We Stand with and Support the Vulnerable and Oppressed

In recent weeks, we have all witnessed an outpouring of heartache and sadness at the murder of Georg Floyd in the US city of Minneapolis, and the maltreatment of so many others like him. We stand by all those that are aggrieved and who have yet to experience the justice they deserve.

As a global humanitarian organization, the ethics we subscribe to are well developed and codified in international law. They are also actionable. So, for Field Ready, our principles and values are not mere words; they guide our decisions and actions. We believe in the strongest possible terms in the dignity of not just every person but particularly those who are deprived, excluded, vulnerable and oppressed. We strive to work against all forms of bias and discrimination including racism.

As an organization, our focus is on humanitarian action and implementing programing where there is a clear set of criteria. Relative deprivation does have a part in our decision making. Yet saying that ‘all lives matter’ misses the point of the history of discrimination in the US and the structural violence that persists in too many places. We therefore recognize that certain groups have advantages over others due the realities of intersectionality and structural violence.

We recognize that racism remains in the aid sector too. We are encouraging our staff, partners and all those we assist to being outspoken against racism and other forms of discrimination. This involves having an “anti-racist” position followed by concrete action such as being outspoken when being witness to acts of racism. We are having open dialogue internally about the best practices and how we can institute them as part of our culture.

Our interventions typically concentrate on countries ravaged by war and disasters. Even in countries that are relatively well off, we focus on communities that do not have the same advantages as the majority populace. The COVID-19 response in the US, for example, has and will focus on areas such as the disadvantaged areas of Los Angeles and Chicago as well as native populations such as the Navajo Nation. While human rights are an allied set of activities, they are better addressed by other specialist organizations.

Ultimately, we believe in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who wrote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” To this end, we will continue to stand with oppressed people everywhere and remain diligent in our respect of others.