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Self Report 2017

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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2D
Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation commits to adopt the IASC statement on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse at the individual agency level.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    As a religious and conservative organization, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation had previously avoided the subject of sexual exploitation and abuse, and thus made no such commitments towards its prevention. After much interaction with other like-minded NGOs and government agencies, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has begun to recognize the issue as a cause of great suffering. In alignment with its mission to alleviate suffering in all forms, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is working on internal training and education regarding the subject matter, and will formally commit to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse and exploitation from its volunteers and employees.

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an active participant in the annual NGO/CSW Forum since March 2012, supporting the women’s rights movement through informative side events and advocating for the eradication of sexual exploitation of women and children, gender-based inequalities, and domestic violence. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is also one of few organizations to submit an article in Tudor Rose’s publication, “A Better World”, comprised of articles from other humanitarian actors on their work in gender equality. Lastly, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation formally submitted commitments for accountability and protection from sexual abuse and exploitation in humanitarian crisis for the support of the Bureau of Populations, Refugees, and Migrations in its refugee support program in Thailand.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation performs internal assessments on the performance of each program. Through the rigorous collection of data on its largest programs, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is able to objectively track the progress of certain objectives and indicators. Analysis is performed on each indicator on a quarterly basis, and changes to the program are made if certain objectives are not on track to be met.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    For the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, challenges are largely internal. Many members and volunteers of the organization are unaware of the severity of the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse, and those who are aware protest to the organization’s involvement in the issue in order to preserve the purity and conservative nature of the organization.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation plans to educate its members and volunteers on the importance of the subject matter, and its relevance to humanitarian aid and the work that has been done. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation will incorporate a section of protection from sexual exploitation and abuse into its code of conduct for each program implemented globally, as well as formally commit to a zero-tolerance policy on members that violate the terms of this code of conduct. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation will also ensure its partners will follow the same principles by incorporating a section on sexual conduct into future contracts and formal agreements.

  • If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability', what would it be

    Sexual abuse of any form is an affront to the humanitarian sector; such conduct serves to undermine all forms of humanitarian aid, and threatens the integrity of other charitable organizations in the process. NGOs must hold each other accountable through rigorous vetting in order to advance the cause...

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Accountability to affected people ☑ Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3D - Empower and protect women and girls

3A
Reduce and address displacement

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
  • Leave No One Behind

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    While implementing and operating the programs/ projects that fall in line with the commitments, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has experienced situations where humanitarian assistance, aid, and development models were unsatisfactory and limited in the context of the population and/or community. Compounded with the rise in displaced persons, a crisis that has grown larger than ever in human history, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has committed itself to the commitment of “Leave No One Behind.”

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has taken actions through the forms of livelihood, medical, and educational support projects, each addressing the commitment to “Leave No One Behind” to varying degrees; programs include Tzu Chi’s refugee support program in Turkey and the Medical Outreach Program for refugees in Thailand. Through programs such as these, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has helped to provide refugees and displaced persons with primary, secondary, formal, informal, and vocational education, while working in bi-lateral collaboration with local state actors; health services through medical outreaches and health clinics; and other livelihood programs that uses integration into the market and host country’s/community’s economy as a durable solution.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Progress is tracked through the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s Monitoring and Evaluation process, which includes the utilization of the organization’s internal records systems, one for the medical—Electronic Health Records (EHR)—and another for the organization’s livelihood and education programs, where all recipients, beneficiaries, and supported clients that receive assistance at varying degrees are documented and reviewed on a consistent basis. Thus far, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has helped over 25,000 refugees receive free and sustained health care, as well as over 2,000 refugee and migrant students receive formal education.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    The largest challenge faced in implementation include either lack or shortage of funding due to budgetary cuts at the national level. Due to funding policies and reduced appropriations in humanitarian and foreign aid, program projects will face challenges that has and will manifest itself into overall weaker program capacity.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Implementation in 2017 will be advanced by focusing on program development that is gender sensitive, improving the already implemented programs by including replicable actions that address gender, women, and girls. Additionally, advancement in implementation would include capacity-building, and leadership and development, most namely for the disadvantaged affected populations.

  • If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Reduce and address displacement', what would it be

    Education is needed for host communities and non-indigenous inhabitants that reinforces integration, more than economically, but linguistically and culturally, holistically. This is in keeping with the belief and advocacy that that integration is a durable solution to the current displacement, movement and migration crisis.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender ☑ IDPs ☑ Refugees

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3E - Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people ☑ 3F - Enable adolescents and young people to be agents of positive transformation ☑ 4A - Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

3D
Empower and protect women and girls

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    As a grassroots organization founded by women, and comprised mostly of women, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has held and implemented progressive economic and educational policies and programs for women and girls. Prior to making the commitment, the organization has implemented programs in various communities in throughout multiple countries that support women and girls with education, medical support, and livelihood programs that utilize, for example, vocational training. With this commitment, or this renewed commitment, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation fully recommits to the empowerment of women and girls, and additionally, plans to include gender protection and more focused actions for women and girls within all implemented programs.

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has made achievements to his commitment through programs in various countries and communities. For example, in Bangkok, Thailand, where the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation implements monthly free medical clinics for refugees, the organization provides psycho-social support, family planning, and sex education as a part of committing the “Empower Women and Girls” commitment. In Haiti, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation sponsors and supports an all girls school in Port-au-Prince, and has helped enroll more than 1500 female students, giving them the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and attend college. Moreover, the organization implements its Happy Campus Program in Haiti, where low-income and marginalized students are provided with after-school and tutoring services, as well as in-kind and food assistance. In the rural and indigenous communities of Taiwan, among other communities, and populations, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has helped over 1,000 female aboriginal Taiwanese populations receive training, most namely in the dental and medical field.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Progress is assessed by monitoring and evaluating the programs implemented. Every Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation country office has their methodologies, but still follow a universal reporting method that is shared by all offices. Using these reporting, monitoring, and evaluation methods, an internally developed software system, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is able to document and assess progress.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation fully recommits to the empowerment of women and girls. It plans to include gender protection and more focused actions for women and girls within all implemented programs.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation fully recommits to the empowerment of women and girls, and additionally, plans to include gender protection and more focused actions for women and girls within all implemented programs.

  • If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Empower and protect women and girls', what would it be

    One of the challenges faced during implementation by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation and other organizations is the range and diversity of cultures, and because of this, therein lies the ostensible rising need for intersectionality. As humanitarian actors committed to empowering women and girls, we cannot forget intersectionality and the diversity of voices.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender ☑ Refugees

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3E - Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

4A
Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    In 90% of operations, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation worked in partnership with national and local actors to facilitate delivery of assistance but did not fund them directly to carry out programs. Capacity-building programs of our local and national partners were ad-hoc and dependent on the initiative of the relevant country office rather than a corporate policy. There was no specific policy to target funding to women's groups. Cash-based programming was utilitied in 10% of our operations.

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation conducted a global survey and review to identify financial, legal, organizational capacity and policy barriers for organization to increase direct and predictable finance to national and local actors. It identified 10 local partner organizations in 3 countries to begin pilots of increasing direct financing and capacity support. Four of these organizations are women's groups. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation drafted new corporate policy, drawing on best-practices from country offices, on improving capacity-building program with a focus on the next year on national partners financial and administrative management systems of the 10 partner organizations noted above. It became a signatory to the Charter for Change and the target agreed by management to increase cash-based programming to 35% of our operations by 2020.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation established an internal working group to develop targets for increasing direct and predicable financing for response to national and local actors by 2020. There is also an annual evaluation of 10 local partner organizations over next three years to assess improvement in capacity.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    Counter-terrorism legislation in some countries would prevent scaling up direct funding to local orgnizations there. Those three countries account for 50% of our operations.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    - Action plan developed to address top barriers to increasing direct financing to local and national partners by June 2017.
    - Pilot of an initial group of local and national actors to provide direct and predictable financial and capacity support. An initial 10 organizations in 3 countries were identified for 2017.

  • If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems', what would it be

    Best practice is needed on how to improve predictable financing and capacity to national and local organization where counter-terrorism legislation is prohibitive.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Accountability to affected people ☑ Cash ☑ Gender

  • Specific initiatives

    ☑A Global Undertaking on Health in Crisis Settings ☑ Charter for Faith-based Humanitarian Action

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑5A - Invest in local capacities

5E
Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    In 90% of operations the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation worked in partnership with national and local actors to facilitate delivery of assistance but did not fund them directly to carry out programs. Capacity-building programs of our local and national partners were ad-hoc and dependent on the initiative of the relevant country office rather than a corporate policy. There was no specific policy to target funding to women's groups. Cash-based programming was utilized in 10% of our operations.

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation conducted a global survey and review to identify financial, legal, organizational capacity and policy barriers for organization to increase direct and predictable finance to national and local actors. It identified 10 local partner organizations in 3 countreis to begin pilots of increasing direct financing and capacity support. Four of these organizations are women's groups. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation drafted new corporate policy, drawing on best-practices from country offices, on improving capacity-building program with a focus for the next years on national partners financial and administrative management systems of the 10 partner organizations noted above. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation became a signatory to the Charter for Change and its management agreed to the target to increase cash-based programming to 35 per cent of our operations by 2020.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    - Established an internal working group to develop targets for increasing direct and predicable financing for response to national and local actors by 2020.
    - Annual evaluation of 10 local partner organizations over next three years to assess improvement in capacity.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    Counter-terrorism legislation in some countries would prevent scaling up direct funding to local orgnizations there. Those three countries account for 50% of our operations.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    - Action plan developed to address top barriers to increasing direct financing to local and national partners by June 2017.
    - Pilot of an initial group of local and national actors to provide direct and predictable financial and capacity support. An initial 10 organizations in 3 countries were identified for 2017.

  • If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency', what would it be

    Best practice is needed on how to improve predictable financing and capacity to national and local organization where counter-terrorism legislation is prohibitive.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Cash ☑ Gender

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑4A - Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems ☑ 5A - Invest in local capacities