All of CARE´s programs must conform to our program principles. These principles are characteristics that must form and guide, to a fundamental level, the way in which we work. They are not optional. The program principals are the following:

• Principle 1: Promote Empowerment

We are jointly responsible with the poor and the marginalized and support their efforts to take control of their own lives and exercise their rights, duties, and aspirations. We assure that participants and key organizations that represent affected persons are our partners in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of our programs.

• Principle 2: Work in Partnership

We work with others to gain the greatest impact from our programs, establishing alliances and partners who offer complimentary approaches and are willing to adopt a higher scale, effective program approach, and who take responsibility to fulfill rights and reduce poverty through change and fulfillment of policies.

• Principle 3: Ensure Accountability and Promote Responsibility

We look for ways to be considered responsible to the poor and marginalized whose rights have been denied. We identify with people and institutions that have a foremost obligation to the poor and marginalized, and we support and encourage their efforts to fulfill these responsibilities.

• Principle 4: Address Discrimination

Our programs and offices confront discrimination and the denial of rights based on sex, race, nationality, ethnicity, class, religion, age, physical ability, cast, opinion or sexual orientation.

• Principle 5: Promote the Non-violent Resolution of Conflicts

We promote just and non-violent methods to prevent and resolve conflicts on all levels, considering that said conflicts contribute to poverty and the denial of rights.

• Principle 6: Seek Sustainable Results

We confront the underlying causes of poverty and the denial of rights: we develop and utilize approaches that ensure our programs result in lasting improvements and fundamentals in the lives of the poor and marginalized people with whom we work.

We make ourselves responsible to put into practice behaviors that are consistent with these principles and ask the same of others who help us, not only in our programs but in all that we do.