Mission & Values

Tandana's Mission:

To support the achievement of community goals and address global inequalities through caring intercultural relationships that embody mutual respect and responsibility.

Tandana's Approach:

Tandana is built on a first-person orientation toward other people in relationship. This stance gives to us and to our friends full human agency, the chance to act in meaningful ways and to participate in live encounters between different people. It allows us to see opportunities for collaborating to make dreams come true, rather than problems that require technical intervention.

This orientation leads to a spirit of sharing, based on simple human values like respect and responsibility. An attitude of respect calls us to honor the ability of community members to define their own priorities and initiate their own projects. It builds confidence among community members, leading them to invest in collaboration with us. 

A commitment to responsibility leads us to follow through on our promises, offer ongoing friendship, and expect the same from our local partners. This value brings about complete, successful, and sustainable projects, instead of ones that break down after a year or are left half-finished for decades. Community leaders experience their own effectiveness in achieving their goals, with Tandana complementing what they already have. 

Healthy intercultural relationships

o   We cultivate and create opportunities for the creation of intercultural relationships that are beneficial to all involved.

o   The depth and authenticity of relationships between community members, staff, and volunteers is one of Tandana’s               special strengths.

o   These relationships are an enthelecheia in that they are both an end in themselves and a means to strengthening                     communities.

Responsibility

o   We follow through on what we commit to do.

o   We avoid arousing hopes unless we can follow through.

o   We expect responsibility from communities as well as from ourselves and form structures to promote responsible                   leadership.

Respect for people and their cultures

o   We treat all people with respect.

o   We respect different cultures and make an effort to learn and participate.

o   We recognize the importance of paying special attention to cultures that have historically been devalued.

o   We support the efforts of indigenous peoples to reclaim and strengthen positive aspects of their cultures.

Caring

o   We consider the effects of our actions on others and strive to make them positive.

o   We combine personal and anonymous care, letting individuals know that they matter while also being fair.

o   We embody compassion, showing care with respect and standing alongside those who are struggling.

Guiding Principles

Sincerity

o   We require honesty.

o   We say what we mean and present ourselves as who we are.

o   We promote transparency in project leadership.

Inclusiveness

o   We value input from all people and appreciate the contributions of people of different backgrounds, experiences, and           perspectives.

o   We strive to create environments in which all participants feel like they are part of a positive effort and they are                        connected to the group.

o   We actively promote inclusion of voices that have been excluded or marginalized.

Mutuality

o   We recognize that we are partners in mutual relationships, in which everyone has assets and needs and we can all learn,       give, and receive.

o   We create opportunities for mutually beneficial arrangements and win-wins.

Lasting change

o   We invest in initiatives that have the potential to generate lasting positive change.

o   We promote development of capacities, knowledge, and skills that are a durable benefit in themselves and that also help       communities sustain initiatives over time.

Opportunity

o   We focus on opportunities and assets more than needs and deficits.

o   We provide opportunities for people to learn and grow and then applaud their agency in using their knowledge for their       own initiatives.

Continual improvement

o   We strive for excellence in all that we do.

o   We try to keep improving our work, based on experience and feedback from others.

o   We continue to reflect on the meaning and effects of our work.

Organic evolution

o   The realities of the communities we work with are our guides.

o   Change in our organization happens in response to real needs and opportunities.