AMURT Global Network
Dharmadeva
Disaster relief, sustainable development & community service
Background
AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) is one of the few private
voluntary organizations of Third World origin, being founded in India in
1965. Its original objective was to help meet the needs of victims of
disasters that regularly hit the Indian sub-continent. Over the years AMURT
has established teams in eighty countries, to create a network that can meet
development and disaster needs almost anywhere in the world. In 1985 we
broadened our goals to include long-term development. We feel we can play a
useful role in helping the poor break the cycle of poverty and gain greater
control over their lives. For us, development is human exchange: people
sharing wisdom, knowledge and experience to build a better world.
AMURTEL was formed in 1975 as a sister organization to respond specifically
to the problems faced by women and children in their struggle to develop.
AMURTEL is managed by women and initiates programs that raise the standard
of health and education of women and their children. The programs also
permit women to gain greater self-determination and economic independence.
Our Goals We aim to help improve the quality of life for the poor and
underprivileged people of the world, and to assist the victims of natural
and man-made disasters. We believe that the best assistance is that which
encourages and enables people to develop themselves. Hence we help
individuals harness their own resources for securing the basic necessities
of life and for gaining greater economic, social and spiritual fulfillment.
Volunteering One of AMURT's great strengths is its people. Its people are
concerned citizens attracted by the AMURT principle that compassion for
everyone and everything is the starting point of relief and development.
Many are professional volunteers who provide thousands of hours of volunteer
time to keep our budgets low. Contact us if you wish to know more about our
volunteer placements.
Solutions We seek local solutions. AMURT understands that there are no
ready-made solutions to problems of poverty. Every situation is unique and
requires its own local solution. Because AMURT field directors are already
based in the areas they serve, they are better able to promote a solution
that is suitable for each particular set of circumstances. This translates,
for example, into small business cooperative for poor urban women in the
Philippines, neighborhood homes for abandoned children and infants in
Mongolia, drinking water supply programs in Ghana and pre-and primary
schools for underprivileged children in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mongolia, Nicaragua and South Africa.
Guiding Principles
· Every human being has the right to meet his or her own fundamental needs
such as nourishment, accommodation, medical care, clothing and education.
The resources of the earth should be used in a just and appropriate way to
meet those needs.
· Every human being regardless of race, creed, sex, color or social status
is a dignified member of the human family and should be treated with
understanding and respect.
· It is only by showing respect for women, and ensuring their integration
and active participation in the development process, that a harmonious
growth of the family, community and society as a whole can be achieved.
· Development is a balanced process that maintains an equilibrium between
industry and the environment, urban and rural growth, human needs and
available resources. Development should lesson the gap between rich and poor
and provide opportunities for all.
· Appropriate development begins within the social and cultural framework of
each community. It enables underprivileged communities to gain a greater
degree of independence to determine their own future.
--
'The main characteristic of PROUT-based socioeconomic movements
is that they aim to guarantee the comprehensive, multifarious
liberation of humanity.' P R Sarkar
PROUT - PROgressive Utilisation Theory
http://www.proutworld.org http://www.prout.org
New Renaissance: A Journal for Social and Spiritual Awakening:
http://www.ru.org