Extracts from a staff handbook

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Our Vision is:“a world without poverty and injustice in which everyone enjoys their right to a life of dignity”

Our Mission is:“to work with poor and excluded people to eradicate poverty and injustice”

ActionAid works in over 40 countries. The work in each country is co-ordinated by ActionAid International which is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This document contains extracts from a handbook produced by ActionAid International for all staff and partners funded by ActionAid. Reading it will give you an idea of what ActionAid’s values are and what the organisation is trying to achieve.

Extracts from a staff handbook

Part of ‘The Work of an NGO’ resource | ActionAid schools | April 2012 | 2

Tennyson Williams, Country Director of ActionAid Kenya

“ The rights based approach is a development practice. We provide the services people need to survive on a day to day basis but we go beyond that to emphasise people’s political and economic rights too. This way they can hold their own authorities to account for the things they have a right to. We ensure that people themselves take ownership of their own development because at the end of the day we will step aside. It is definitely a more sustainable approach.”

Extracts from a staff handbook

PHOTO: GREG FUNNELL/ACTIONAID

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What motivates ActionAid programme staff to work for social change?

Extracts from a staff handbook

I believe the status quo will never remain; the only constant in life is change. It is only social change that will make the powerless today powerful tomorrow.

Esther Agbon, ActionAid Nigeria

I believe that everyone has the same rights and I want to live in a world in which such rights are truly respected.

Glauce Arzua, ActionAid Brazil

I think it is very unfair for people to continue to live in poverty in a world with so many resources. I believe we can only bring change to the people we work with if we interact with them and… put our feet in their shoes.

Foday Swaray, ActionAid Sierra Leone

I’m working for poverty eradication in my country… Poverty is a result of a social situation in which there is unequal… resource distribution and where human rights are violated. This requires a social change, which is not easy… As an ActionAider I’m joining my efforts to others so that we can eradicate this… enormous poverty.

Adelin Ntanonga, ActionAid Burundi

Social injustice has created so much suffering for many people! Human beings have created social injustice… and I believe that only human beings can overcome it! One day, the people’s solidarity will bring justice back to our society!

Kimtheng Sen, ActionAid Cambodia

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Our VALUES are:

• Mutual respect, requiring us to recognise the innate worth of all people and the value of diversity.

• Equity and justice, requiring us to work to ensure equal opportunity to everyone, irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, HIV status, colour, class, ethnicity, disability, location and religion.

• Honesty and transparency, being accountable at all levels for the effectiveness of our actions and open in our judgements and communications with others.

• Solidarity with the poor, powerless and excluded will be the only bias in our commitment to the fight against poverty.

• Courage of conviction, requiring us to be creative and radical, bold and innovative – without fear of failure – in pursuit of making the greatest possible impact on the causes of poverty.

• Independence from any religious or party-political affiliation.

• Humility in our presentation and behaviour, recognising that we are part of a wider alliance against poverty.

Extracts from a staff handbook

Part of ‘The Work of an NGO’ resource | ActionAid schools | April 2012 | 5