Vision and principles
Amel Association is committed to a universal and international vision of human rights, a vision of moving towards building a common future with the spirit of human solidarity that seeks to serve the just causes of the world. One of the main objectives of Amel Association is to endorse the sense of belonging and citizenship in the Lebanese and Arab communities, a belonging that maintains the civil rights of each citizen that protect him from all forms of discrimination based on color, religion, or political affiliations.
At this point, the aim of spreading the culture of rights is to make people more aware and conscious of their fundamental rights, especially children, women and people with special needs, to be able to defend them, which will foster the building of a citizenship of equivalent rights and duties.
Amel in Action
Health Program
Amel organizes several campaigns of free vaccination, distribution of medicines and medical consultations in order to ensure general and systematic access to primary health care for everyone, in collaboration with local institutions and schools.
Education, Child protection and Psychosocial support to families
The education projects implemented by Amel seek to reinforce the equal rights of education for every children. They mainly consist of remedial summer courses for out-of-school children or for those in an accelerated learning program (ALP). The Association also provided psycho-social support and assistance for the most impoverished families through the production and diffusion of educative material, the implementation of kinder gardens, day care centers and prevention sessions on several themes (child labor, domestic violence, teenager psychology, etc.). Those initiatives are completed through recreation activities aiming to promote the values of friendship, respect and tolerance among children, as well as nurturing their creativity and their self-perception of their rights.
Vocational Training and Human Capacity Development
Improving individual personal abilities, in particular those of women and youth, is an important part of Amel strategy. On that matter, Amel has set up vocational and educational training programs in several centers since 1990.
Protection of Migrant Domestic Workers
This program is set to raise awareness on their rights and to clarify the responsibilities and duties of employers over their employees in order to prevent abuses. Examples of activities: English lessons, awareness sessions, psychological support and capacity development workshops.
Since March 2012, Amel has been part of a consortium of NGOs to reinforce coordination and assistance to this population.
Rural Development
An agricultural cooperative project was started in April 2004 in Ebl el-Saqi thanks to a collaboration with European Commission and the Italian NGO "Africa 70." This cooperative is dedicated to the production of organic soap from essential oils and medicinal plants.
Anchorage in Lebanese civil society, and main partners
Cooperation and coordination with other actors has always been a core principle of the association. In 2003, Dr. Kamel Mohanna was appointed General Coordinator of the Lebanese NGO Network and General Coordinator of the Arab NGO Network.
Main partners of Amel in 2014 are:
International NGOs
ANERA, Danida, DRC, Open Society Institute, OXFAM GB, OCHA, IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities), Caritas, Save the Children International, Anna Lindh Foundation, Medico International, Médecins du Monde
Local (private and public) organizations
Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of youth and Sports, Catharsis, NEO, Youth for development, Culture and sciences foundation, American University of Beirut, Arab thoughts foundation, Cooperation services provided by embassies of France (including the Social Development Fund), Germany (including the GFO), Canada, and Norway Embassies in Beirut, Lebanese American University, Université La Sagesse, USJ
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