Transnational Care and Cosmopolitan Solidarity: Looking for a Nexus of Global Engagement and Local Impact

Our work explores the concept of cosmopolitan solidarity (Fine 2018) as a form of care (Jenkins 2018), focusing on a case study conducted in Tanzania in 2024. Established through the collaboration of an international non-governmental organization (iNGO) and local actors, the Nyololo Hospital, located in a poor rural area of the country, serves as a tangible artifact of transnational solidarity providing concrete services for health in the region. It exemplifies a relational approach to care that transcends national borders, offering insights into the material and social outcomes of global solidarity. Drawing on biographical interviews of volunteers and ethnographic materials, the study investigates how solidarity, framed as an ethical principle, reconfigures traditional distinctions between insiders and outsiders within a given community. From a sociological perspective, the study explores how these initiatives shape new social and professional identities, as global volunteers and local communities collaborate across cultural and social divides. These interactions foster a shared sense of purpose but also bring to light underlying power dynamics. The hospital as a solidarity artifact becomes a site where global ideals intersect with local realities, presenting opportunities for social change while also raising challenges related to external interventions. Our research findings suggest that while development projects aim to reduce inequalities, they must carefully navigate the balance between global interventions and local community empowerment. Furthermore, the research unveils the complexities of these interactions, highlighting how global solidarity efforts must be sensitive to the specific social, cultural, and political contexts in which they operate. Scrutinizing the intersection of global care ethics and local realities, this research offers critical insights into the role of cosmopolitan care in promoting socially sustainable development.