CORE VALUES

We Strive to Be:

Strictly Secular - religious beliefs are a private & personal matter and must be kept that way while on mission or when representing us in public. We treat the victims of these disasters as our friends and offer them unconditional help.

Non-prescriptive - Relief must be personal and in tune with community needs. Consultation is our key word. Our communication skills and many years of experience help us work around cultural norms and taboos to find out what people really wish for, not what they think we want to hear or what they think the government wants them to say. We ask the men and women that we find hard at work what they need as well as joining more formal community forums.

Efficient in Delivery - Years working for the UN convinced Rick that bureaucratic overhead is just institutionalized corruption by another name. Rick's passion for boats and the islands is underpinned by Jane's years of work in remote island environments and hands on experience in the fishing and pearl industry in Australia. Both thrive on getting the job done with the least possible fuss.

Innovative and Intelligent - Where we can find indigenous materials or sustainable methods that can solve food, shelter or community needs we promote and prioritize those ahead of imported technology or material. The death and tragedy that many communities have suffered is so often due to a lack of understanding of how to use modern materials like concrete and steel. We strive always for practical and simple solutions. "Less is more" and "Touch the Earth Lightly" best describe our approach. We are determined to remain lean, mean and efficient in the field and to support solutions that are environmentally responsible, sustainable and appropriate for our areas of concern.

Practical and Professional - That rare combo that seems so hard for the big organizations to balance. We seem to attract professionals who are very effective on the ground and so we can implement projects where others only talk or feed their printers. Our small scale projects are born and developed in the field and not in a remote air-conditioned office.

Compassionate Always - Aid Agency arrogance makes our blood boil and we see it every day. ELM has a zero tolerance for rudeness or arrogance in the field and all our volunteers keep a watch for signs of this behavior in partner NGOs or agencies working in our areas of concern. Our belief is that compassion through personal presence and one-to-one attention to victims of these monumental tragedies is far more important than physical aid delivered without feeling or interaction. We will expose any example of what we call "carpet bombing of aid" to the media as we believe that it is wasteful and socially disruptive.

Culturally Sensitive - We always find local community leaders or young people with leadership potential to join our team in the field. This helps build up knowledge of afflicted areas and is deeply appreciated by local communities. Dress code and behavior are always stressed at briefings so that our volunteers do not undo our efforts unintentionally. We make a special effort to consult and support women, fishermen and farmers. They are the core care providers and mainstay of the economy of small communities so we ask them about their priorities first.

Passionate & Responsible - At every level we take full personal responsibility for our actions and keep well clear of those who claim to be following the call of some other higher authority. We are passionate about achieving our objectives and our benchmark is nothing short of excellence. We learn quickly from mistakes and remain flexible adapting fast as conditions change.

Unaligned but Politically Integrated - Indonesia is newly democratic and in the midst of a painful transitional phase. Without taking sides in the ongoing debate, we always show respect for elected leaders while keeping our radar tuned for signs that power is being applied unfairly. Our contention is that confrontation can always be avoided by creative and well informed action spiced with a little humor.

Above all, we ask communities what they feel strongly are their most pressing needs.....

ISLANDAID sustainable support to isolated communities
operated by:
The Electric Lamb Mission,
a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit corporation in the United States
450 Taraval St. #110
San Francisco, CA 94116 U.S.A.
+1 415 272 9100