The CIS was founded in 1993 after the signing of the Peace Accords in El Salvador. Solidarity groups from the U.S., Canada, and Europe came together with Salvadoran popular organizations to develop a center to promote people-to-people relations after the war. The root causes of the war - economic and social injustice together with a lack of democratic openings to make change - were still present. It was agreed that continued international accompaniment and solidarity with grassroots movements for social and economic justice and participatory democracy would be needed to achieve structural changes in the post war period. Mission: To promote solidarity and cultural exchange across borders between the Salvadoran people and other peoples of the world to foment a culture of solidarity that implies accompaniment, respect for diversity, relationships based on equality and mutual support between people, with the objective of raising awareness, organizing and mobilizing grassroots efforts for justice and dignity.