August Vanistendael (9 January 1917 – 8 September 2003) was a Belgian trade union leader and Catholic social activist.
Born in Birtley, Tyne and Wear, in England, Vanistendael grew up in Belgium, and began working as a clerk at BAC, the Christian labour movement bank.
[1] After the war, Vanistendael began working for the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU).
[1] Vanistendael worked as an advisor to Konrad Adenauer, and also to Joseph Frings.
In 1961, he founded Cooperation and Solidarity, which awarded scholarships to students from poorer countries, and Pro Mundi Vita, which conducted research into development aid.