Solidarity beyond frontiers

LHL’s vision for the fight against tuberculosis is solidarity beyond frontiers

LHL's Programme of Principles entitled «Solidarity beyond Frontiers» is the basis of LHL's fight against tuberculosis. LHL is involved in this area as an interest organization for people contracting tuberculosis. LHL considers the fight against tuberculosis as a global fight, which includes work in Norway, in our immediate surroundings and in the poorest parts of the world.

Derived from LHL´s political guidelines on TB

LHL's Programme of Principles (on TB) is derived from LHL's basic document on the fight against tuberculosis. This document provides professional and political guidelines for LHL's tuberculosis control. These guidelines are based on facts, knowledge, personal experience of the disease, different framework conditions for the activity and international experience in combating tuberculosis.

LHL's basic document was examined by LHL's association committee in March 2001, and the Programme of Principles was adopted by the association committee in May 2001. The framework agreement with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), LHL's social policy programme in the national assembly periods and annual plans of action are also central steering documents for our international aid work. In addition, policy documents of the registered umbrella organization, the Atlas Alliance, and practical involvement within this organization, have provided new and clear guidelines for LHL's aid work. LHL's Programme of Principles has a time horizon of up to ten years. If important framework conditions were to be changed during this period, LHL may revise parts of its Programme of Principles.

Basic view

Members of LHL who survived tuberculosis in Norway, took the initiative to start LHL's aid work in the beginning of the 1980s. This initiative was taken on the basis of a solidary way of thinking. LHL's contribution to the fight against tuberculosis in other countries constitutes a smaller part of LHL's total activity. The aid work is in line with the historic tradition in LHL and keeps up the knowledge of tuberculosis. To the organization, the work has a symbolic value, as it signals that LHL has a feeling of solidarity with patients and sick people beyond the Norwegian frontiers.

Vision - solidarity beyond frontiers

The vision of LHL's activity is a society for everybody, a united society which takes sufficient account of those affected with disease, by meeting basic human rights, such as the right to treatment, rehabilitation and other measures capable of improving the life of the sick and disabled. LHL's vision of a united society does not stop at the Norwegian borders, we have a vision of a united world society. For that reason, solidarity beyond frontiers is a supporting principle in LHL's tuberculosis control activities. LHL wishes to convey an outlook on values resulting in a practical attitude of solidarity towards those affected with tuberculosis in other countries.

Basis of values in aid policy

LHL considers the fight against tuberculosis as a fight for basic human rights. The right to health assistance is central in these efforts. Basic human rights are universal in LHL's aid work, as these are formulated in the World Declaration of Human Rights. In LHL's aid work, the target group's social and political rights are mutually dependent on each other, and they amplify each other.

Measures beyond treatment facilities are necessary in order to secure equality in the community for those affected with tuberculosis. LHL believes that those who have personal experience of the disease, are those most suitable to promote the interests of those affected with tuberculosis. For that reason political rights - such as the right to organize and joint influence in the society - are also central to LHL's aid work.