Oxfam Canada believes Canadians and other citizens of the world can end poverty and injustice by working together in solidarity to assert their basic human rights: 

• through their personal actions and decisions;
• through creating equitable and respectful social relationships and institutions;
• through eliminating the social, cultural, economic, legal and political barriers to women’s equality;
• through holding governments and other authorities to account;
• through respectful stewardship of the global environment; and,
• through building global citizenship.

Our approach to development includes several  key elements.

Our Principles

Basic Human Rights
From the world's poorest countries to right here in Canada, too many people don’t know they have rights, let alone how to realize them. Oxfam works with people to realize these basic rights both for themselves and their communities.

Promoting Gender Justice
Gender is the most persistent predictor of poverty and powerlessness in our world today. This is why we believe that ending global poverty begins with women’s rights. Women's rights and gender equality are at the centre of all the work we do.

Environmental Responsibility
Oxfam strives to ensure our programs support the present generation to realize its potential without compromising the quality of life of future generations.

HIV and AIDS Awareness
HIV and AIDS is a crosscutting issue that is central to Oxfam Canada’s work in Southern Africa but also informs our program in all regions.

Our Actions

Local Partnerships
Oxfam Canada believes that for development to work it must be owned, driven and led by local people themselves. Oxfam’s role is to assist people in their own development, helping them build on their capacities and assets.

Emergency Response
Working closely with other Oxfams, we respond to emergency situations by providing urgent humanitarian assistance including food and clean water. We also help communities rebuild their lives and become better equipped to face disasters in the future.

Global Reach
Oxfam Canada is able to work with over 100 partner organizations in more than 25 countries. But being part of the global Oxfam International family—a confederation of 12 Oxfams — expands our reach to more than 120 countries.

Campaigning for Change
Through our campaigns, we combine the energy and commitment of people all over the world to challenge laws and policies that perpetuate poverty.

Policy and Advocacy
Oxfam Canada has played a leadership role in discussions on aid, trade, debt and development. We have worked with the Canadian Government, at the United Nations and in the field to inform Canada’s foreign policy and aid program and more.

Public Engagement in Canada
Oxfam Canada works within Canada, not just to mobilize resources but to actively engage Canadians in ideas, debate and action to address the inequalities that underlie poverty and injustice around the world and here in Canada.