Declaration of the Guiding Principles and Values of the World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows (WAFUNIF)

Executive Summary

This document defines the guiding principles and values of the World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows (WAFUNIF). It is these principles and values that provide a philosophical framework from which WAFUNIF conducts itself in the world, derives its working agenda, and evaluates project and collaboration proposals.

First Principles

WAFUNIF believes:

1. that peace and prosperity are common goals for the majority of humanity;
2. that peace is not the default state of nature and humanity;
3. that foundations of peace and prosperity begin with the individual and progress hierarchically through the various social structures (e.g. family, community, nation, world);
4. that disagreements will always be present in human affairs and that peace is obtained through cooperative negotiation between conflicting parties.
5. that progress towards peace and prosperity can only be achieved through concrete actions that adhere to the following criteria:
   • Timely - all actions must address a current need;
   • Impactful - all actions must result in positive progress towards a desirable outcome;
   • Measurable - all actions must be measurable to assess their effectiveness;
   • Achievable - all actions must be oriented towards a concretely defined objective, constrained appropriately by available resources;
6. stabilization of individuals and families is a necessary precondition for community, national, and international peace and prosperity.

Pathways to Peace and Prosperity

WAFUNIF believes that no administrative or governmental body can solve every problem for everyone, and that the most effective way to bring about peace and prosperity is to provide the tools necessary to empower individuals and communities to solve problems at the local level. This democratization of the process for peace and prosperity necessitates that the responsibility for peace be born by the individual and that the individual is the most capable change agent for identifying and employing solutions that bring about real, effective, and enduring change in alignment with the fundamentals for peace and prosperity. Building from these first principles, WAFUNIF derives a set of goals organized into three specific areas of action: stabilization of individuals and families, stabilization of communities, and stabilization of nations.

Stabilization of individuals and families

The following goals are derived from the first principles and exist to shape the project planning pursuits that address stabilization of individual and families:

• Improve access to physical and mental health services
• Discourage drug use
• Improve access to educational resources
• Improve access to worker skills training programs
• Promote family values
• Ensure access to sufficient quantities of quality food and clean water
• Institute physical fitness programs

Stabilization of communities

The following goals are derived from the first principles and exist to shape the project planning pursuits that address stabilization of communities:

• Institute and promote youth mentorship programs
• Foster community engagement and promote individual commitment to civic duty
• Cultivate respect for the rule of law
• Promote responsible police enforcement
• Eliminate corruption in civil institutions

Stabilization of nations

The following goals are derived from the first principles and exist to shape the project planning pursuits that address stabilization of nations:

• Promote democracy
• Promote freedom of speech
• Facilitate cross-cultural and cross-religious dialogues
• Promote international trade
• Diversify and enhance energy infrastructure
• Improve access to the Internet

Conclusion

Through these guiding principles and values, WAFUNIF seeks to become an active and effective participant in the pursuit of global peace and prosperity. WAFUNIF’s project planning process will include a requirement that all proposed projects align with a value and goal outlined above and must meet at least the four requirements defined in the first principles. Such alignment will be considered a mandatory gating criteria for approval by the WAFUNIF management and Board of Directors. This philosophy, coupled with WAFUNIF’s ability to outreach influential decision makers internal and external to the United Nations system, positions WAFUNIF to be an effective and valuable partner to individuals and entities that share its values and goals in the pursuit of global peace and prosperity.