the world could benefit from support from the Commission.
The remit of the Commission is to provide aid to puppeteers in situations of catastrophe. This encompasses disasters caused by weather or climate, industrial, political or social situations of extreme distress.
The Commission provides support in the form of subsidies and financial support to specific projects or people, as well as the formal support of UNIMA, an official partner of UNESCO.
The Commission for Co-operation supports :
- Projects which have as their aim the development of puppet theatre to a significant degree in a certain area.
- Emergency Aid for puppeteers.
- The Kanguru project, which is designed to take puppet shows and workshops to children who are victims of war.
Information for Donors - Donation Guidelines and Dedication Options
Consider donating—your support matters! Click below to contribute:
Thank you for your continuous support for peace, heritage, and the creative arts!Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions at cooperation@unima.org.
Humanitas Commission
Introduction
- Vision
We understand Humanitas as a love of the diversity of humanity and it’s expression through puppetry arts. Humanitas: more than just a position of love of diversity.
- Mission
We support freedom of expression and mutual respect between peoples and cultures of the world. We believe that it is important for puppetry artists to be informed about the circumstances of artists in other countries, cultures and nations. Our goal is to support and protect puppetry artists by providing moral support and raising public awareness about those in threatening situations as well as those taking actions in conflict situations. We support and promote the work of puppetry artists working to broker peace, cross-cultural exchange and the promotion of human rights.
We will assemble and disseminate information regarding conflict situations and legislative crises affecting puppetry artists. We will bring special attention to puppetry artists who find themselves unable to perform due to circumstances which reduce their human rights and freedoms.
Humanitas also works to protect the puppet object. When precious puppets and collections are under threat due to economic and political situations, we will engage. Our objective is to raise awareness about the cultural value of puppet objects and the importance of protecting free expression and the cultural heritage puppets represent.
Objectives
- Situation Assessment
- Immediate Support
- Advocacy/Awareness
- Collaboration with Associates
- Resource Mobilization
- Documentation/Reporting
- Continuous Evaluation/Adaptation
- Strategic Restrictions/Representational Integrity
Approach
Our approach to meeting our objectives will be consultative; we aim to work in close collaboration with puppetry artists from affected regions.
Programme and Activities
Humanitas will develop both a reactive and a proactive programme. The reactive programme will respond to situations and crises as they arise whereas the proactive programme will act to generate creative and collaborative work that underlines UNIMA’s mission and that supports peace and mutual understanding through the art of puppetry. We are continuing to prepare the next podcast episode.
“If Humanitas is understood from a Roma derivation that includes humanism and benevolence, the n benevolenve drives humanism and could be understood as „someone willing to particiapte, at the level of feeling, in whatever is human.”
Andrea Poma (2017), Philosophical Notes for Postmodernism. Berlin. Springer. p. 231.
