Guided by Gandhian non-violence and truth, ARCH pursues change through democratic, peaceful means—no violence, even under provocation. We embrace trial-and-error, learning eagerly from mistakes to innovate solutions.

We focus deeply on specific grassroots issues within partner communities: listening, analysing intellectually, and implementing government policies and programs. If necessary, we also work towards pushing for suitable new government policies and legal instruments. True success lies in rigorous follow-through to ensure real-world impact, transforming thousands of lives—though this focus limits our scope.

Ideologically unbound, we critically examine our beliefs. Starting as social democrats favouring state intervention, experience showed that excessive state power often harms the poor most. Markets, we’ve seen, offer vital opportunities for self-reliance—yet we reject dogmatism. Neither state nor market is a panacea. Humility and ongoing self-scrutiny define us.