philosophy

Jet and host family

"It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything."

-Archbishop Oscar Romero

Voices is guided by a few basic philosophies:

Accompaniment and Solidarity

Voices was founded on the concept of accompaniment and solidarity. This means sharing the realities and experiences of our Salvadoran partners with communities and supporters in the U.S., and working together to promote just and equitable development.

Over the years, accompaniment and solidarity have manifested in different forms. In the 1980s, accompaniment and solidarity meant providing “moral, material, and political” support to Salvadorans living in the Colomoncagua refugee camp, and ensuring that they had a voice in their own destiny. In the 1990s, accompaniment and solidarity focused more on resettlement, free and fair elections, and disaster preparation and response. In more recent years, accompaniment and solidarity has led us to support more regional initiatives such as assisting United Communities. At every step, Voices has organized delegations from the U.S. to El Salvador to promote a greater understanding of the Salvadoran reality and the development needs of our partners.

Solidarity and accompaniment are equal exchanges. While we are walking alongside our Salvadoran partners, they are also walking alongside us. Without romanticizing the difficulties and challenges of living in a rural, marginalized community, U.S. citizens have much to learn from the “campesino” lifestyle, in which simplicity, humility, community service, and hospitality remain the norm.

Empowerment

The essence of every Voices project and activity is the empowerment of our Salvadoran and U.S. partners. To be truly empowered, individuals must have the knowledge and resources necessary to achieve their greatest potential. And for a community to be empowered, citizens must assist the least among them so they may also realize their greatest potential.

When considering new initiatives and activities, Voices considers the short and long-term impacts on the empowerment of the community and its citizens.

Local Solutions for Local Problems

Voices works with each of its Salvadoran partners to develop appropriate initiatives that address the specific needs and priorities as identified by community members. At every step we build on local customs and culture, successes and lessons learned, existing strengths and assets, and the will of the community. Our staff and U.S. partners are in constant dialogue with our Salvadoran communities, ensuring that we are always relevant and providing the maximum benefit. Though we have a set mission and set objectives, our model and methodology remains flexible so that we are able to respond in the most effective manner.