Principles and practices:
The following principles and practices work as guidelines wherever ViDAL operates, develops and scale up its initiatives. They determine the course and process of ViDAL operations. However, if at any point of time the principles need to be changed, due to the growing needs of rural areas and global environment, ViDAL board has the power to make necessary changes.
While Principles remain standard for any part of the country, practices offer the needed flexibility for adaptation to different regions.
The principles bear ViDAL philosophy and hence cannot be deviated from. They are laid down to help steer focus and integrity of the organization. The practices can vary from place to place and do not have to go through the concurrence of the board of trustees; the ED or the CEO of ViDAL can decide about the application of specific practices in specific places.
ViDAL will maintain operational integrity by adhering to the following principles.
- ViDAL exists only to make tangible and non-tangible gains to the rural communities. (Purpose)
- ViDAL will adhere to truthfulness in disclosing information to the specific communities’ about goals of programs in their respective areas (Honesty)
- No activity or program will be taken up against the willingness of the community involved (Equality).
- Communities will be duly involved with the processes, rewarded or shared with the proceedings of ViDAL programs and projects (Partnership)
ViDAL shall operationalise the principles by following local and culturally friendly practices.
- ViDAL programs have to make tangible and non-tangible benefit to the rural communities. The gains can be tangible like financial gains through new economic activities, preservation and environmental protection, non-tangible gains like new knowledge formation by engagement and exposure to new information.
- ViDAL will not intrude into rural space and all the processes will follow the pace determined by respective communities. Further ViDAL will foster equality by appropriate choice of processes for delivery of services, and bringing in opportunities for alternative decision making possibilities for the communities.
- ViDAL information disclosure can be through field level meetings with the opinion and political leaders of the community, cross section of the people or any specific targeted group. ViDAL can work directly or with a group of people or regional people’s organizations and other local NGO’s.
- In case of disengagement, disinterest, or protest from any community for any specific initiative ViDAL will be engaged in resolving the matter with the community by identifying the seed of disengagement. In case the situation persists, the program or project will be withdrawn if communities demand so, or if the effort turns out to be futile.However, if a community disengages out of indifference, ViDAL can withdraw from the community on its own accord after due notification. In case of a conflict of interest within the community, it will be left to both the parties within the community to decide on ViDAL’s intervention.
