OUR STORY / ROOTED IN SERVICE
Since 1965, AMURT has brought people together to respond to disaster and help communities shape a stronger future.
What guides us
01 / OUR MISSION
AMURT’s mission is to help improve the quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged people of the world, and those affected by calamity and conflict.
We encourage and enable 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 honoring their customs, language, and religious beliefs.
Our name, Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team, expresses a commitment to service that reaches beyond boundaries.
02 / OUR PRINCIPLES
Our approach begins with the dignity of every person and the right of communities to determine their own future.
Every human being has the right to meet 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 harmonious growth of the family, community, and society as a whole can be achieved.
Development is a balanced process that maintains equilibrium between industry and the environment, urban and rural growth, human needs and available resources. It should lessen 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.
03 / LOCAL SOLUTIONS
There are no ready-made solutions to poverty. Every situation is unique.
AMURT seeks local solutions. Because our field directors are based in the areas they serve, they are better able to support responses suited to each particular set of circumstances.
Examples from our work include small-business cooperatives for urban women in the Philippines; neighborhood homes for abandoned children and infants in Mongolia; drinking-water programs in Ghana; and preschool and primary education for disadvantaged children in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mongolia, Nicaragua, and South Africa.
Explore our work04 / OUR BACKGROUND
AMURT is an international humanitarian nongovernmental organization with roots in India and independent chapters worldwide.
AMURT India was formed to help meet the needs of populations affected by the disasters that regularly struck the Indian subcontinent.
AMURT USA broadened its goals to include long-term development, helping vulnerable communities break the cycle of poverty and gain greater control over their lives.
Over the years, AMURT has established independent chapters around the world, including AMURT USA, creating a network able to respond to disaster and development needs across regions.
“For us, development is human exchange: people sharing wisdom, knowledge and experience to build a better world.”AMURT’S APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT
OUR STORY CONTINUES WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU
