Our vision and principles

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Stand Together Vision & Principles
Our vision

Stand Together is working to move toward a society based on the principles of human progress — one of equal rights and mutual benefit where everyone has the opportunity to live a life of meaning and succeed by benefitting others.

We advance this vision by partnering with social entrepreneurs who apply these principles to empower people to realize their potential. As the effectiveness of this approach becomes widely recognized, it inspires movements that bring society closer to this ideal.

These movements create paradigm shifts, transforming society’s key institutions, so rather than control people from the top down, they consistently empower people from the bottom up.

An "empowerment paradigm"

Our vision is informed by history’s profound lesson: Every person has a gift, and progress comes when we empower everyone to find and use it to help others improve their lives.

Todd Rose, a Stand Together board member and co-founder of the think tank Populace, shows how this "empowerment paradigm" transformed the world and animates Stand Together’s work today.

The principles of empowerment

History shows that the more societies reject a paradigm of power and instead embrace empowerment, the more progress they unlock. Here are some of the core principles that empower every person.

Dignity
 A deep belief in, and respect for, the inherent worth of every person that enables people to live their lives as they see fit with due regard for the equal and inalienable rights of others and with assurance of equal protection for those rights under the law.
Bottom Up
People succeed when their interaction is organized by general rules of just conduct rather than having to agree on concrete aims, enabling those with personal knowledge of a problem to discover solutions that get the best results.
Openness
 The free movement of ideas, resources, and people generates knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualize
 People live lives of meaning when they continually discover, develop, and apply their unique gifts to benefit others.
Mutual Benefit
People succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Our principles in practice

Learn more about how Stand Together and our partners apply the principles of empowerment to transform people's lives and society as a whole.

An image of a door opening in a dark room and light shining through. Many organizations say they are ‘open.’ But what does that mean?

Why stretching outside our comfort zone is good for society.

 A collage of people sitting in chairs speaking during a conference. Employees aren’t finding purpose at work. These 3 big ideas would help

Three simple changes would build a system where people and businesses reach their full potential.

 Woman talking to incarcerated man Why trust can change the world — if we let it

“I teach students at San Quentin State Prison. Here’s how I earn their trust — against all odds.”

 Tiger Woods speaks at a conference with a microphone in his hand. What does Tiger Woods have to do with squid ink? Ask a 5th grader.

At the TGR Learning Lab, students get hands-on with STEAM and golf.
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