IVET Affiliate Sharon Parris Chambers

Sharon is a wonderful example of individuals who are giving us reasons for optimism because they live the values they espouse. The IVET Foundation, is connecting with these change-makers to support collaborative constructive social action.   They are known as IVET Affiliates, who collectively are a movement to ensure that humanity and our world flourishes.  In their own work and lives Affiliates are motivated by character traits such as integrity, altruism, justice and compassion. 

Affiliates are inspirational and include Richard Schwartz, Founder of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) method of psychotherapy; Mark Williams, Cognitive neuroscientist; Ann Mealey, ethicist, Sharron Parris-Chambers, change maker in Jamaica, educator Tim Amaral, psychologist Craig Shealy and systems thinker Paul Barnett. I promise you that you will be inspired if you listen to their wisdom. 

You can access their talks here. You won't be disappointed!

 IVET’s Purpose – why it exists 

In 1995, whilst he was enjoying being a Headteacher, at the world’s first explicitly values-based school in Oxfordshire, Neil Hawkes was inspired to found the International Values Education Trust (IVET) – a charity now known as the IVET Foundation. IVET is independent of any political, religious, economic or social influence, being open to all who share IVET's Values. 

Its initial purpose was to inspire schools and other settings to adopt Values-based Education (VbE).  His research at Oxford University had shown that VbE creates a culture that develops quality education, based on understanding the transformational power of learning about, and living, universal enhancing human values, such as dignity, respect, integrity, care, humility, trust, peace, love and compassion.  To see the range and depth of VbE's impact on education please visit www.valuesbasededucation.com.

IVET’s Mission – what we do

Our mission has been, and continues to be, to bring Values-based Education (VbE) to all schools, colleges and other settings.  The IVET Foundation is delighted that VbE is now such a tremendous global success, with thousands of young people benefiting from its profound life-enhancing culture and curriculum.   

In recent years IVET has continued to widen its mission, by influencing the adoption in society of Values-based Living (VbL), with a specific focus on the development of Values-based Leadership (ethical leadership), at all levels in society. 

In 2023, Neil was given the honour of representing the Foundation at the United Nations in Geneva. He spoke about the transformational power of values-based ethical leadership at all levels of society.

IVET’s Vision – where we are going

Our Foundation’s vision is connectivity - to create a transformative participatory learning network of people who, through their lives and work, are transforming organisations and systems at all levels of society towards values-centric ways of thinking and behaving. There is a realisation that as a specie we must change if we are to ensure our survival.

To this end, the Foundation is attracting, as Affiliates, incredible people from all walks of life who model, both in their personal and professional lives, universal enhancing human values such as integrity, humility, trust, care, empathy, equality and compassion. As Values-based leaders, they are keen to be known as Affiliates of IVET. You can see who our esteemed Affiliates by clicking our Directory of Affiliates here for those with a family name in the range A-L, and here for those Affiliates with family name in the range M-Z.

IVET's Goal - Action  

IVET’s goal, is that through its network, we help people to enhance their ways of being and relating. To awaken in them a sense of having a unique place in the world, as a special creative spark of living energy, that is part of an awe-inspiring macro-system we call universe. 

By having greater awareness about how the interaction of our thoughts, minds and experience create our reality, we can work together to re-establish, through our values, a positive relationship with ourselves, each other and the natural world. 

May we invite you to share the good news about IVET to people in your sphere of influence – home, work and recreation.  Let them know how IVET’s influence on education and society is having profound effects for enhancing lives and institutions. 

Most importantly, share with them that their influence and actions in support of IVET would be, in our opinion, the key to influencing our political and social leaders to establish new holistic, participatory values-based ways of solving the great and complex issues challenging our very survival. 

 An invitation from Neil Hawkes:  

"May I invite you to become an Affiliate of the IVET Foundation? Before making your decision, read about the amazing contributions our Affiiates are making to create a better world.  See Updates and the Directory of Affiliates.

How to become an Affiliate? Click here and follow the simple process.

I'm so encouraged when I see the incredible changes that are happening at all levels of society through the lives of our Affiliates.”  

I shall look forward to hearing from you."