History

Amel Association was founded in 1979 by Dr. Kamel Mohanna and a team of activists and volunteers to provide relief and emergency assistance to the most underprivileged war victims, further to the invasion of South Lebanon in 1978 by Israeli troups. Amel is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, recognized public utility by presidential decree 5832 in 1994, registered with the government under file No 109/AD on 28/09/1979, rectification 87/AD on 07/10/1982. Amel is in special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC.

Since its creation, Amel has always worked on a non sectarian basis, considering secularism at the core of its values and action. The association is independant from any political party or religious movement.

Until the end of the Lebanese civil war, Amel achieved a considerable task in the fields of relief and emergency assistance through the establishment of 10 dispensaries, 3 maternity-clinics, 3 medical centers, a physiotherapy center for people with disabilities, 7 vocational training centers and 3 kindergartens, thanks to a civil defense team of more than 250 volunteers.

Furthermore, Amel actively participated in sending 1.100 victims of war casualties to receive treatments abroad ( France, Italy, Belgium, USA and Kuwait ) and took part in a rehabilitation program for the war handicapped in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Dutch government.

In 1989, following the Taef Agreement ratifying the end of the Lebanese conflict, Amel operated a strategic shift from emergency assistance and relief work to sustainable and durable development.

During this transition period, the association reduced the curative services provided by its centers while giving greater emphasis to preventive services through maternal and children's health programs, vaccination campaigns, and health education campaigns. By reducing the original 27 centers to 12, Amel was also able to focus on socio-educational and literacy campaigns, vocational trainings and rehabilitation of the handicapped. In addition, Amel's activities also evolved towards the integration of Human Rights, Democracy and Citizenship values in all of its projects.

Today, the association's main fields of intervention are:

• Medical Activities
• Vocational Training and Educational Opportunities
• Democracy and Human Rights
• Rural Development

In 1998, Amel was awarded the "Laure and Joseph Moghaizel Prize for Human Rights and Civil Peace" by the Laure and Joseph Moghaizel Foundation, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).