RESULTS Core ValuesOver the years RESULTS has distinguished itself with five main core values that have guided the actions of our staff and volunteers. I’d like to talk with you now about these five core values and give you some illustrations of how they guide us in our support of each other as powerful agents of change. The first is the belief that the transformation of an individual exerts a powerful force for change on society. This is what Gandhi meant when he said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” When an individual such as a RESULTS activist, a member of Congress, a Head Start student, or a microcredit borrower experiences her power to make the world a better place, she starts to embody the qualities of that new and better world. When a RESULTS activist learns an issue, practices speaking moving stories about that issue, and meets with her member of Congress to convey those stories, she is transforming our democracy through her own practice of it. She creates a more inclusive, compassionate and just society because she embodies the qualities of that society. This kind of personal transformation is not always comfortable since it challenges us to get out of our “comfort zone.” That’s why we work in groups to support each other’s growth. As each of us grows, we create a world where poverty is unthinkable. Second is the value of ongoing learning. We support each other in taking (or as we take) risks and challenging (challenge) ourselves to be the change we wish to see in the world. We create a safe environment in which to make mistakes, learn from failures, and evaluate our efforts to keep getting better at what we do. We commit to learning from one another, as well as our allies and opponents — always striving for excellence. Let me give you an example of this. We began our strategic planning process in 2003 with our activists meeting across the country. Out of that, our volunteers called for RESULTS work to end poverty in the U.S. by working for health care for all Americans.People cannot lift themselves out of poverty when health crises continually sabotage their efforts. We have had to educate ourselves in the complexities of health care policy and in working with a broad coalition of other organizations. This willingness to learn how we can make the biggest impact on poverty is an example of how we practice the value of ongoing learning. And, it should be noted that those grassroots meetings in 2003 also created this set of Core Values. The third value is action. Instead of waiting to be inspired to take action, we realize that being in action inspires us. We receive monthly action sheets, weekly email updates and phone calls to support each other as we take strategic, focused, and persistent action in order to create measurable results. We keep ourselves inspired by celebrating these actions and successes that move us closer to the end of poverty. Instead of feeling hopeless about huge world challenges like the AIDS crisis, RESULTS discovers the most effective ways to move money and resources to those in need, then creates specific actions for our volunteer activists to take to make it happen. For instance, in 2007 RESULTS volunteers helped increase global funding for tuberculosis (or TB), a disease that kills 1.6 million people each year, from $92 million in 2006, to $153 million. This success, in part, can be attributed to our Florida volunteers who have developed a strong relationship with Representative Ros-Lehtinen. They have educated her about the dangers of TB, invited her to speaking events, and thanked her publicly in the media for her efforts. Without this relationship Representative Ros-Lehtinen would not have introduced a successful amendment on the House floor to increase funding to fight TB by $50 million. Fourth is the value of powerful relationships and community. RESULTS is fairly unique in this way — you are connected with others locally in your RESULTS group, rather than just individual activists who get action alerts. And, we consider all people as partners on the planet, and we acknowledge each person as an extension of ourselves, and show dignity and respect to everyone. Our issues are not partisan issues, they are human issues. We recognize the collective power in our diversity and inclusiveness and work to build coalitions among those working toward similar goals. We encourage each other’s leadership and commit ourselves to each other’s growth, creating powerful and rewarding teams and communities. We help to build a strong community within our organization with a transparent and collective decision-making process. And, as a nonpartisan organization, we build relationships with leaders from both political parties. Let me give you an example of this: in January of 2008 we got 30 senators to sign on to a letter to the World Bank President. The letter invited the Bank’s president, Robert Zoellick, to a meeting, and requested that the World Bank invest more of its development resources in microcredit, a poverty alleviation tool we know works. Two Republicans and two Democrats initiated the letter and 13 of the 30 signatures were Republicans. Another example: we began work a few years ago on health care for all Americans (could include: because of the strong support of our grassroots network). In 2007 we worked with members of both political parties, notably Republican Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa and House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to pass a bipartisan children’s health bill to provide health coverage for 10 million low-income children. Our Republican allies worked hard to get support from the president and, when the president opted to veto the bill, to get enough of their colleagues to support passage anyways. While we came a few votes short of final passage, these Republicans demonstrated real leadership in pushing for health care for kids. And finally, the fifth value is empowering citizens. RESULTS was founded on the principle that each human being has the ability to make a difference and to improve the world. We lead by example, becoming more skilled advocates for a harmonious and just world. We form a strong network of staff, grassroots activists and allies, and continually work to expand this network, empowering more and more citizens in the vibrant practice of democracy. One of the exciting ways we do this is by hosting our International Conference in Washington, DC, each summer. Activists from all over the world, gather for four days of expert speakers, trainings and sharing the best ideas in the field. Then we visit over 300 congressional offices in a huge grassroots lobbying effort. I attended my first RESULTS International Conference in 1996 as a volunteer and I haven’t missed one since. It is a highlight of my year to gather with fellow activists who are all committed to taking their activism a step further. To recap, the five core values of RESULTS are:
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