Objects - Mission - Vision - Principles

Objects

The Neighbourhood Centre is constituted under the Incorporations Association Act. The objects for which the Association is established are:

1. To contribute to the relief of poverty, sickness and other misfortune and the promotion of the well being of individuals, groups and communities who are disadvantaged and vulnerable, either socially, physically, intellectually or emotionally;

2. To undertake or carry out any other charitable work or purpose;

3. To promote, establish, carry out and support and to assist in promoting, establishing, carrying out and supporting any social welfare program designed to contribute to the alleviation of poverty, sickness or other misfortune, including those undertaken by statutory authorities, voluntary welfare organisations and other community groups.

Mission

"Working with the community towards social justice, diversity and inclusion in Brisbane's inner City".

Vision

We will:

• Provide a safe and resourced meeting place where people feel a sense of belonging;

• Provide opportunities for local people to come together to share knowledge and skills and to develop relationships;

• Maintain an effective and participatory organisation base to support our programs and activities;

• Assess issues of disadvantage, inequity and disharmony and facilitate appropriate local responses;

• Advocate and represent in the public forum, the interests of the most disadvantaged people;

• Empower and work with residential tenants to achieve their rights to secure housing,;

• Actively influence the local planning and development processes to ensure that the interests of the most disadvantaged people are addressed.

Principles

We value the process of relationship building and social engagement where people:

• Have a right to the basic necessities of life;

• Are met as themselves with dignity and appreciation;

• Are respected and respect others as free and equal citizens;

• Have a right to self fulfilment;

• Have a right to equity in resource distribution;

• Experience the power of themselves in making a contribution;

• Are experts in their own lives.

We value diversity in our community and encourage relationships across different local groups. There is an obligation to support members equitably, connect with each other and be socially responsible. Social justice principles need to underpin the community.

We have a responsibility to support local initiatives and the voicing of local issues in the political arena.

We value publicly held space and believe that people have an equitable right to enjoy access to public spaces and places. Space is a factor that can support a range of community activities.

We believe in the need to address inequality in our community through recognising;

• Conflicts of interest are part of everyday community life

• Open, public acknowledgement of these conflicts in the community is necessary

• Those who are marginalised or disadvantaged have a right to resourced advocacy services which provide information and support them to articulate and achieve their own desired outcomes.

We value the natural environment as an integral element of people's sense of community, and will therefore strive to work in a manner which is environmentally sensitive.

• We believe in working developmentally. This means:

• Working with rather than for people;

• Encouraging participation and shared responsibility for outcomes;

• Working bottom-up rather than top-down;

• Building the capacity for active and informed decision making at a variety of levels;

• Encouraging and resourcing others to be leaders in the local community;

• Engaging in dialogue as a critical part of the change process;

• Working to create community structures and processes that are inclusive.

We value democratic, sustainable planning processes for the efficient and accountable operation of programs and projects.