I. Preamble: Service Beyond Ourselves, in the Pursuit of Sola

We, the representatives of The Sola Foundation from around the world, have gathered on the core belief that the resources, skills, and knowledge required to serve and empower the people of Afghanistan collectively lie within - our reclaimed narrative. The Afghan community, be it in the diaspora or within the homeland, is the sole pioneer beneficial for Afghanistan and its people. The Sola Foundation is strictly focused on conducting activities that prioritize the needs of the disenfranchised, under-served and the underrepresented. The Sola Foundation will advocate for equal rights while also emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, and ownership of all organizational productivity. We hereby make the following Declaration:

II. Human Rights and Dignity

The Sola Foundation strongly believes that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, are endowed with reason and conscience and should act justly towards one another. These human rights are universal; every person, regardless of their color, race, caste, class, sex, age, or sexual orientation is entitled to respect and dignity.

In recognition of the rich diversity of ethnicities, languages, religions and peoples in Afghanistan and the global diaspora, we believe in the potential within this diversity to create an Afghanistan that is free of racism, discrimination, genocide, slavery, xenophobia and intolerance.

We are committed to providing a safe environment where our members and partners are treated with dignity and respect.

We acknowledge that racism and ethnocentrism are prevalent problems amongst the community and cause further division amongst our people within the homeland and in the diaspora. Because of this, we aim to treat all backgrounds equally, regardless of political stance and we strive for equal treatment across our branches and boards. We are committed to ensuring that our strongly held universal rights of respect and dignity are never threatened,

We believe that it is essential to foster a sense of responsibility towards Afghanistan, a sentiment that will lend itself to the development of a prosperous post-conflict nation by encouraging the people of Afghanistan to empower one another.

We insist that the people, environment and the preservation of species should be at the heart of our policies - we support initiatives engaged in sustainable development that benefits all members of society and enables them to participate in rebuilding Afghanistan.

III. Women Rights

We recognize women's involvement in society and their contribution to economic growth. Sustainable progress allows for the continuation of women to develop their full potential in the ability to acquire expertise, the pursuit of knowledge, and the autonomy to maintain their independence. We recognize the future should accommodate the aspirations of women in Afghanistan.

We recognize that patriarchy and misogyny are deeply rooted and ingrained in the fabric of Afghanistan's society, hindering attempts at sustainable progress and preventing women from recognizing their rights.

Noting also with concern that armed conflicts create an environment conducive to heightened militarization, violence against women, young people and children in particular young girls, and persons with disabilities, which result in various forms of sexual violence and forced marriages. 

We affirm by breaking barriers and addressing taboos concerning gender issues that are plaguing our community, we are capable of educating both men and women while simultaneously amplifying the voices of women. The education of equality is not a threat to the culture or society but an asset to both genders.

We believe that education for both men and women, boys, and girls, plays a vital role in ending gender-based dominance and oppression.

We affirm that women are not the property or the guardians of men and we strongly recognize their rights as individual human beings.

We aim to strengthen women's voices through civil society: supporting access to justice, economy, healthcare, and further involvement in the political process.

The Sola Foundation will contribute to the development and potential of women of all ages, ensuring their full and equal participation in building a better Afghanistan for all. This empowerment will occur through partnerships, employment, and equal opportunities for women and men to seek parallel status in society.

IV. Maintaining our Vision

The Sola Foundation strives to maintain and cultivate organizational thought leaders and visionaries, envisioning an Afghanistan as it should be, yet understanding the realities of Afghanistan as it is.  We will maintain our founding spirit and passion in the hopes of achieving peace and bringing advancements to the people of Afghanistan.

We acknowledge that to break barriers and make a change, participation of the community is a pivotal component of achieving success. We strive to achieve community involvement through investing in social innovative enterprises led by the people for the people.

We further believe in feasible and efficient developmental projects while harmonizing social tensions, our aim is to stabilize the country and bring innovative economies for growth. We acknowledge past performance in development aid has fallen short in sustaining economic prosperity but we hope to offset the number of malfunctioning projects that are supported by foreign aid.

V. Responsibility as Thought Leaders

The Sola Foundation refrains from predatory competition between NGOs for funding opportunities; instead, the foundation values synergistic partnerships enabling us to attain our shared goal of benefiting the people of Afghanistan. The Sola Foundation is not trying to overstep any other organization – rather, we aim to amplify the voices of the people and accelerate the process of development within Afghanistan. We will maintain ethical, cooperative relationships with other Non-Profit Organizations.

We are committed to working together with other NGOs to advance our joint cause. We will be role models of healthy collaboration and partnerships that mutually benefit all stakeholders in attaining their goals.

VI. Public Trust

We value patience, selflessness, resilience, and relentless optimism. We believe in justice and are prepared to challenge the status quo, regardless of what opinion may be convenient or popular at the time. Our duty is to maintain the highest ethical standards and to remain steadfast in our core beliefs and founding principles.

VII. Transparency

We believe that success in our mission is characterized by serving our intended beneficiaries so thoroughly that they will one day be empowered to provide for themselves independent of our support. The Sola Foundation does not exist to benefit our personal nor professional goals, rather, we exist to make a genuine lasting positive impact on Afghanistan’s society. Therefore, our ultimate goal is to one day cease to exist.

We believe the Sola Foundation should be transparent in its dealings with the government, the public, donors, partners, beneficiaries, and other interested parties, except for personal matters and proprietary information. Basic financial information, governance structure, activities, and listing of officers and partnerships shall be open and accessible to public scrutiny and the Sola Foundation will attempt to inform the public about its work and the origin and use of its resources.

VIII. Accountability and Responsibility

We will be held accountable for our actions and decisions, primarily to the community it serves, to the donor community, staff, volunteers, members, partner organizations, and the people of Afghanistan. We believe that the voices from the people that inhabit Afghanistan serve as our best accountability measures. Grassroots organizations, interest groups, voluntary associations and not-for-profit activities are the prime facilitators that improve the performance of an institution through a system of checks and balances.

We promise to ensure accountability by instituting a set of clear principles and moral standards that we abide by. These principles and clear moral standards include honest, reliable, transparent, and clear communications of all foundation initiatives and decisions. Therefore, it is of utmost significance to us that we help create a deep sense of accountability. We aim to foster a sense of obligation and willingness to the people of Afghanistan. We do not only shoulder responsibility for our Foundation, but also for the public’s perception of NGOs and the trust that comes along with said perception.

IX. Participation

We aim to connect Afghanistan’s people around the world by proactively engaging them in sustainable social programs and creating a unified approach to community development. A precondition to genuine development is active participation and self-determination of the people of Afghanistan. 

Participation also includes the inclusion of a diverse range of stakeholders - regardless of their ethnic and religious background – who are determined to be conducive to our on-going community development process. We believe public participation advances our collective intelligence and spirit involved in developmental processes such as collective decision-making, solving social problems, and creating shared visions.