A three-year-old child shows great progress in self-determination and independence. They run confidently, can avoid obstacles and maintain their balance. The child sorts objects, begins to understand basic concepts of quantity and distinguishes reality from fantasy. The desire to say “I can do this on my own!” is very strong. Three years is the time when it becomes clear whether a company can actually realize its vision. This stage in a company’s life offers the first real opportunity to track the transition from start-up to a mature phase.
„The most difficult times in our lives are the best opportunities to develop inner strength. We are not here to believe, but to learn. Change is brought about only through active action, not through meditation or prayer alone. You don’t need temples or churches for this, nor even necessarily a faith; if you simply try to be a human being with a warm heart and a smile, that is enough. My philosophy is kindness. For me, love and compassion represent a universal religion. Peace must first and foremost begin within each of us. A prerequisite for peace is respect for otherness and for the diversity of life. In the end, human determination and truth will triumph over violence and oppression.” – this profound, deeply human philosophy of life espoused by the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has shaped our daily actions and business practices over the past three years.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the respectful cooperation, the wonderful human encounters, the valuable intercultural dialogue and the enriching interfaith exchange that we experience on a daily basis whilst carrying out our non-profit projects aimed at enabling people to lead self-determined lives, improving access to employment and education, and promoting active inclusion and socio-economic integration of powerless people with a migration background, refugee experience or disabilities. Education is a liberator. Education can transform a person’s entire life and history. However, the ultimate goal of education is not knowledge, but action. Every person is an architect of the future.
Social cohesion starts with each and every one of us. We all determine how we live together. That is why we are keen to bring different worlds together. Drawing on insights from our inclusive projects and collaboration within networks, we enrich professional discourse and social debate, and support decision-makers in improving the broader framework. The Charter 22 team is inclusive, diverse, international, multicultural, multilingual, interdisciplinary, highly competent and socially committed. We employ people from different countries, languages, cultures and religions. In this way, we aim to set an example of coexistence.
This diversity enriches us and broadens our horizons. For us, diversity is a matter of course, a strength and not a threat. Society is a mirror of ourselves. The more diverse society is, the greater the opportunity we have to recognize different facets of ourselves. We respect, acknowledge and value diversity, not only in cultural, social, political, legal and national terms within our workforce, but also in the countries and societies where we carry out non-profit projects.
