1. HUMANITY
Humanity. Protecting life and health.
Respecting people. Working. Not for wealth.
For friendship, understanding, lasting peace –
towards the day when injustice will cease.
Aware of human suffering. Opening doors
of prisons; entering into conflicts, wars,
disaster zones. Getting the hungry fed.
To boldly go where angels fear to tread.
Humanity's unique and caring face
of any gender, religion or race.
Not frightened to be different - working still
where no one else can work, or no one will.
Alleviating suffering, bringing hope,
food, water, shelter, resources to cope.
Ploughing the no-man's-land, planting the tree
Growing a future for humanity.

2. IMPARTIALITY
An open mind. Impartialiiy.
A non..discriminating clarity
where race, religion, nationality
are never barriers to charity.
At Solferino Henry Dunant
saw both sides bleeding, dying. Both sides haunt
the man whose human sympathy can't bear
the inhumanity of war's mad glare.
To help a man, no matter what his creed,
not bandage one and let another bleed.
To understand and follow Dunant's lead
and give to each according to his need.
An empathy with Everyman despite
beliefs of who was wrong and who was right.
Impartiality prompts us to move
in human solidarity and love.

3. NEUTRALITY
Neutrality is not indifference,
inaction, incapacity or cold
compassionless closed doors behind the fence.
Neutrality cannot be bought and sold.
Neutraliiy is action with a heart
which beats the rhythms of humanity;
with both ears open wide to hear each voice
above chaotic war's insanity.
The neutral volunteer does not forget
her ideology, religion, race
or politics. She knows herself. And yet
she knows there is more than one human face
Neutrality is not weak or naïve,
steps boldly through barbed-wire, sees no sense
in suffering, Not frightened to believe –
neutrality embraces difference.

4. INDEPENDENCE
Not influenced by media, politics,
power, or money with its dirty tricks.
An independent movement has to be
immune to interference, honest, free.
Its money must come freely with no strings.
The movement must not get bogged down in things
and processes and protocols, grey shapes,
locked doors, closed files, dark secrets and red tapes.
The independent movement targets need,
not heeding animosity or greed.
It does not race, compete, or join the queue –
it does the jobs which no-one else will do.
A democratic movement which is free,
impartial, neutral, loves humanity.
Its strength comes from its roots, right from the start –
an independent person with a heart.

5. VOLUNTARY SERVICE
The volunteer has eyes which see the need,
ears which hear the voice above the creed,
an open heart which will respond with care,
working hands, a spirit which will dare.
Not under orders sent from far away,
nor saying what he has been told to say.
The volunteer's strength comes from within –
the reason for his work is up to him.
The selfless gesture can restore a hope,
reintroduce capacity to cope.
A faith in life, an energy to live,
part of a world whose nature is to give.
The volunteer is not inspired by gain
of money, prizes, status. He's not vain.
A taste for life. A thirst for what is true.
His love for others tells him what to do

6. UNITY
A unity of action, one for all
and all for one. No factions, big or small.
No splinter groups, divisions, no lost souls,
white elephants, red herrings or black holes.
Reaching remotest regions, reaching out.
Inclusiveness is what it's all about.
Network of local branches bearing fruits
and drawing energy from common roots.
Organization with a human face –
discrimination never has a place.
Organization with a human heart –
open to everyone, right from the start.
Including the whole country, every child
and man and woman, every distant mile.
Facing disasters, injustices, wars.
Humans united in a common cause.

7. UNIVERSALITY
Respect for human beings, love for life.
Universality in times of strife
and times of peace. Awareness of the other,
the victim, the poor country, the lost brother.
Co-operation, reciprocity,
and self-awareness in the family tree.
A song where different voices all belong.
The weak must not be silenced by the strong.
Roots in all different cultures, branches free
to reach the sky and celebrate the tree.
Fruits of humanity, green leaves unfurled
- responsibiliiy around the world.
If universal suffering gives us pause,
then universal healing gives us cause.
We're all in chains unless we all are free.
We are all one big human family.