Our Program Partnership Policies
ALL PROGRAMS UNDER MELANESIAN WOMEN TODAY MUST ADHERE TO THE EIGHT CORE PRINCIPLES:
AGENT OF CHANGE:
MWT supports the right of women, girls/youth in Melanesia and recognize their efforts to become key agents of change and opportunities of being stewards of resources in their own respective communities and country.
SOLIDARITY:
We practice solidarity with the women and girls in Melanesia by ensuring anatomy and assisting with their right to self-determination based on their needs, priorities and visions for the future.
RECIPROCITY:
We heed to the Melanesian value of reciprocity that everything and everyone is interconnected, interdependent and interrelated. We believe that identity comes from connections, therefore putting an emphasis on “we” and “us”, and less on”I” and “me”.
Our work with the women and girls is strongly rooted in the Melanesian value of reciprocity. Thus building relationships is important to MWT and is the foundation of our work, governed by an understanding of mutual respect; honest exchange, recognition of different roles and the shared responsibility of strengths and benefits.
SELF-DETERMINATION:
MWT values the rights of women and girls to self-determination as well as their right to determine their livelihood from a political, socially, culturally, and economic standpoint.
Self-determination in our work in Melanesia is valued by working with the women and girl youth to determine their own economic, social, and cultural development as an agent of change and leaders in their communities. We provide a platform for them to exercise their rights and allow them to have full autonomy over their programs and provide resources to help them be successful.
INCLUSIVENESS:
We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion in our nonprofit’s operations, as well as model our three core values as we advance our mission. We believe that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work is a way to intentionally make room for positive outcomes to thrive, whether in the nonprofit capacity building or public policy spheres.
We adopt practices that promote inclusiveness, diversity, and equity for all and by being transparent in our internal dialogue and encouraging our staff and board members to reflect, listen to each other, and learn from each other’s experiences.
NETWORKS, COLLABORATION AND ALLIANCES:
At MWT, we believe in the power of strategic alliances; we advocate for healthy and effective inter-cultural collaborations, and encourage meaningful networks between the women, youth, island nations, other NGOs, and affiliated individuals and groups to be a force for change in enabling the women and girls of Melanesia to lead a productive, healthy, and fulfilling life in these three areas:
Empower Women and Girls as Key change agents.
Empower Women and Girls as Key agents to activate and mobilize individuals in their communities to build self reliance.
Empower women and girls as key agents to engage and forge effective partnerships with their local government and community leaders.
We do networking, collaboration, and alliances in our work by taking on the responsibility of being a grant driven organization. We host networks and spaces that embody cross cultural, supportive connections between Melanesian women, youth, and their potential allies.
TRUST:
We work to build positive, respectful relationships with the women and girls in Melanesia and their local communities as well as allies by investing in processes that foster lifetime relationships.
Trust in our work is exhibited by entrusting the women and youth as the key agent of change in having full autonomy of the programs that are under the organization.
TRANSPARENCY:
We commit to being transparent to our values and programs by promising accountability and demonstrating excellence in our actions.
Transparency in our work is practiced through self evaluation, continuous learning, and being strategic in our planning and collaboration on a regular basis while sharing our outcomes.