Mission & Vision
We are an international community in solidarity across borders in our vision of a peaceful and equitable society. Our roots run deep in Ethiopian traditions of peacekeeping. And our sights are set on embodying transformative conflict, social equity, and environmental sustainability in everything we do.
Life-affirming for all
The Institute for Social Advancement is building a society that embodies transformative conflict, social equity, and environmental sustainability.
We are guided by our vision of a society that is life-affirming for all.
Our commitment is to create a shared space for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, border, class, religion, or politics to achieve and manifest their individual and collective potential.
The opportunity
We are in the process of developing programs for ISA students through our working coffee farm. These programs will provide participants with work experience and a foothold in the Ethiopian economy. ISA already owns the farm and manages it profitably. In the next 5 years, we’ll be building a robust training program for the following roles: farm, manager, and business development. We see this as yet another virtuous cycle and opportunity for advancement that we can offer our students.
Pillars
Aikido Ethiopia
So many of our students walk into our classes looking for better ways of relating to conflict within themselves, in relation to other people, or for the communities they see in conflict across the country.
Arts 4 Youth Center
Arts 4 Youth programs, which includes sports classes, have existed under Tes’ leadership since 2000. We offer a wide range of classes in sports and the arts that attract more than 200 students each week.
Leadership Academy
Building on our leadership campaign, Long Live the Girls, we’re starting a cohort-style program, designed to resource participants for working skillfully in the complex communities they wish to lead.