Our Values

We believe that the daily operations of our organization and the interactions of its members should embody the values of this document, as we believe that living these values is essential to creating a world that reflects them. Healing is more than just bringing medicine to the sick; it is creating a just, healthy world.

Walking with the people:

• We embrace solidarity, working in true partnership with the people we serve.  This means voluntarily sharing in the struggle of the communities with whom we work, and assuming responsibility for achieving tangible improvements in health, education and human rights.
• We believe in interculturality, communities recognizing and celebrating their distinct cultures and working together toward a common goal.
• We promote health care that works in harmony with local customs, beliefs and healing practices.
• We promote education that draws on and re-enforces community values and cultural identity.

Dignity of the human person:

• We are concerned for the well-being of all people as though they are our own family.
• Access to clean water, healthy food, dignified work, safe living conditions, high quality health care and empowering education are fundamental human rights, that demand our greatest efforts.

Self-determination:

• We seek to empower those with whom we work, so that they determine their own economic, social and cultural development.

Social Justice:

• We express social justice by working to empower those most marginalized within society, with a focus on women, the poor, and the indigenous.
• We hold that unethical means can never be justified by righteous ends.

Unity:

• We aspire to achieve unity between our organization and the people we serve.  Our projects are to be designed around a set of values and a vision developed in partnership with the communities with whom we work.
• We recognize that unity is achieved by building trust, and trust is built by following through on all the commitments we make to the people we work with.  This requires each individual within the group to take great pride and pursue excellence in his or her share of the collective effort.

Continual self- and group-reflection:

• We are committed to the ongoing process of evaluation.  Through praxis (action & reflection) we assess and re-assess our organizational processes and efficacy.
• We support the physical, mental, and ethical growth of the individuals who comprise our organization.
• We evaluate our programs qualitatively and quantitatively in a participatory fashion to facilitate a culture of open dialogue and continual improvement.
• We study the models of organizations engaged in similar work to ourselves in an effort to promote evidence-based practice.
• We remain open to change.