Background and Mission - BSDI's Premise and Guiding Principles

BSDI’s Premise and Guiding Principles

Influenced by the United Nations Environment Programs’ Agenda21 for combating Poverty, the initiative is founded on the premise that lack of access to resources is the primary obstacle to improving the quality of life. Furthermore, BSDI recognizes that poverty is the symptom rather than cause of the problem. BSDI therefore seeks to provide solutions and access to resources rather than aid. Additionally, rather that assuming what the problems are and implementing programs or solutions that we think will benefit the target group, the BSDI team first conducts community research, interviews, and field surveys to:

• Listen and form superior relationship with the community members,
• Identify the local problems, needs and abilities of the community with its members and only then design, develop, and
• Implement solutions or programs that best fit the needs of the community.

BSDI advances its mission through the following means:

1. Work with the communities to identify long-term solutions and appropriate implementation approach and strategies.
2. Develop solutions taking into consideration the communities needs and capacity.
3. Design and implement integrated sustainable projects that are participatory, holistic, dynamic and flexible in nature while taking into account existing power relations and cultural, religious and political context.
4. Promote community self-reliance and self-determination by bringing the appropriate technology and resources that will be organized, operated, and maintained by the communities with a minimum of outside technical assistance.
5. Strive for social inclusion and enhancing gender equality.
6. Analyze local ecosystems and their natural resource potential.