Oxfam International is an international group of independent non-governmental organizations dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world. The Oxfams work together internationally to achieve greater impact by their collective efforts

Oxfam believe that:

1) Poverty and powerlessness are avoidable and can be eliminated by human action and political will.

2) Basic human needs and rights can be met. These include the rights to a sustainable livelihood, and the rights and capacities to participate in societies and make positive changes to people's lives.

3) Inequalities can be significantly reduced both between rich and poor nations and within nations.

4) Peace and substantial arms reduction are essential conditions for development.

Oxfam understands that:

5)Poverty is a state of powerlessness in which people are unable to exercise their basic human rights or control virtually any aspect of their lives. Poverty manifests itself in the inadequacy of material goods and lack of access to basic services and opportunities leading to a condition of insecurity.

6) All poverty is almost always rooted in human action or inaction. It can be made worse by natural calamities and human violence, oppression and environmental destruction. It is maintained by entrenched inequalities and institutional and economic mechanisms.

The Oxfam approach is that:

7) Our programs will:

a) Address the structural causes of poverty and related injustice
b) Work primarily through local accountable organizations, seeking to strengthen their empowerment
c) Help people directly where local capacity is insufficient or inappropriate for Oxfams' purposes
d) Assist the development of structures which directly benefit people facing the realities of poverty and injustice and which are accountable to them.

8) In all our actions our ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives.

9) For people to be able to exercise their rights,

a) Opportunities must be created so people can participate in governing all aspects of their lives, and
b) They must have the genuine capacity to organize and take advantage of those opportunities.

10) Gender inequalities and other diversity issues will be addressed in our actions and programs.

11) In the economic arena, we will seek

a) To enable people to meet their needs by creating opportunities within markets, while protecting themselves against the excesses of unregulated market forces
b) To strengthen institutions intervening in the market in the interests of the poor.

12) Preventing and reversing damage to the environment is essential to achieving sustainable livelihoods.

13) Action against violence must include

a) Coming to the aid of victims,
b) Strengthening people's capacity to peacefully resolve conflicts, and
c) Demanding a determined response from the international community where the situation warrants it.

In working together the Oxfam believes that:

14) Oxfam International offers a unique potential to achieve greater impact on the causes of poverty and powerlessness by combining the diverse experiences of Oxfams and their partners.

15) The name "Oxfam" will stand for a clear and consistent approach. We can achieve this through closer cooperation in our communications, advocacy, education and public campaigns; fundraising, emergency, development programs and fair trading.