About Thirdway - General

About us

At Thirdway, we take a far broader approach to human rights than the extremely myopic one that currently prevails in the international community. Instead of prioritizing the civil and political rights of the first generation and subordinating the remainder, we believe that a holistic approach is appropriate.

In particular, we reject the notion of a human rights ‘hierarchy’ and instead endorse the proclamation of the International Conference on Human Rights in Tehran of 1968

It states that because human rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and that the full realization of civil and political rights cannot be achieved without the enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights. Human progress crucially depends upon the international community’s recognition that the full range of human rights are indivisible.

We see that lasting progress in the implementation of human rights depends upon sound and effective national and international policies for economic and social development. This recognition includes the thought that political freedom is but one type of freedom, and that to genuinely secure the good life, human beings require in addition economic, social, and cultural freedoms.

"Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient become independent of it." -John D. Rockefeller

Our History

It all began when Djoke Haven, formerly of Amnesty International Netherlands, married Christoph Damalie, formerly a teacher and National Board member of Amnesty International Ghana. On one of their regular family holidays to Ghana, it became clear to them that they needed to do something to help the people of Ghana. As a result, in 1998, Thirdway Netherlands was created in order to promote and realize human rights in Ghana.

Realizing these goals has not been easy. However, since they considered education to be the gateway to the promotion and the realization of human rights, with the help of their families and friends enough money was gathered to start a school in the needy area of Kasoa. To realize the building of the school, it soon became imperative to have a recognized organization on the ground for the execution of projects to be carried out, hence the establishment of Thirdway Ghana in 2000. Djoke Haven

With the passage of time and the need for growth and expansion to realize their goal of indivisible human rights in Ghana, Thirdway’s future expansion plans have grown from the operation of the school to include micro-credit programs; computer technology, including computer training and the provision of computers; human rights and entrepreneurship training; as well as conflict prevention and resolution training and services at the proposed Multipurpose Human Rights Center.

As the organization grew it became crucial to establish other associated offices, taking advantage of our virtual office concept, in order to make the realization of our objectives possible, hence the establishment of associated branches in the USA and in France in 2009.

"There is no shortage of rhetoric about the importance of human rights in responding to poverty and hunger. This is the time to turn words into action." -Christoph Damalie

Vision and Mission

Vision
We envision a society that promotes and realizes indivisible human rights, one that is aid-free and where local communities take responsibility for their own development.Such an economically independent society does not rely on international support, which in turn engenders the empowerment of individuals and communities. This path enables traditionally deprived and marginalized peoples to take control of their lives and exercise their right to a life of dignity.

Mission

As with many other human rights groups, our actions are based upon the firm belief that all people, simply by virtue of our common humanity, have certain fundamental rights, which are indivisible and universal, and that the totality of all human rights are closely intertwined with efforts at development and the creation of open societies. Therefore, our work is centred on the idea that the realization of civil and political rights cannot occur so long as social and economic rights are not both recognized and protected. The mother of a family may have the right to freely cast her ballot in fair elections and participate in government, but she can't fully exercise that right if she is beset by concerns of how she will afford the school fees for her children's education or how she will provide tonight's dinner.

Objectives

Our main objectives are:

Raising the quality of education for Ghanaian children by improving human resources in deprived schools and undertaking computer projects.
Setting up a multipurpose research and training center for human rights education and entrepreneurship that empowers Ghanaian communities.
Promoting and developing micro-credit / finance projects aimed at poverty alleviation, especially among women.

In addition to these major goals, we focus on:

Assisting in humanitarian relief efforts and promoting tourism as a means of intercultural understanding.
Promotion and training in good governance, accountability, anti-corruption, capacity-building for organizations in need.
Prevention, mediation and resolution of conflicts.
Promotion of environmental cleanliness and providing sanitation facilities.
Research on the Troxovi institution and Trokosi’s (The wives of the gods).
Collaboration with local and international NGOs and other donors/partners in Ghana.
Ultimately our goal is to increase independence from the bottom up while significantly decreasing the need for international aid organizations such as ours.

Human Rights as Viewed by Thirdway

Human rights as viewed by Thirdway

Human Rights belong to people simply because they are human.
Human Rights do not have to be bought, merited, or inherited. They are inalienable in the sense that no one has the right to deprive another's rights for any reason
Human Rights call upon states and governments to protect vulnerable individuals and groups against oppression.
Human Rights set standards for what governments must do for their citizens, and what they must not do to their citizens.
It must be observed that people possess rights even in the absence of positive laws which recognize and protect them.

Methodology

Human rights is development

development is human rights.

We believe in a holistic approach to solving problems. This calls for an integrated method of linking the problems with their solutions. We tackle the problems from their roots, not in isolation but as a whole.

We see the realization of indivisible human rights as the basis for the solution to almost all the problems facing humanity nowadays. We approach issues from the beneficiaries’ point of view, paying attention to their needs, wishes and aspirations.

We do not believe in giving fish to the people, but in teaching them how to fish and providing them with the necessary tools. We certainly believe in transforming the living situation of the people.

One of the causes of underdevelopment is dependence on aid and donations. We believe aid and donations should empower the people economically so that they don’t need to depend on future aid. Our organization strives for self-sufficiency and sustainability.

Our style is to go for the results without stopping on processes and procedures.

Our concept of development is based on indivisible human rights which translate into a holistic or integrated approach to development. Our mode of operation is cyclical:

1.- Human rights education: we want to teach people about their rights and responsibilities.

2.- Formal and informal education: we want to give people the education they need to enable them operate as free thinkers.

3.- Microfinance projects: we want to give entrepreneurship training and micro-credits to the people so that they can improve their own micro-enterprise and earn a living.

4.- Tourism: we want to bring together people from all cultures in order to break barriers and learn from each other. We strive for world peace and development.

5.- ICT: receiving and sharing information is vital for every society. We want people to access information that will help them to make vital decisions for their lives.

Virtual Office

Motivation and Philosophy

After years of observation, listening, learning and practice in the field of development aid there is the need for critical thinking no matter how silly it may look. All around the world there are people both young and old who would like to do something no matter what to contribute to a better world. They are willing to do this in their spare times and at the most convenient moments. They want to touch lives far away with their expertise and resources. At the same time the reality is that the cost of running development organizations and the style of organization and management has been crying for change.

Thirdway Human Rights and Development has its headquarters in the Netherlands with departmental offices in America-human rights education, France-microfinance, and Ghana-project land.

We wanted to create the most effective way to use interns / volunteers from all over the world to support our work. At the same time, we do not want to limit their creativity, working method or the time they spend working. We were looking for the most cost effective way or the 21st century non for profit organisational model to work with and we found it when we created the Virtual Office.This has become possible due to the technological advancements in the past years. All you need is to commit a minimum of 2 hours a week and join one of our departments. Those who would like to be departmental heads and senior officers are required to commit a minimum of 8 hours a week. Online interns work according to the terms of agreement signed.

"We envisage our staff / interns / volunteers sitting in front of their own computers when and where they want to. Organizing their work, going to negotiations with donors or looking for volunteers for the organization, as individual’s, but all towards a common goal that is to achieve the objectives of Thirdway of HRD, because they are a part of our Virtual Office team. The virtual office team, who may never have met before and some who would never meet at all, help to create one of the best teams in the world. Why? The members of this team do not work under the pressure of control or time. They are working hard but under self control and regulation because of their own convictions to achieve the objectives of the organization. That makes us the best international unique team. Ultimately our goal is to increase independence from the bottom up while significantly decreasing the need for international aid organizations such as ours. In our own terms we want to prevent and find a cure to development ’AIDS.’ - Acquired Immune Dependency Syndrome. We believe that Human Rights is Development and Development is Human Rights! There is no shortage of rhetoric about the importance of human rights in responding to poverty and hunger. This is the time to turn words into action.