Diakonia works close to strategic processes, both in developing and developed countries. We have a participatory approach and a pro-active agenda to alter systems and structures that generate and maintain poverty.

Close to the processes, both in the developing and developed countries

The main part of Diakonia’s staff works in or near the countries where partners operate. Diakonia’s decentralised organization -with both regional and country offices - facilitates a partnership characterised by trust, contextual analysis, strategic choice of partners and projects, identification of partners’ needs for capacity building, linking between partners, and to information work in Sweden, as well as planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes.

Participatory approach

Just as the rights holders’ qualitative participation is at the core of the projects Diakonia supports, so is participation a leading principle in all internal processes in Diakonia. As much as possible partners also participate in Diakonia’s planning and monitoring, to guarantee ownership and quality.

For all partners a certain match between our identities is required in the sense that values and priorities are shared, but beyond that the relation is in reality very much characterised by a give and take ending up in mutual influence and learning.

What is important is that Diakonia’s opinions and analyses contribute to partners’ and rights holders’ perspectives on the work, rather than jeopardising their sense of ownership over the projects. Without local ownership, the projects cannot be considered socially sustainable.

Proactive agenda to alter what generate and maintain poverty

In Diakonia’s long-term work for change focus is put on changing the structures that generate and maintain poverty.

Our programmes should not merely deliver direct benefits to poor and discriminated women and men, but also address the root causes of the problems experienced.

Also, in our advocacy work we do not merely react on others agendas and proposals, but proactively tries to influence the agenda and propose alternative solutions.

Theory of change and rights based approach Diakonia believes that the theory of change and a rights based approach is highly conducive to socially sustainable development as it recognises the discriminated individuals or groups and victims of violations as right holders (non-discrimination). By putting focus on empowering people to demand what is rightfully theirs (effective participation) and on the duty bearers’ obligation to grant the rights (transparency and accountability), the approach not only provides the legal framework and tools to pursue change. It also seeks to empower the rights holders to be the protagonists of the change and to be owners of this process. Finally as the outcomes and impacts are closely linked to the legal system the changes achieved run a fair chance of being sustainable. Results of Diakonia's work and highlight stories

Mithika Mwenda in Kenya is an enthusiast with a passion for change. He is one of the founders of Diakonia's partner organization PACJA, which dedicates its work around climate change and climate financing in Africa. PACJA has grown from a small initiative in the 2000's to the largest climate network in Africa, much thanks to Mithika's passion for change. Photo: Markus Marcetic

Download a summary The information on this page is a summary of a text in our global strategy plan for the years 2012-2014, describing what characterizes Diakonia as a development organisation You can also download the summary of our global strategy plan's texts on Diakonia's general framework as a PDF-document: Extract from Diakonia's strategic workplan for the years 2012-2014 Read more Diakonia's core values, vision and policy Diakonia's theoretical framework, goal and orientation Mainstreamed areas Thematic areas for our strategic work Quality assurance