We hold true to the vision that science must be inspired by ethical values and channelled by wisdom. We understand that science—rather than as an end—should be intended primarily as a tool to create or restore harmony, make human activities more sustainable and just, and ultimately increase happiness and equality on this planet.
We refrain from harming life in order to learn about it.
We aim to meet the highest ethical and professional standards in all of our endeavours. We hold ourselves accountable to our Mission, to each other, to our funders and donors, to our members and partners, and to the public.
We work to identify pragmatic solutions that benefit both the people and the natural world. In doing so, we want to earn trust by being competent and following through on all of our commitments.
We value simplicity of life. We realise that our Vision entails personal responsibility, as well as modifications in individual and collective behaviours. In this we commit to reduce our own consumptive patterns, use resources wisely, respect all living beings and the environment, and ultimately enhance our understanding of the cause-effect relationships leading to environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity, as well as social disruption, suffering and moral decay.
We value diversity in our staff. We recognise that our Mission is best advanced by the contributions of men and women of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. Members and collaborators may be based in any country or territory, and no person may be excluded by reason of gender, age, race, religion, language, nationality, economic background or level of wellness.
We value harmony in our community life. We seek to resolve conflicts non-violently and honestly, recognising that harmony can exist amidst diversity and disagreement. In areas of conflict, individual needs are considered in light of community needs; and the needs of the community normally take precedence over individual needs or wants.
We value sincerity, honest communication, respectful listening, healthy expression of disagreement, and openness to divergent views. Staff members will be expected to share, to the extent possible, any public information and work together in a framework of trust and mutual cooperation.
We value the clarity that comes with a structure that allows for the exercise of authority and promotes accountability at all levels of the institution. Within that structure we value the inclusion of staff in mindful decision-making that is transparent, efficient and considerate of everyone’s needs. In this regard we will seek to increase the effectiveness of communication and create opportunities to meet and strategise.
We value responsible stewardship of financial, human and natural resources. We value the ease that comes with organisational stability.
We commit to operating and making choices based on strategic plans that are consistent with our Mission and Vision. In controversial cases, we will assess the purity of our intentions and investigate the underlying scenarios to the best of our capabilities, ultimately founding our choices on the determination to achieve positive long-term objectives, rather than pursuing prestige, power or economic advantage.
We embrace the precautionary approach as a guiding principle. We commit to using the best available science, a creative spirit and a non-confrontational attitude to craft innovative solutions to conservation problems at scales that matter and in ways that will endure.
We will envisage new ways of creating capacity and raising awareness relevant to our Mission. Our efforts will include producing timely scientific and other literature, cultivating new communication means, developing enhanced websites and media, and collaborating as appropriate with other organisations.
To support our programming and financial objectives, we will strengthen our organisational team by clarifying lines of authority, streamlining the decision-making process, and improving communication and conflict-resolution skills.
We commit to raising our moral and ethical standards of work, and we will strive to find innovative, creative and practicable ways of addressing and mitigating environmental problems.
We will explore greater use of environmentally-friendly designs and resources, adopting and promoting ways that have a lower impact on the environment (e.g. reduced consumption, reuse, recycling, responsible market choices, promotion of green economies). We will strive to behave ourselves in ways that are consistent with this goal, therefore setting positive individual examples and showing that feasible and congenial low-impact alternatives do exist.
