Principles

Integrity/Dignity
Every person has integrity solely by virtue of having been created and is offered the concomitant respect and dignity. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” THE DOORWAY’s first principle is in concordance with such a truism, and this is fundamental for an organization that seeks to preserve basic and yet universal standards of morality, while enhancing the lives of young people.

Life is such that things do not always work
Despite the best intentions and efforts of anyone, there is no such thing as a guarantee of success. Nevertheless, what is more important is the opportunity to discover why something did not work and then seek success another way. Without entering into an excessively philosophical debate between free will and determinism, it can be presumed that one’s choices are often constrained and limited by factors which one has no influence over. Therefore, THE DOORWAY’s second principle addresses a question that is most important, in that it (1) understands that people may be compelled to make a decision due to circumstance, and (2) seeks to help participants come up with an alternative approach to reach their goal.

Acceptance without judgment or prejudice
In keeping with the principle of integrity and dignity, we accept people as they are. We see the human person first and behavior as an aspect of the life of the person. Accepting rather than judging is essential, as it reverses an attitude that has been responsible for many of the wrongs which human beings have done to one another throughout history, often at great human cost.

Forgiveness – Every day is a new day
In the context of THE DOORWAY, forgiveness is the ability to pick oneself up and to start over time and time again. Forgiving is perhaps the trait which people have had the greatest difficulty with, despite clear indications that revenge merely generates more harmful behavior.

People who listen to each other learn from each other
When we truly listen to others, we engage each other in a process that allows us all to benefit from new perspectives and clarification of previous ideas. Transmitting information from an individual to another is a complex process. Often, part of a message can be misunderstood. This is most obvious in cross-cultural situations, such as when someone from a street culture is attempting to communicate with someone from a non-street culture. Listening carefully is thus fundamental if THE DOORWAY is to succeed in perceiving problems correctly, and devising effective responses.

All actions/choices affect other people
Every person is interdependent and interconnected. Consequences of actions and choices are never limited to the person that made the initial decision. Therefore, every person matters because of our interdependency. This principle relates to the second, as it shows understanding that actions and choices are often the consequence of situations, which are determined by others.