Principles & Values
Our guiding biblical principles:
That which is right and true for all people, for all times, and for all places.
Love
God loves the whole world of humanity so much that He gave His only begotten Son, the dearest sacrifice He could make, so “that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The end result of God’s love is therefore the gospel message the free offer of life and mercy to anyone who believes. The kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind, enable us to obey His mandate of loving one another and be an example of His word put into action.
What this looks like in practice:
● In our organization and development work, love finds part of its application in the fulfillment of human rights and in equal relations between human beings. Based on the Word of God, we believe the fruit of love to be justice and the fruit of justice to be peace.
Identity
Every human being is created to be an image-bearer of the Creator (John 14:9; Colossians 1:27; Matthew 5:16). -In this, we are all equally worthy, while remaining diverse and unique. -As human beings, we stand apart from all other creatures because of our relationship to God.
What this looks like in practice:
● Equality entails that all people should be approached, talked with and about in a way that respects their dignity, regardless of race, religion, gender or political background.
● Simultaneously, people’s uniqueness and diversity means there is no one-size-fits-all path of development. Thus, a variety of people must be involved in the design and implementation of projects.
Compassion
-To have compassion is to be moved by others; not only their suffering but also their aspirations and capacity. -It implies deep awareness or understanding of someone’s suffering and the desire to relieve that suffering. -Compassion is linked directly to the principle of love. We learned from Jesus in Matt 9:36-38 that compassion for others is a fundamental principle.
What this looks like in practice:
● Responsibility and compassion go hand in hand. Compassion must lead people to take on responsibility for their own life.
● Effective compassion seeks the root causes of vulnerability, violence and exclusion. It leads us to move beyond charity or momentary emotion; driving sustainable development.
Stewardship
– Every human being has been created as a responsible creature (i.e. responsible to answer to God’s call; see 1 Peter 4:10).
– As we reach out compassionately, we do not take on responsibility for others. Rather, we train, equip and support individuals and their groups, in order for them to become good stewards of their God given capacity, manifested in gifts, talents and resources.
-We promote and encourage an attitude of respect and protectiveness towards life on earth (i.e. all human beings, animal life, and the natural environment).
What this looks like in practice:
● For Conviventia’s operations, this means we must be responsible stewards within the context in which we operate.
● We are committed to acting with transparency and honesty; held accountable to our target communities, donors, staff, partners and other stakeholders regarding our policies, decisions and actions.
Interdependence
- Interdependence means we are both independent and dependent. See Jesus’s beautiful illustration of that in John 15:5
- We are dependent in that we are part of a much larger organism: The body of Christ (i.e. the church). Therefore, our actions are never completely isolated from others.
-We are independent in that we are responsible, both as individuals and as an organization, to be good stewards.
What this looks like in practice:
- As an organization, we make policy choices that are independent of the possible secular stream of development choices that our environment brings forth. We stand firm on the truth found in the Word of God.
- Yet, we are dependent in the sense that we work alongside individuals, organizations and institutions within our context to be able to adequately exercise our responsibility as stewards.
Our Core Values:
Characteristics that give the human being value, determine human action, and therefore influence organizational performance and achievement.
Dignity
Each human being, having been crafted in the image and likeness of God, has an intrinsic value that makes them worthy. The intrinsic worth of every human life is the reason why Conviventia takes action.
Man is created in the image of God (Imago Dei). Genesis 1:26
Acting with dignity means exercising respect, empathy, self control, and achievement motivation.
Integrity
Each human being has been endowed by God with talents and abilities, is responsible for their own life, and has the right to enjoy the world in which he/she lives. Therefore, each person must have the opportunity to develop their talents and potential in order to enjoy the benefits of their training and the application these abilities offer; placing them at the service of their society or group.
Acting with integrity means exercising responsibility, honesty, diligence, service, hard work, and creativity.
Freedom
Every human being has an intrinsic power inherent to their condition that grants them the capacity to value and respect the dignity and integrity of their peers and the right to receive reciprocal treatment. People should therefore exercise sovereignty over their own process of development.
Acting in freedom means exercising unity, kindness, gratitude, generosity, resilience and discipline.
We pray and claim Isaiah 61 on a daily basis:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”