Diakonia’s characteristics
Diakonia works close to partners. We focus on strategic processes, both in developing and developed countries. We have a participatory approach and a pro-active agenda to alter systems and structures that generate and maintain poverty.
Close to the processes, both in the developing and developed countries
The main part of Diakonia’s staff works in or near the countries where partners operate. Diakonia’s decentralised organization - with both regional and country offices - facilitates a partnership characterised by trust, contextual analysis, strategic choice of partners and projects, identification of partners’ needs for capacity building, linking between partners, and to communication work in Sweden, as well as planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes.
Participatory approach
Local ownership, and the rights holders’ qualitative participation, are core values of the projects Diakonia supports. Participation is also a leading principle in all internal processes in Diakonia. As much as possible partners participate in Diakonia’s planning and monitoring, to guarantee ownership and quality.
For all partners a certain match between our identities is required in the sense that values and priorities are shared, but beyond that the relation is in reality very much characterised by a give and take ending up in mutual influence and learning.
Proactive agenda to alter what generate and maintain poverty
In Diakonia’s long-term work for change focus is put on changing the structures (at all levels) that generate and maintain poverty.
Our programmes should not merely deliver direct benefits to poor and discriminated women and men, but also address the root causes of the problems experienced.
Also, in our advocacy work we do not merely react on others agendas and proposals, but proactively tries to influence the agenda and propose alternative solutions.
Added value
Diakonia's added value are defined by the principles of good donorship and partnership and is concretised through the different roles we play.
Rights based approach
Diakonia believes that the Strategy for Change and a Rights based approach (RBA) is highly conducive to socially sustainable development, as it recognises discriminated individuals/groups and victims of violations as right holders.
By putting focus on empowering people to demand what is rightfully theirs and on the duty bearers’ obligation to grant the rights, the approach not only provides the legal framework and tools to pursue change. It also seeks to empower the rights holders to be the protagonists of the change and to be owners of this process.
Finally as the outcomes and impacts are closely linked to the legal system the changes achieved run a fair chance of being sustainable.
