Background of AMURT
AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) is one of the few international humanitarian non-governmental organisations with roots in India. AMURT India was formed in 1965 to help meet the needs of populations affected by disasters that regularly hit the Indian subcontinent. Over the years, AMURT has established independent chapters worldwide, including AMURT USA, to create a network that can meet disaster and development needs almost anywhere.
In 1985, AMURT USA, broadened its goals to include long-term development. AMURT USA feels that it can play a useful role in helping vulnerable communities 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.
AMURT mission statement
AMURT’s mission is to help improve the quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged people of the world, and to assist those affected by calamity and conflict.
We believe that the best assistance is that which encourages and enables all people to develop themselves. Hence we help individuals and communities to harness their own resources for securing the basic necessities of life and for gaining greater economic, social and spiritual fulfillment, while respecting their customs, language, and religious beliefs.
AMURT 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 cooperatives 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.
AMURT 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, gender, 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 lessen the gap between the 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.