“Do no harm”

Very plain, ethically intuitive and hard to argue with. An example of good, accessible framing that has crossed from medical ethics into humanitarian and development practice.

The challenge is not the principle but the practice -- knowing in advance whether your intervention will cause harm requires the kind of systemic understanding that most programme designs lack. If multiple pathways lead to resilience, then assuming one 'right' intervention risks harm through rigidity.

Don't make things worse