2. CARE’s vision, mission and programming principles

CARE’s vision and mission statements establish the core mandate of CARE’s work. Responding to emergencies is central to CARE’s vision and mission.

CARE’s mission statement clearly highlights ‘delivering emergency relief’ as central to our work. Our emergency work should also seek to strengthen capacities, address discrimination, influence policy and provide economic opportunity for people and communities affected by emergencies. CARE’s programming principles support CARE’s vision and mission and must be upheld in all of CARE’s programmes.

CARE’s Vision statement

We seek a world of hope, inclusionand social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security.

CARE’s Mission statement 

CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.

CARE’s Focus

We put women and girls in the centre because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.

CARE’s Programming Principles 

In order to fulfil CARE’s Vision and Mission, all of CARE’s programmes should conform to the following Programme Principles. They should inform and guide, at a fundamental level, the way we work. They are not optional.

Principle 1: Promote Empowerment

We stand in solidarity with people living in poverty and support their efforts to take control of their own lives and fulfil their rights, responsibilities and aspirations. We ensure that participants and organisations representing people living in poverty, especially women and girls, are partnersat all stages in our programmes.

Principle 2: Work with Partners

We work with others to maximise the impact of our programmes, building alliances and partnerships with those who offer complementary approaches, are able to scale up effective solutions, and/or have responsibility to fulfil rights and reducepoverty through policy change and implementation. We commit to working in ways that support and reinforce, not replace, existing capacities.

Principle 3: Ensure Accountability and Promote Responsibility

We seek ways to be held accountable by the people we serve and partners we work with. We identify individuals and institutions with an obligation toward poor and marginalised people, and support and encourage their efforts to fulfil their responsibilities.

Principle 4: Address Discrimination

In our programmes and in everything we do we address discrimination and the denial of rights based on gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, class, religion, age, physical ability, caste, opinion or sexual orientation.

Principle 5: Seek Sustainable Results

As we address underlying causes of poverty and rights denial, we develop and use approaches that result in lasting and fundamental improvements in the lives of the peoplewe serve, particularly women and girls. We work to influence changes that are environmentally, socially and institutionally sustainable.

Principle 6: Do No Harm

We analyse the intended and unintended impacts of our programmes, encourage honest learning, and take action to prevent and respond to any unintended harms. We place special focus on preventing and addressing gender-based violence in all of our programmes.

We hold ourselves accountable for enacting behaviours consistent with these principles, and ask others to help us do so, not only in our programmes, but in all that we do.