The association's purpose is promoting its firm belief in a fair world, free from poverty and capable of efficiently managing community development which favors social justice and equal distribution of existing resources based on social, economic, cultural and political development. In this world all people can live without discrimination. They can exercise their right to participate equally in an exchange by living together harmoniously. This coexistence serves to promote personal and social enrichment.

Our goal is the transformation of society through literacy so that the oppressed can better know themselves and have social development. Furthermore, they can regain the dignity which they have lost. Our philosophy: Providing literacy education to the poor and politically disempowered people. There needs to be a dialogue adapted to every context and to every individual. In this dialogue, everyone is an active participant.

In this sense, Lights of Hope puts the focus on developing countries, in order to understand their reality and make action plans as well as support local associations and movements.

The important pillars of our organization are education and community development based on the principles of Paolo Freire and popular education (literacy education of the poor and politically disempowered people) as well as the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights of December 10th, 1948.

The principles of Lights of Hope

• Independent
• Secular
• Transparent
• Non-profit
• Open to intercultural dialogue
• Enviromentally friendly
• Transformer of gender inequality
• Committed to the fight against poverty
• Responsibility for the quality of our work
• A driving force behind networking with other organizations and movements
• Engaged and Participatory
• Fully and consistently working together with other agencies
• A promoter of analysis and taking a critical approach