General Principles
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Sustainable progress, peace, and justice require that all organisations contribute to the common good. Thus, the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation (CAF) should integrate self-development and service to others, balancing individual and public concerns, and focusing on higher, broader, and more public levels of service.
1. While responsibly maintaining itself, CAF should conduct its activities for the sake of others, whether for the public at large or a particular segment of the public.
2. Public money must not be misused for selfish purposes, and all public assets are to be treated with the utmost seriousness, as a public trust.
3. CAF will recognise that its conduct and activities impact the public’s perception of NGOs and that it shares responsibility for the public’s trust in NGOs.
4. CAF will exhibit a responsible and caring attitude towards the environment in all of its activities.
Significant progress towards world peace and global well-being can be fostered through inter-religious, intercultural, and interracial work, and across artificial barriers of politics and ethnicity that tend to separate people and their institutions. CAF will maintain ethical, cooperative relationships with other NGOs, and should partner where possible and appropriate for the sake of the greater public good. CAF will be willing to work beyond borders of politics, religion, culture, race, and ethnicity, within the limits of the organising documents and with organisations and individuals that share common values and objectives.
As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, are endowed with reason and conscience, and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.' (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1). The family is the fundamental natural group unit of society promoting human rights and human dignity. (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16):
1. CAF will not violate any person’s fundamental human rights, with which each person is endowed.
2. CAF ascertains that all people are born free and equal in dignity.
3. CAF will be sensitive to the moral values, religion, customs, traditions, and culture of the communities it serves.
4. CAF will respect the integrity of families and support family-based life.
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change their religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest their religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance." (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18).
CAF will respect religious freedom.
CAF will strive for openness and honesty internally and towards donors and members of the public.
1. CAF will be transparent in all of its dealings with the government, the public, donors, partners, beneficiaries, and other interested parties, except for personal matters and proprietary information.
2. CAF’s basic financial information, governance structure, activities, and listing of officers and partnerships shall be open and accessible to public scrutiny, and CAF will make efforts to inform the public about its work and the origin and use of its resources.
3. CAF will be accountable for its actions and decisions, not only to its funding agencies and the government, but also to the people it serves, its staff and members, partner organisations, and the public at large.
CAF will be honest and truthful in its dealings with its donors, project beneficiaries, staff, membership, partner organisations, government, and the public in general, and will respect the laws of any jurisdiction in which it is active.
1. CAF will provide accurate information, whether regarding itself and its projects, or regarding any individual, organisation, project, or legislation it opposes or is discussing.
2. CAF will fulfil its obligations under the laws of the nation in which it is organised or works, and must be strongly opposed to, and not be a willing partner to, corruption, bribery, and other financial improprieties or illegalities.
3. CAF will have a policy for staff and volunteers to confidentially bring evidence to the governing body of misconduct by anyone associated with the organisation.
4. CAF will meet all of the legal obligations in the countries in which it is organised or works. Such obligations may include laws of incorporation, fundraising legislation, equal employment opportunity principles, health and safety standards, privacy rules, trademark and copyright legislation, etc.
5. CAF will take prompt corrective action whenever wrongdoing is discovered among its staff, governing body, volunteers, contractors, and partners.