The Vision and Mission Document states that AROS will apply the following principles to the work.

1. We will work with communities, for communities
2. We will work to a particular definition of anti-racism That definition comes from Professor Camara Phyllis Jones: “Racism is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks (which is what we call “race”), that unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources”.
3. We will take an intersectional anti-racism approach Our focus is on past and present-day systems of racism, including white privilege, whiteness, oppression and discrimination. We also recognise that racism can be linked to other prejudices (classism, i.e. against certain social classes; sexism, usually against women; ableism, i.e. in favour of people who are not disabled; homophobia, i.e. against gay people; transphobia, i.e. against transgender people; antisemitism, i.e. against Jewish people; islamophobia, i.e. against Islam or Muslim people; and xenophobia, i.e. against people from other countries). So, while we will focus mainly on racism, we will also consider how it overlaps with other prejudices to increase unfairness and inequity.
4. We will be inclusive and accessible We will use language that everyone can understand and hold activities that everyone can take part in. We will take expert advice on how to do this.
5. We will be independent, open and accountable We will apply these three values to our own work as well as to the work of Scotland’s public institutions. Being independent will allow us to truly hold Scotland’s public institutions to account; being open will include publishing regular updates on what we are doing; and being accountable means that we, too, will be held to account by communities. The advantage that white people have in societies where such racial inequity exists. The idea that white people, and their culture, beliefs, etc., are superior to other “races”.
6. We will evolve, learning and adapting as we go We will take this work one step at a time, building on the work of others internationally. That means setting the right pace and space in order to learn from those with lived and learned experience. And it means sharing what we learn along the way. Our aim is to become a world leader on anti-racism.