G. Activity policies

PMU InterLife’s overall policies are based upon the
collective experience gathered from co-operation partners around the world. These policies must always be taken into account, and shall permeate all activities. For this reason,

it is important to be familiar with these policies before initiating any types of co-operation activities. A brief summary of these overall policies follows.

PMU InterLife’s overall policies

Fighting poverty

Poverty and vulnerability do not only come about because of a lack of resources. They also occur because of a lack of security, legal rights, knowledge, health or influence that people have over their own lives. Working for justice and the restoration of the inherent dignity of vulnerable groups who are also a part of God’s creation is a self-evident part of the church’s calling, and a prioritised area for PMU InterLife.
All people have abilities and knowledge that are important to activate. Vulnerable groups have to be included in discussions which describe needs and solutions, so that to the greatest extent possible, they can guide the work of improving their own lives.

Environment

People have been given the task of being the stewards of God’s creation. We must live in a way that the world we leave to future generations is in better condition than the one we inherited. All activities receiving support from PMU InterLife shall be carried out with care for the environment and efficient management of the earth’s resources.
We must take responsibility for a number of different areas such as water, energy, natural resources, population density, transport, consumption, production, climate etc.

Gender equality

The majority of impoverished people in the world are women, and their influence is limited. For this reason, gender equality is an important goal in all projects and in all co-operation activities. Women are often the ones who are responsible for the social and economic welfare of the family, and play a large and active role in the church – without having corresponding influence. We need the participation of women in conflict resolution, in local co-operation partners’ strategic planning as well as in other efforts.

Peace and reconciliation

Development activities are a way to prevent conflicts. An important part of humanitarian aid is also to work with preventive measures that eliminate the underlying reasons for oppression, conflicts and war. All activities shall build bridges among people and groups, and contribute to reconciliation as well as communicate hope and a belief in the future.

In this context the church plays an important role, since it offers cross-border fellowship with a broad social composition and respect for the individual.

Human rights

PMU InterLife works to ensure everyone benefits from their rights in accordance with the Bible and the UN’s different conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Children and the conventions on discrimination against women and race. Religious freedom and the fortified rights of religious minorities are two areas that are prioritised by PMU.

Democracy

PMU InterLife’s work is founded on its value foundation, and the concept of the equality of all people. PMU does its best to contribute to the creation of a society in which all people have the same rights and responsibilities.
We work to provide all people with the opportunity to be a part of determining outcomes, and encourage active participation in the decision making process in society as well as development co-operation projects.

Anti-corruption

Corruption creates unjust power and the unequal distribution of resources. It undermines states’ economies, lowers social morale, negatively affects judicial and economic systems and creates social injustice. Fighting poverty also means fighting corruption.

In addition to the above general policies, PMU InterLife also has specific guidelines for different thematic areas and types of activities.

PMU has also produced the study booklet, Hela min värld (Heal my World). In this booklet, you will find information on development co-operation work and suggestions on how you can work with international issues in Swedish churches.

 

 

Policy documents can also be found under "Annexes"

 

The Project Manual was written primarily for Swedish churches and local partners who are currently working with or would like to begin working with PMU.

The purpose of the manual is to facilitate the management of projects primarily financed by Sida or the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO). The manual is a steering document and provides advice on many different aspects of project management – from ideas for new projects to the presentation of project results.

It describes several types of project support in development cooperation and humanitarian work. The first section describes PMU’s value foundation and the attitude and approach that are to permeate all activities carried out with PMU support. Our relationships and the way in which we treat and describe others are important and impact to what degree we succeed in reaching our common goals.

PMU’s work methods are primarily based on an interactive learning process. We aim to be a learning organisation in which dialogue takes centre stage. This means using what we learn in discussions with our partners to constantly re-examine our actions and methods. We strive to understand how everything fits together in a process in which we are continuously influencing each other. Our Project Manual is therefore a fluid document that is updated on an ongoing basis. The rules and guidelines we currently apply are based on instructions from Sida and ECHO, as well as on our practical experience.