We-Building’s Core Values and SDGs

Vision:
Using sustainable architecture to help communities around the world build a better and brighter future.

Mission:
We aim to support development projects in the Global South by applying a sustainable approach to construction and project planning. Together with experienced local NGOs we strive to positively impact the quality of life in these under-resourced communities and to show that a more environmentally friendly architecture approach can have a far reaching positive effect.

Core Values:

• Integrity and Inclusiveness
• Knowledge exchange and capacity building
• Team Spirit and Professionalism
• Sustainability and Stewardship
• Creativity

Integrity and Inclusiveness:
We operate in a way that is honest, transparent and ethical. We are accountable to the people and partners we work with. We strive to meet the highest ethical standards and to communicate the results of our work in a transparent manner. We work with and for others to develop projects regardless of gender, nationality, political and cultural affiliation, physical conditions and creed. We cannot accept discrimination of any kind.

Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building:
Our goal is to fix underlying infrastructural problems and to empower local communities (as opposed to providing short-term or temporary solutions). To this end, we strive to foster an exchange of knowledge through close collaboration with local organizations. We believe in a holistic, complementary approach whereby, in addition to sharing our technical expertise, we also learn about local knowledge, materials and traditional construction practices.

Team Spirit and Professionalism:
The fact that We-Building operates on an entirely volunteer basis, does not in any way imply a compromise in terms of quality. The commitment, flexibility and diversity of backgrounds of our volunteers allows us to deliver highly professional services based on effective teamwork and decision making.

Sustainability and Stewardship:
For us, sustainability has three dimensions: Environmental, Social and Financial. For every project, we carefully and responsibly manage all the resources involved, from the building materials we use to the funds we receive. Throughout the entire process, from design to construction, we strive to minimize the negative impact the buildings may have on the environment. Through a multi-stakeholder approach, we focus on developing a synergetic collaboration between our workers, volunteers and partners, in order to maximize the positive impact for local developing communities.

Creativity:
Finally, since as an NGO we operate in highly diverse environments – something which is often, challenging, but certainly never boring. Our most important asset is creativity. We are in this journey together and are doing our best to make this experience enjoyable, constructive and fun for everybody.

Sustainable Development Goals:
We-Building is working toward achieving 7 targets under 4 sustainable development goals (SDGs). In order to maximize our ability to create a positive impact, we decided to focus on a few specific SDGs. These include Goal 11 (‘Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’), which resonates with our focus on sustainable architecture and also helps us increase our impact on other SDGs relating to the alleviation of poverty, inequality, hunger and natural resource shortages. We are also prepared to meet other goals and to tackle other challenges as they may arise in the future.