Mission and values
Our mission is to stand for the rights and well-being of refugees and other vulnerable groups in Estonia and abroad.
Our vision: Estonian Refugee Council is a provider of direct support to refugees and other vulnerable groups in as well as outside of Estonia and a renowned and independent competence center on forced migration and integration.
Our values:
- Humanity – in our work we follow the humanitarian imperative, that is, everybody's right to receive aid when they need it.
- Equality – we provide services and aid based on the need and without discriminating based on anybody's social identity or political views.
- Empowerment – we acknowledge the people we support as experts of their own lives and situations, we help them make informed decisions and create opportunities to follow their goals, without making decisions or choices for them.
- Evidence-based – we base our actions on the best current knowledge and evidence, but we also look for and work out new solutions to old problems and are not afraid to experiment.
- Sustainability – we keep in mind that all of our activities are financially and environmentally sustainable.
In our work we follow the ethical principles of Estonian NGOs. In gathering and using donations, we follow the good practice of donation gathering. Estonian Refugee Council has been awarded with the volunteer-friend quality badge.
Estonian Refugee Council is a member of European Council of Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations (EMSL) and Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation (AKÜ). We have also joined the networks of European Asylum Support Office (EASO) Consultative Forum, ATCR Working Group on Resettlement, European Network Against Racism (ENAR) and International Detention Coalition (IDC).