PAR as a transformative tool.
Mission
Create bridges and conditions between civil society organizations -formal and informal-, academia, the public and the private sector to promote community initiatives from PAR philosophy.
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Vision
Consolidate PAR as a mean and tool for decision-making in communities in Colombia and Latin America.
Values
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Democracy and plurality: diverse groups with different ideas and interests contribute to the democratic process and the construction of the country.
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Participatory: the members of the communities and the foundation will be able to share control of the research agenda, through active and reciprocal participation in the design, implementation, and communication stages.
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Autonomy and self-management: community structures are recognized without any external organism having or being able to invalidate, modify, or destroy them. We understand their ability to organize without external intervention or pressure.
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Action-oriented: processes and results are useful to generate actions that positively impact social and environmental change and promote equity.
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Democratization and recognition of knowledge: knowledge is open and flexible. Own science and intellectual decolonization* are valued.
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Non-violence, peace, and reconciliation: we reject any form of violence and aggression against all components of the earth* as an ethical-political commitment. We believe in a culture of peace that reflects on its mistakes, where reconciliation allows us to resolve tensions between a destructive past, which has broken ties, to jointly build a shared future.
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Intersectionality* and non-discrimination: living beings will be treated equally, all are worthy; When people feel included and respected, their personal and work skills are motivated, developed, and enhanced.
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Self-criticism: the ability to analyze the activities and results of the organization and its individuals to assess strengths and weaknesses is valued. It is part of embracing the successes and accepting the mistakes and learning from them.
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Value and systemic vision*: individuals, species, and abiotic components are appreciated in the interaction with a wide system from deep ecology *. It tends towards ecocentrism.
*Intellectual decolonization:
*Components of the earth: when we speak of components we open our eyes to the biotic and abiotic components, that is, they have life or not. This point of view obeys to deep ecology understanding.
*Intersectionality: methodology, theory, or approach that perceives social identities composed of several biological, social and cultural categories (such as gender, ethnicity, race, class, disability, sexual orientation, religion, caste, age, nationality, and other axes of identity) and allows a comprehensive understanding of a person's reality. (Government of Colombia, 2017).
*Systemic vision: allows understanding a system as a whole with interrelated components and provides a broad and holistic perspective to solve problems or conflicts. Everything is connected.
*Deep ecology: holistic philosophy of harmony with nature, sustained by an ecological conscience and directed towards self-realization (Arne Naess).
**Many of the terms presented here have different interpretations and generate different debates about those interpretations and their uses.
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