Danmission’s Programme Strategy
Danmission’s Programme Strategy
Danmission’s Programme Strategy
1. Foreword and Theological Basis
This strategy constitutes the overall framework for all programme work in Danmission. It sets the vision, direction and themes for our work. As a Christian organization we base our work on the fact that faith matters to, and contributes to give life meaning and direction, to the majority of people in the world, and that this must be taken into account when working for sustainable existence and peaceful coexistence.
The strategy is a living document. It has no timeline or expiration date. Instead, it will be revised and updated on an annual basis. This process will include the elaboration of an annual crosscutting operational plan, with concrete targets to be met in the coming year(s). Furthermore, the strategy will be operationalised in country or regional programmes.
As a Christian faith-based organisation, our raison d’être and view on ourselves ultimately takes point of departure in our faith and understanding of the nature and mission of the Church – and our relationships to others and to society. The foundation for this strategy is expressed in Danmission's Understanding of Mission with three key messages: There is Hope, There is Forgiveness, and There is Life.
Central to our Christian faith is that we see mission to be God’s mission to the world (Missio Dei) – which we humans have a vocation to participate in. God’s mission springs from the creative and redemptive love of God. As Christians we believe in God as triune. God the Creator calls all human beings, Christians, and all people of good will alike, to be stewards of creation and to promote human dignity, justice and peace. Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Liberator, gives his disciples a share in his sending to the world with the mandate to heal, empower people and communities. The Holy Spirit, The Giver of life, empowers for this mission and equips people so that they have the needed energy and wisdom to serve as agents of change and transformation.
Being sent (missio) to service (diakonia) is central to our identity a key to why our organisation was founded. We are here to serve others. With all partners, Danmission sees that joint aims and goals – despite how we formulate it – concern to serve both fellow human beings, society, and creation.
From this, stems our understanding of service as stewardship. We are stewards for a time only, entrusted with power and resources – human, economic, and natural which we should manage in a responsible and accountable way and pass on to our successors and future generations. This holds true in the organisations and institutions where we play a role. This also holds true for the wider society and planet earth. Service (diakonia) also entails good administration of what is entrusted to us. We have a responsibility to be good stewards ourselves – and a responsibility to advocate for and
insist on good governance and accountability of those bearing duties both among our partners and of those in power in the societies in which we work.
2. Context analysis and global trends
This strategy was originally written while the COVID-19 pandemic had just hit the entire globe, underlining, paradoxically, the fact that humanity is both linked together: we live on the same planet and we hold the fate of each other in our hands, and divided: entire countries and continents were locked down both internally and closing the borders to each other, trying to keep “the others” away. The pandemic has had severe effects on many levels, not least in countries like Danmission’s programme countries These contexts were already marked by poverty, insecurity, and inequality as well as high levels of conflict and social tensions which in many ways have been reinforced and accelerated by the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic, we are increasingly faced with a world marked by severe challenges, volatility, and unpredictability – which calls for actors to be agile and innovative. All over the world, poverty and inequality is rising, affecting individuals, communities, and countries. COVID-19 has highlighted the unequal access to basic health services, including vaccines and societies have felt the impact of lockdowns affecting people’s livelihood, food security, children’s and young people’s access to education and restrictions on basic civil rights. Many societies have seen severe increases in gender-based violence and children in risk of abuse during periods of lockdown and conflict.
For lots of people it is a big question whether they and their children will be able to sustain their families. Will they be able to live from the earth and in their societies and have access to the resources they need to sustain a life in dignity, free from poverty. The current Russian war in Ukraine is expected to accelerate further the situation of global food insecurity and growing poverty.
With the Covid-19 pandemic we see what a world in crisis can be like. This should be a wake-up call for the much larger and long-term consequences of climate change and all the interconnected crises related to our management of nature and resources. Creation, and our life on earth as such, is at risk. Issues are global but they affect people in local contexts. Closely linked to the climate crisis we see irresponsible stewardship of and unequal access to natural resources – leading to poverty and conflict. Earth is becoming un-liveable – leading to scarcity, migration, and potential rise in conflicts, affecting most severely the poor, the most marginalised and discriminated groups. Interlinked with poverty and inequality comes discrimination and violent conflicts. It challenges our ability to live peacefully together at all levels: Globally, regionally, in countries, villages, families.
Several of Danmission’s programme countries are going through a period of severe crisis. The military coup in February 2021 in Myanmar has put an effective end to the years of democratization and hope for a better future and replaced it with extreme levels of violence and mistrust accompanied by skyrocketing poverty levels and little
hope for the future. The situation in Lebanon has gone from bad to worse after the Beirut explosion in August 2020 and the escalating economic crisis as a result of poor governance and political stalemate.
The war in Ukraine is, so far, a culmination of a global yearlong growing tension between very different political and value systems. The relative peace in Europe after the end of the cold war has come to an end, with global repercussions, the medium to long-term effects of which remain to be seen.
People are faced with questions about which kind of powers will prevail in the future: Will forces who work for a world we can live in together, find strength and corporate to act on this? Or will forces who benefit (economically, politically etc.) from “clashes” between groups gain further momentum? Will authoritarian forces succeed in attempt to polarize groups against each other for their own gain? Polarization often includes religious actors or actors who make use of religion. This is extremely dangerous and can unravel social cohesion in societies and disrupt into communal unrest and violence across national and international contexts.
Globalization is related to migration and the rapid developments related to media and technology. Societies experience diversity and pluralism: People are increasingly meeting, living with, and exposed to others who are different from themselves. Both individuals and societies need to learn new ways to coexist. Interconnected events from the local to the global levels are driven by geopolitical turbulence with all kinds of power struggles between old and potential new superpowers both globally and regionally. Autocratic regimes find new friends and allies and multilateral cooperation and institutions are challenged.
We see a political rhetoric on the rise with the use of “othering” for political and economic gain – intentional creation of “them”-and- “us”, polarization, nationalism, derogative narratives, and discrimination.
Along with this comes a shrinking space for civil society actors, especially critical voices and actors who challenge political or economic powers. All kinds of excuses are used to silence these voices. Also, religious groups and individuals, both Christian and others, experience restrictions, marginalization or even persecution in some countries. The very space to practice their religion and spirituality is under pressure.
The role of religion
In recent years there is a growing recognition, also among secular actors, that religion is something that must be taken into account when working for sustainable development. Most people around the globe identify themselves as belonging to one or another religion. Religion is a key source of norms, ideologies and teachings which shape people’s minds and values – and promote and justify a spectrum of actions.
Religion can be used actively to legitimise war and violence. It can be misused for identity politics underlining a “them-and-us” rhetoric or by anti-rights actors to
discriminate against certain groups or individuals. And religion can be used by minorities as a kind of “shield” to avoid contact with the surrounding majority society. Religion can be part of the problem – but it can also be part of the solution. Cultural norms can promote or hold back groups and individuals. The way we choose to see the planet can make the difference between those who wreak havoc on the environment for the destruction for us all – and those who act on protecting it e.g. from a sense of reciprocal connectedness with God’s creation.
Religious groups and religiously engaged actors often play a crucial role in making change happen – in reaching out to “the other”. They are engaged in society and recognized as important actors who can inspire hope and work for societal change, peace, justice, and a healthy relationship to resources and to nature. Churches and other religious institutions are often among the main providers of basic services such as health and education and they constitute the prime social network of many people across the globe.
Religion is often the source of spiritual strength. Humans are spiritual beings. When the world changes rapidly and sometimes violently, religion is often the source for consolation, hope, strength and trust that things can improve, that a new world is possible – and strength to join forces for action. And sometimes faith remains as one of the last sources of resilience. Theology and faith can be emancipatory and help people to connect with each other and with God.
For Danmission, the recognition of the role of religion is very good news, and as a Christian organization we are well placed to work constructively in the interplay between religion and sustainable development.
3. Vision, themes, and intervention areas
The overall vision for our programme work is that of a world with “Sustainable existence & Peaceful coexistence”. A world people can live in, and a world with “peaceful coexistence” – a world people can live in together. This is based on a holistic worldview where people and nature co-exist in a sustainable way. Based on our vision we work with three themes with a set of interrelated intervention areas.
Vision
Sustainable EXISTENCE & Peaceful COEXISTENCE
We promote sustainable existence – for a world people can live in; and peaceful coexistence – for a world people can live in together
Theme I:
Contextual theology for faith and social action
Strengthening faith, hope, and resilience –and stewardship and social action for sustainable development
Theme II: Dialogue and peacebuilding
Strengthening inclusive and just community building, and promoting peaceful conflict management
Theme III: Sustainable and just stewardship of natural resources
Strengthening local communities to access, use and protect natural resources, to reduce poverty, and to enhance good stewardship for people and planet
Strengthen theological centres to be catalysts for faith and social action
Promote freedom of religion and belief; assembly & association, and strengthen civil society
Support the community of global churches in being churches together
Strengthen interfaith and intercultural dialogue and action
Strengthen faith-based peacebuilding, mediation and conflict management
Enhance theological and spiritual based responses to poverty and natural resource scarcity
Strengthen sustainable, just and equitable access to and use of natural resources
Prevent and manage natural resource conflicts
I. Contextual theology for faith and social action
Theological engagement and faith-based developments and actions are key areas for Danmission. We work for people to be able to foster faith, hope, and resilience. And we work for them to build agency and strength to be stewards and take action. Danmission will focus on strengthening theological centres to be catalysts in their societies to enhance contextual theological reflections and faith-inspired social actions, to help strengthening spiritual connectedness, and to guard the rights of people to meet and actively engage in their community
A. Strengthen theological centres to be catalysts for faith and social action
Theological and faith-inspired reflections can foster human creativity, nurture hope, and promote action for justice and social change (public theology, consciously contextual theology and theologies about liberation from poverty etc.). Furthermore, it can enhance positive views of the “other” (theology of religions etc.) and inspire developments for peace and support people’s relationship to resources and nature (ecotheology and theologies related to stewardship, service, sustainability and interconnectedness).
To get access to learning critical thinking skills, access to learn in reflective spaces and to be able to imagine and act on a better tomorrow can make the difference between despair and hope. Practitioners are often separated from those engaged in intellectual and other reflections. There is a need to not just strengthen theological reflections but also to turn them into social actions.
Danmission will:
- Support and strengthen Christian theological centres - educational institutionsto secure high-quality theological education for future preachers, teachers, and other actors in dialogue and diaconia to be catalysts for learning, reflection, and action in their societies
- Support contextual and public theology development and language, which answers to needs, hopes and voices of people in local contexts and motivate to take action
- Support places which enable groups of people to reflect in order to go against dehumanizing forces and voices and take part in development of their contexts and for the benefit of their societies
- Support socially engaged faith-based actors in the translation of theology into action and strengthen churches and other local faith communities to take part in and contribute to society
B. Promote freedom of religion and belief; assembly & association, and strengthen civil society
The very foundation for practicing and taking action together is threatened in many societies. Powerful forces restrict the space for certain groups of people, minorities, human rights actors, or local civil society organisations to work together, fight for human rights and take action against poverty and for the common good. This includes religious actors and minorities: For many people, the space to practice their spirituality and religion is under pressure. Sometimes religious interpretations are used to support discrimination, violence, hate speech, retaliation. Already discriminated groups often suffer the most when violent words (derogative, discriminatory and hate speech) and violent actions are directed towards them e.g. in orchestrated attempts to stigmatization and scapegoating.
Danmission will:
- Support the freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief for people to enjoy the right to think freely, hold positions and share ideas, including the freedom not to have a religion. It includes people of faith or no faith, including indigenous groups. It also relates to publicly practicing and manifesting one’s spirituality and religion – hereunder to assemble and act together. A special focus is on people living in poverty and discriminated and vulnerable groups
- Promote democratic formation for peaceful pluralism and inclusive citizenship. This includes facilitating safe-spaces and supporting networks for community change agents across religious, ethnic, social, professional, and other groups
- Strengthen local civil society actors. Promote joint action among change agents (civil society organisations and individuals) for social justice, active citizenship and community building
- Promote community organizing and community dialogue and joint action. Protect and support the freedom of assembly and association for all – and promote a free space to engage in active civil society – in promoting equal rights and diversity for local and civil society actors with a focus on vulnerable groups.
C. Support the community of global churches in being churches together
Danmission and its partner churches have a holistic approach to theology; words and deeds are interlinked to social change-making, as well as to faith and congregational life that deepens our sense of community and offers a context to reflect on and nourish our spiritual lives. To strengthen this, Danmission and its partner churches should seek to be inclusive in their faith and foster a sense of belonging to the same global community of churches. This involves promoting a welcoming and global church, that includes all groups in society, including women and youth who in some contexts experience exclusion For Danmission and its partner churches, contextual theology is important – seeing Christian faith as relevant to people’s spiritual lives and as a change maker for social action. Furthermore, Danmission will invite partners to go into dialogue on subjects that we do not necessarily agree on.
Danmission will:
- Link Danish and global partner churches and church-based organisations for inspiration and mutual learning.
II. Dialogue and peacebuilding
Peace and justice are central words in the Christian Bible. Often, they appear together and remind us that there is no justice without peace – and equally, no peace without justice (Psalm 85:11). Danmission works for strengthened coexistence and strengthened cooperation. Both actions and mindsets are important. A change in mental models on how we see other people, can cause the difference between those
who act to “love your neighbour as yourself” and those who engage in scapegoating, discrimination and violence against the “others”.
A. Strengthen interfaith and intercultural dialogue and action
We engage in interfaith and intercultural dialogue to strengthen community building and relationship between people for joint action and cooperation. Often relationships are built by working together – finding a “common third” (diapraxis). The building of constructive reciprocal relationships across groups is pivotal to have in place if polarization attempts, violent conflicts or humanitarian and health crisis hit communities.
Dialogue and diapraxis can be positive factors in bridging divides between people and groups, in efforts to reduce poverty, preserve nature, and in securing social and economic development in general. In some contexts, dialogue and diapraxis can go hand in hand, in other contexts one has to come before – and pave the way for – the other.
Danmission will:
- Strengthen inter- and intrafaith, intercultural and interethnic relations and build networks for people who value and promote human interconnectedness and community building
- Support local actors to convene transformative intercultural, inter- and intrafaith dialogue between religious leaders and others across religious and cultural divides
- Promote the building and rebuilding of relationships between religiously engaged actors, including with spiritual, existential, and transformational elements – also in challenging environments of enmity, violence, conflicts, and polarization
- Support interfaith diapraxis and common social action - faith-based engagement and action for peace, coexistence, poverty alleviation, nature preservation, justice and the common good across religious divides.
B. Strengthen faith-based peacebuilding, mediation, and conflict management
Peace is more than absence of war. The Christian concept of Shalom has connotations to harmony, joy, well-being, life in all its fullness and good and safe relations In a Christian understanding peace is communal. In a broad sense it relates to some level of peace with oneself, peace with other people, peace with God – and peace with the natural environment.
Faith-based and traditional actors can often use the richness in their traditions, narratives, liturgies, values, and practices which – sometimes since ancient time – have been used to promote both justice and peace. These actors and approaches are often overlooked in peacebuilding efforts, despite the fact that faith-based actors are present
locally and can play formal or informal roles as mediators, in conflict resolution, advocacy and as change agents for social justice.
Digital technologies play an ever-increasing role in almost all sectors of society and across industries through increased use of better and faster internet, remote sensing devices, satellite imagery, higher computing power, and through advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence. They offer new means of tackling issues such as peacebuilding, conflict resolution, rights violations, and violent extremism, or what we also refer to as PeaceTech. Danmission is already a player in this field which we want to continue exploring.
Danmission will:
- Support traditional and religious peacemakers, across divides, in their prevention, mediation and reconciliation efforts, convene cooperation among all types of actors, at both local, regional and national level
- Support local actors in community-based peacebuilding – in analysis of conflict drivers and structural issues and in setting up sustainable structures to promote social cohesion
- Support psycho-social endeavours related to people suffering from conflicts and their effects
- Support local actors to take action to prevent communal violence, extremism, derogative narratives, scapegoating and hate speech in communities and in media and new technology
- Promote innovative peacebuilding approaches and partnerships in order to prevent, mitigate, resolve and reconcile. This includes qualitative work with few targeted individuals, and quantitative work of scale e.g. with the use of media, social media, and technology, including PeaceTech.
III. Sustainable and just stewardship of natural resources
God’s creation, the world we live in, faces unprecedented challenges. It is a combined threat of global scarcity of vital natural resources, declining biodiversity, and negative impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human livelihoods. This is combined with growing inequality and unequal access for people to the natural resources which to most people on earth are key to upholding a life in dignity and free of poverty. The different faces of this threat are already beginning to converge and in the coming decades are likely to produce a tidal wave of unrest, rebellion, competition, and conflict. As natural resources become scarcer and climate change disrupts our ecosystems, food security will be challenged, affecting in particular the poorest segment of the population.
Natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce as a result of several factors: supply-induced scarcity, structural scarcity, resource capture, etc. These various forms of scarcity can lead to a potentially destabilizing social effects, for instance lower
agricultural production and migration. Disruptive social effects such as these, in turn, can lead to conflict and violence under certain conditions. These threats call for a Christian response for sustainable and just stewardship leading to joint actions across religious, political, and other divides. Danmission will emphasize the following areas: Theological and spiritual responses to natural resource scarcity; sustainable, just, and equitable access to and use of natural resources; and natural resource conflicts.
A. Enhance theological and spiritual based responses to poverty and natural resource scarcity
Human beings are part of God’s creation. At the same time, we are commanded to care for the creation (Genesis 2:15). We are called to protect people and the planet we live on and to live in harmony. This is possible only if we realise the interconnectedness and deeply understand that nature is also taking care of us in various ways.
Danmission will:
- Foster Christian theological and multi-religious reflection on just, equitable and responsible stewardship across religious and other divides (green theology)
- Strengthen spiritual and social connectedness among faith groups affected by poverty and natural resource issues (interconnectedness)
- Promote interfaith dialogue and cooperation on poverty and natural resource issues (green interfaith).
B. Strengthen sustainable, just, and equitable access to and use of natural resources
Overexploitation of natural resources poses a real danger to humanity. Currently, our consumption is substantially greater than the planet's capacity to regenerate its resources and handle our waste. This means that conserving natural resources such as fresh water, forests and minerals is pivotal. Declining natural resources and unequal access to and distribution of resources negatively impact the livelihood of communities located in areas rich in natural resources.
Danmission will:
- Support natural resource dependent communities and civil society actors to protect and access natural resources
- Improve the livelihood and resilience of natural resource dependent communities
- Promote innovative partnerships with private sector actors, tech actors, and research institutions to enhance alternative income opportunities for poor and natural resource dependent communities
- Protect and support natural resource defenders and foster linkages between natural resource defenders at the local, national, and international levels.
C. Prevent and manage natural resource conflicts
Conflicts over access to natural resources are growing in scope, magnitude, and intensity. If not addressed in an effective and timely manner, natural resource conflicts can escalate into violence, result in environmental degradation, and adversely affect community livelihoods, leading to increased poverty.
Danmission will:
- Support natural resource dependent communities and civil society actors to prevent and address natural resource conflicts
- Foster dialogue between natural resource actors to build constructive relationships and strengthen cooperation
- Promote innovative peacebuilding approaches and partnerships in order to mitigate natural resource conflicts.
4. How, where and with whom we work
4.1 People – who our interventions aim to benefit
Our country and regional programmes are designed to empower and to improve the situation for people, groups and communities affected by poverty, marginalization, discrimination, conflict or similar – in the given contexts. These are our primary target group.
In our aim to make change happen we also work indirectly – i.e. with societal structures and important institutions and actors who are not themselves the most vulnerable or marginalized, but who nevertheless have roles related to decision-making, reach and impact which affects these groups and the direction society is heading. Here our target groups are people and groups who are well placed to bring about change (change agents) related to our goals - in local contexts and across groups. This includes future change makers – young and future religious, societal, political and thought-leaders. It also entails strategic institutional actors like churches and other religious institutions, civil society and local governmental actors.
Young people between 18 and 35 years old make up a majority of the population in many countries, but too often they are not part of formal or informal decision-making structures, despite their capacity to be potential agents for change. For this reason Danmission puts emphasis on strengtheningyoung people's participation and influence in organisations and at community level, with particular attention to young women.
4.2 Partners – we work in partnerships, in mutuality and accompaniment
Danmission works with and through partners – many of whom are local, but some may also be regional, national, or international. This is based in the understanding that we
are not here for ourselves. As being sent to be together in service is central to Danmission, it is also central to our partnership approach and relates to whom we partner with.
From a Christian point of view, Danmission and our partners are members of the same body but with different roles. Local actors and partners are embedded in local contexts and have legitimacy, knowledge, access, and roles here that Danmission has not. Local actors are legitimate expressions of e.g. civil society and groups. Local churches are holistic local expressions of church with worship and proclamation as well as community, witness, and service.
We work with partners with whom we have common goals and values, and we seek to build country and regional programmes with different types of partners who have different competencies and complement one another in attempts to create synergy and efficient interventions with and for those we serve.
As part of the Christian Church family, the wider family of faith actors and civil society, and along all other actors in the society, we also find our partners within these spheres, as illustrated below.
A. Christian faith-based actors: Christian churches and Christian civil society organizations
With churches and Christian Faith-based organisations, networks and alliances we share our Christian faith and have a natural connection. This gives us the ability to work together as partners with a common language, collective memory and understanding of being part of the worldwide body of Christ, sent together to take part in God’s universal mission, in discipleship to Jesus Christ, and how Christ sends people to
service (diakonia) related to the recreation and rebuilding of community according to the love of God.
Christian accompaniment includes walking together also as companions in the theological and spiritual realms – in prayer and worship. We value and nurture and wish to strengthen ecumenical – Christian intra-faith – relations. Being part of the same family also allows us to go into both constructive and critical dialogue related to understandings about Christian norms, teachings, and theology. It gives us a platform to address sensitive issues where we and our partners may not agree. And it gives opportunities to relate to Christian perceptions of stewardship – how to manage entrusted power, means and resources in a responsible and accountable way.
B. Faith-based organisations and civil society organisations
We partner with faith-based organization and civil society organisations, networks and alliances with whom we share goals and values. In the same way as described above we partner in working and walking together. We have close and natural relations with other faith-based organisations with whom we also walk together in accompaniment.
As a civil society actor, we also partner with other civil society actors. We wish to contribute to the development of strong, independent, and diverse organized groups of engaged people which is crucial to further inclusivity and democratic development.
C. Other strategic programme partners
To enhance programme work, we partner for shorter or longer time with public or private sector actors with relevant competencies or skills. Danmission convenes actors to work together to create synergy, bring added value, test and bring interventions to scale. Danmission as convener and facilitator of cooperation includes cross-sectoral corporation and co-creation (e.g. academia, tech actors, social movements, government, private sector) as well as engage in strategic network, alliance- and coalition building.
4.3 Where we work/Geography:
Danmission is currently active in the following regions and countries:
A. East Africa region
• Programme countries: Tanzania and Kenya
• Network countries: Madagascar
B. Middle East region
• Programme countries: Lebanon, Egypt, andSyria.
• Network countries: None
C. South/South East Asia region
• Programme countries: Cambodia and Myanmar
• Network countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India
In the coming years we will strengthen our presence and further develop our impact in these three regions and in the present programme countries. As we get ready for expansion, this will take point of departure in these countries and regions to take advantage of potentials for programmatic synergies across borders and to increase efficiency in our work.
We will develop new country and regional programs based on thorough analyses of needs and opportunities in each context and designed to meet specific goals within the thematic intervention areas outlined in this strategy. We will build on the existing partner portfolios in each country and expand these with new partnerships when and where needed to reach our goals. Revisions of partnership portfolios will always be done with a view to strengthen synergies and complementarities between the partners.
Danmission’s partnership approach is described further in the partnership policy dated June 2024
Danmission has two different engagement levels in the countries:
Programme countries – This is where Danmission’s core programme work takes place. All interventions are guided by this programme strategy and by country or regional programmes. The secretariat of Danmission has the responsibility for implementation based on clear divisions of roles and responsibilities between country/regional offices and the headquarter in Denmark.
Network countries – These are most often countries where Danmission has previously had an extensive engagement and where there is a wish to continue partner relations. The work with these countries is implemented by groups of volunteers in Danmission within agreed frameworks and agreements about scope and content of the work.
In addition to its global engagement, Danmission will in the coming years pursue an ambition to reinvigorate and further develop its programme work in Denmark in an overall effort to create stronger links between our national and international work. This effort will take its departure both in previous experiences from programme activities in Denmark and from experiences from our international work. We already have both international and national experiences to build on especially within our second theme Dialogue and Peacebuilding but linkages between our national and international work will in the coming years be pursued in relation to all three themes.
4.4. Advocacy and network: Bridging the local, national, regional, and global
Our approach is not to focus solely on the very local community work in isolation – and neither is it to work in capitals far away from the local contexts of people. For our work to benefit local actors, it is important for us to work with partners who have reach, are legitimate and relevant in their local context. However, this should be combined with
the scale, power, and legitimacy of those partners who have a reach regarding e.g. advocacy or communication channels at a national, regional, or similar level.
Hence, across Danmission’s country and regional programmes, we work to build networks and strengthen partners’ capacities to advocate for selected themes at the local, national, and in a few cases at regional levels. It is furthermore a priority to strengthen the synergy between these levels, mainly between the local and national level to bridge the often expanding gap between local needs and national policies.This is complemented by Danmission contributing with advocacy towards Danish embassies and larger international actors, networks, and fora for the rights of partners and the importance of ensuring room for CSOs to engage in the public space, their right to be heard, included, and acknowledged in local and national decision-making processes.
The exact focus of our advocacy work will be defined in the operational plans within the following areas:
- Religion and development and religion, peace, and conflict. Including the role of religious actors
- The interplay between the Humanitarian-Development-Peace issues and the role of local actors
- The right to practice and act – as civil society and faith-based actors
- The right to sustain oneself and one’s community and to access and protect nature and natural resources
4.5 Working in fragile contexts
Danmission strives to be as responsive as possible to changing local circumstances including sudden crisis, and works in several protracted crisis areas (Syria, Lebanon, Myanmar). This means that we support partners’ humanitarian aid assistance when needed (see Danmissions Humanitarian Policy), but recognise that our main capacity and expertise lies within the nexus between long term development and peace and this is where we concentrate most of our efforts
Danmission engages in faith-based, community, and people-centred peacebuilding with a focus on local contexts. Danmission supports Christian, faith-based, and interfaith peacebuilders and mediators, organizations, and institutions. It seeks to enable civil society and local actors to build and sustain structures to deal with conflict dynamics with non-violence as a principle.
4.6 Crosscutting principles
The following principles are fundamental for Danmission’s programme work, and cut across all our different kinds of programmes and projects:
Local context and partners
Our work should always take point of departure in the local context, and we work with partners who are an integral part of these contexts. What we do has to answer to concrete needs of local people and support local stewardship of actors who care for their society and environment.
Danmission acknowledges that implementing staff amongst partners can at times be at risk, and will therefore seek to monitor and mitigate potential risks of safety and security for implementing staff. This will take place both in project approval quality assurance processes and in yearly partner platform meetings where compliance with risk mitigation and security and safety compliance will be raised.
Community building
Humans are social beings, created for fellowship and community. Strengthening coexistence, cooperation and the building of community is a principle in our way of working and a goal for our work. Community is important both for our human wellbeing in general and for our endeavour to make change happen. Often the act of “working together” is itself a part of community building which is why we intently act as bridge-builders in bringing together partners of different identity and professional backgrounds.
Human rights
As a Christian organization we believe in the intrinsic value of all human beings as created in the image of God. For this reason, we promote human rights for all individuals and groups and commit to working with a rights-based approach. We work - together with our partners – to ensure that people in our target groups are seen and treated with respect as sovereign actors in their own right – with agency over their own lives. People should be empowered to participate actively, to formulate their own needs and make change happen, know their rights, and understand and build power to change the structures which create inequality or discrimination.
As a framework for this we use the PANEL+ principles: Participation, Accountability, Non-Discrimination and Equality, Empowerment and Linkage to human rights.
Danmission believes that the quality of our work depends on our ability to base our partnerships and interventions on as thorough and contextually grounded analyses as possible, and we always strive to secure our own and partners’ capacity to develop these. This is relevant for our thematic analyses as well as for our equal treatment and gender analyses. In relation to gender, we take departure in our fundamental belief that all genders have equal rights. Women’s and men’s rights are equally important to promote in our work, and we believe in the necessity of and potentials in women and men working together to promote the common good. In each country and/or regional programme, the specific analyses will determine how gender roles, women’s rights, men’s rights, boys’ and girls’ rights as well as other individuals’ and groups’ rights should be addressed and considered in our thematic programmes.
Good Stewardship and Accountability
We often have long-term partnership and value the fellowship, accompaniment and reciprocity and mutual respect as part of the partnership. However, partnerships can also come to an end, either due to differences in vision or way of working, or because of corruption or abuse of power or resources in ways that destroy the trust, necessary for respectful and fruitful cooperation.
We commit and contribute to the Sustainable
Development Goals
We see our strategy within the framework of the global 2030 agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We support and value the integrated and indivisible nature of the goals, its focus on people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. We advocate for, communicate about and take part in this call for actors from all sectors to take responsibility and work for this universal framework and agenda and translate it into action. The primary focus should be the poorest and most vulnerable, never forgetting the principle of “leave no one behind”. With this strategy we see ourselves as contributing to aspects of primarily the following goals:
GOAL 1: No Poverty
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 13: Climate Action
GOAL 15: Life on Land
GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
Approved by the board of Danmission on April 30, 2022 and revised by the Board of Danmission on June 1, 2024