Mission, Guiding Principles, Affiliations
The Mission of the Susila Dharma Network
The mission of SDIA is to relieve human suffering and promote just and sustainable development through:
- Partnerships and support for grassroots, participatory development and humanitarian initiatives;
- Empowering individuals and communities to engage in positive human, social and economic change;
- Raising awareness of global issues and inter-dependence.
The Meaning of "Susila" and "Dharma"
The name “Susila Dharma”
combines two Sanskrit words, which together mean ‘guided from within to
take action in the world.’ Susila Dharma work originates from an
awareness of a common humanity that transcends differences. The
intention behind Susila Dharma is to support people to live and work in
harmony in their quest for a just and sustainable society. The focus of
Susila Dharma is on people and relationships, and a belief in the
ability of people to reach their potential — socially, economically and
spiritually.
Guiding Principles of the Susila Dharma Network
Members of the SDIA embrace the following guiding principles:
A Vision of Development
- We give priority to the needs, aspirations and participation of the individuals and communities on whose behalf we are working.
- We recognise the importance of fundamental human rights, and environmental sustainability
- We work to advance the UN Millennium Development Goals. http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml
- We understand development as a positive process of human, social, cultural, environmental, economic and political transformation.
Community Participation and Knowledge Sharing
- We are committed to participatory and inclusive approaches to development.
- As a network we freely share our information and knowledge, continuously learning from each other and from the communities we are trying to assist.
- We base our decisions on mutual understanding and respect.
We aim to learn from our mistakes and value our success, no matter how small. - We are committed to monitoring and evaluating our activities in order to continually improve our development practices.
Partnerships
- Partnerships form the basis for trust and sound development practice.
- Our partnerships respect one another's autonomy and constraints and are built on honesty, accountability and transparency.
- All partners strive for better understanding and appreciation of one another.
- We reach out to and work in collaboration with institutions that share our aims and objectives.
Transparent and Accountable Management and Reporting
- We are committed to transparent and accountable reporting,both between members of the network, and towards beneficiaries, donors and the general public.
- We seek to identify the appropriate scale and terms of financial support on a case by case basis.
Personal Responsibility
Approved at 2007 AGM, Ascot UK
The Role of the SDIA Office
The SDIA Office, based in Montreal Canada, coordinates the international SD Network and assists its members to achieve their goals. The SDIA Office facilitates, strengthens and promotes the work of its members and represents them to other international networks.
Affiliations
World Subud Association
SDIA is an affiliate organization of the World Subud Association. Subud is an association whose members world wide belong to all cultures and religions and who are united through a direct, personal experience called the latihan that acknowledges a higher power.
United Nations
Since 1989, SDIA holds special consultative status with the United National Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) http://www.un.org/ecosoc/ and http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), http://www.unicef.org/. Since 2000, SDIA has been affiliated with the UN Department of Public Information, NGO Section http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/index
Working with the UN through volunteers, SDIA participates as an international non-governmental organization, contributing from civil society to the discourse on global issues.