MISSION STATEMENT
The Foundation's mission is to fight world hunger and promote economic and social justice. This entails helping the poor with financial contributions for immediate relief, advocating for the weak and the disadvantaged, and funding projects that advance policy and structural changes to deal with the root causes of extreme poverty.
THE FOUNDATION VISION
The purpose of the Foundation is to promote economic and social justice, especially in relation to extreme poverty issues. At its core, the Foundation’s ultimate mission is to bring about systemic changes to eliminate or at least ameliorate extreme poverty and world hunger. This is a very ambitious mission, which may take a long time to accomplish, but it is the underlying objective for all the undertakings of the Foundation.
The polarization of wealth, and the grossly inequitable and unfair distribution of resources, is the problem. The solution is to level the playing field by bringing about structural changes that would result in a more equitable distribution of resources, in proportion to the needs of the planet’s inhabitants. Because the ultimate goal is so huge, we can only view it as aspirational at this point, and as a guiding principle from which to derive its mid-term goals and short-term objective. Thus, the Foundation’s mid-range goals would involve projects that advance structural changes to deal with the root causes of extreme poverty. An example of this would be the funding of cooperatives that would allow its members to have more control over the fruits of their labor and keep for themselves more of the economic surplus they produce. The Foundation also views education as a tool for poor people to improve their economic condition. Thus, another goal of the Foundation is to fund scholarships to help underprivileged students pursue higher education. |
The idea is to select students that are likely to contribute in some way to promoting economic or social justice, so that the funding of their education would have a multiplier effect. It would not only help the student receiving the scholarship to work his/her way out of poverty, but that student would hopefully help others get out of poverty and perhaps actively engage in advancing economic and social justice issues.
Moreover, in pursuit of its ultimate mission, the Foundation will fund advocacy and activism that is likely to move us closer to the type of changes that may result in a more equitable distribution of resources. This may include funding research and activists efforts advocating for specific issues that are consistent with the Foundation’s mission. It may also include funding legal support for activists and advocates working to advance economic or social justice issues that the Foundation decides to adopt. The Foundation may also provide funds for short-term objectives, such as emergency aid or disaster relief. This type of aid is viewed by the Foundation as a stop-gap measure while more permanent solutions are implemented. Funding for immediate relief will be decided upon by the Foundation’s Board, taking into account the gravity of the situation and the availability of Foundation funds. |
WHO ARE WE AND WHAT IS OUR MISSION?
We are the Foundation for Economic and Social Justice. Recently incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization, the Foundation seeks to promote systemic and structural change that contributes to the eradication, or at the least, the amelioration of extreme poverty and hunger.
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HOW DO WE FULFILL OUR MISSION?
The Foundation carries out its mission by funding projects that advance structural changes that are likely to deal with the root causes and effects of extreme poverty. To address the root causes of extreme poverty, the Foundation is engaged in three types of projects: (1) education, (2) cooperatives, and (3) advocacy. To alleviate the effects of extreme poverty, in some instances the Foundation provides funds for emergency aid or disaster relief as stop-gap measures while more permanent solutions are implemented.
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EDUCATION
The Foundation views education as a tool for poor people to improve their economic condition. Based on this view, the Foundation funds scholarships to help underprivileged students pursue higher education. The Foundation selects students from low-income households who demonstrate academic ability, motivation and determination, and who are likely to contribute in some way to promoting economic or social justice. By funding the education of these type of students, the Foundation hopes to achieve a multiplier effect. The scholarships would not only help the students receiving the scholarships to work their way out of poverty, but those students would hopefully help others get out of poverty, too, and perhaps actively engage in advancing economic and/or social justice issues.
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COOPERATIVES
A cooperative is a way of organizing a business entity, similar to a corporation, except that the cooperative form is a lot more democratic. While the traditional corporation concentrates all the power and profits in the hands of those who provide the capital, the cooperative shares the power to make decisions, as well as the profits with its employees/members. By sponsoring and funding cooperatives, the Foundation attempts to address a major problem exacerbating poverty: the polarization of wealth and the grossly inequitable distribution of resources. This high concentration of wealth and power in a relatively few number of hands is due, at least in part, on how we organize our businesses to produce and distribute the goods and services that we consume. By democratizing our business entities used for the production and distribution of goods and services, where the employees of the business entity are also the co-owners of the business, each employee would have more control over the fruits of his/her labor and would be able to keep for himself/herself a higher portion of the economic surplus he/she produces. |
ADVOCACY
In pursuit of its ultimate mission, the Foundation also funds advocacy and activism aimed at advancing changes that may lead to a more equitable distribution of resources. This may include funding certain aspects of activists' efforts, such as research and education, involved in advocating for specific issues that are consistent with the Foundation's mission. It may also include funding legal support for activists and advocates working to advance such issues.
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