In 2001, CIEA's Human Rights committee became the Human Rights and International Solidarity Committee, with an expanded mandate to advise the federation on international solidarity issues. 

In 2002, CIEA became a northern partner of CoDevelopment Canada (founded in 1985 by the BCTF and joined by many other unions thereafter).

For the first few years, CIEA committed $5000 in support of Latin American projects. Staff rep Linda Sperling sat on the Board, and was replaced by Rick Gordon (Langara FA) for many years after.

In 2006, HRISC proposed an International Solidarity Fund so FPSE could engage in global solidarity issues. A sub-committee worked on logistics, and in 2008, the ISF was begun. By then, funding for international projects had increased to $15,000 per year, and it was opened up to locals to submit projects. 

In 2010, the funding increased to 1% of dues, and that was increased to 1.25% in 2017.

Early in January every year, a call goes out to locals for proposals, and a sub-committee of HRISC & PC, chaired by the Secretary-Treasurer, looks at the proposals and allocates the available funds. The aim is to build relationships with organizations on the ground, mostly involved in education in one form or another.

Here are projects and organizations that have been funded since 2008: