AMURT a brain child of Mr. P. R. Sarkaar:Serving the World in which 200 million children were slaughtered, 6 million injured or permanently disable

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Compiled and updated by Rector Kathuria and Gitanjali Sharma on June 21,2006 at 18:27:09

New Delhi: AMURT is the name of an organisation with thousands of volunteers all over the world engaged in development co-operation and disaster relief. The first AMURT group was formed more than 30 years ago in response to a major flood disaster in India. The idea of the founder - Mr. P.R. Sarkar - was that a team of highly motivated volunteers can make a big difference to people's suffering, as every human is capable of reducing the suffering of other people in need. To help others without expecting anything in return is an important and valuable aspect of our human life. The success of this idea inspired many thousands of young people in other countries of the world to help in the same efficient and unbureaucratic way. P.R. Sarkar has encouraged these people to help people in need and to start their own AMURT organisations. Today there are local, independent teams in over 40 countries, each of which has adopted the same principles as the basis for their projects and programmes. AMURT’s strengths are these very volunteers, who help people in need even if it means putting their own lives at risk.

AMURT is a hands-on organisation. Projects are not developed from behind a desk. The prime criteria are the needs of people who are suffering; the help already provided by other aid organisations; AMURT’s available manpower and, in particular, the anticipated financial support from donors. Project planning is done in several stages, as funding is rarely in place from the outset. As AMURT’s work always has a local focus and AMURT (International)’s administrative infrastructures can be used by all members, the local associations can operate with minimal administration.

Children

All children should be given equal opportunities for development. The opportunity to use our full potential to fulfil our physical, intellectual and spiritual needs is a fundamental human right. The United Nations agreements on the 'Children's Rights Charter' are an initial step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.

AMURT, along with all those of like mind, - whatever their race, creed or colour - has pledged to work towards the day when every child can say, "I have had enough to eat today," and know the next day will be the same. Providing children with their basic necessities and ensuring that the door to future opportunities is open to them must become a reality at last, not just a lofty vision.

The future of our children is the future of our planet. What will happen if we do not ensure the best possible conditions for our children?

War Between 1990 and 2000, 200 million children were slaughtered, 6 million injured or permanently disabled and 12 million left homeless because of violent conflict. 80% of the 35 million refugees and displaced persons in the world are women and children.
(UNICEF 2002)

Education More than 100 million children are not in school and more than 500 million children live on less than US$ 1 a day. Education is the key to ending poverty. (UNICEF 2002)

Health 150 million children are malnourished. An estimated 1.4 million children are living with AIDS. Every 14 seconds a child becomes an AIDS orphan. Some 3.4 million children became AIDS orphans in 2000 alone. (UNICEF 2002). The infant mortality rate in rich countries is less than 8 per 1000 live births, whereas in countries like Sierra Leone and Afghanistan the rate goes up to 250 per 1000 live births. A child dies of starvation every 7 seconds

Children

All children should be given equal opportunities for development. The opportunity to use our full potential to fulfil our physical, intellectual and spiritual needs is a fundamental human right. The United Nations agreements on the 'Children's Rights Charter' are an initial step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.

AMURT, along with all those of like mind, - whatever their race, creed or colour - has pledged to work towards the day when every child can say, "I have had enough to eat today," and know the next day will be the same. Providing children with their basic necessities and ensuring that the door to future opportunities is open to them must become a reality at last, not just a lofty vision.

The future of our children is the future of our planet. What will happen if we do not ensure the best possible conditions for our children?

War Between 1990 and 2000, 200 million children were slaughtered, 6 million injured or permanently disabled and 12 million left homeless because of violent conflict. 80% of the 35 million refugees and displaced persons in the world are women and children.
(UNICEF 2002)


Education More than 100 million children are not in school and more than 500 million children live on less than US$ 1 a day. Education is the key to ending poverty. (UNICEF 2002)

Health 150 million children are malnourished. An estimated 1.4 million children are living with AIDS. Every 14 seconds a child becomes an AIDS orphan. Some 3.4 million children became AIDS orphans in 2000 alone. (UNICEF 2002). The infant mortality rate in rich countries is less than 8 per 1000 live births, whereas in countries like Sierra Leone and Afghanistan the rate goes up to 250 per 1000 live births. A child dies of starvation every 7 seconds


Sustainable Development Cooperation

AMURT intentionally avoids using the expression ”the Third World”. There is neither a first (better) world nor a third (worse) world. The term ”developing country” only refers to a country’s economic status and gets closest to the problems to be tackled.

The number of people living below the poverty line is constantly increasing and is currently estimated at nearly 2 billion. At the same time, the richest 20% of the world’s population owns about 150 times more than the poorest 20%.

Development cooperation means: supporting the efforts of the populations of developing countries to improve their standard of living. It promotes craftsmanship, commerce and better agriculture while maintaining the ecological balance. It creates the conditions that enable people to live a decent life and meet their own fundamental needs of nourishment, medical care, shelter and education through their own efforts.


Clean water and sanitary facilities are essential for health. However, the increasing exploitation of our limited natural resources and the serious pollution of the air, soil and water constitute the greatest threat. Deforestation, the increasing desertification of once fertile land, the depletion of the ozone layer and climate change all have long-term negative effects on the health of every one of us.

Health and education are closely related to economic progress.
More than half a million women in developing countries die every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. The children they leave behind have an even worse start in life than their peers.

Chronic malnutrition and poverty cause irreversible damage to body and mind.

More than 100 million children do not go to school. 60% of these are girls. In Niger, for example, just 7% of women and 25% of men are able to read and write.

We would need to invest an extra US$ 7 billion in education over the next 10 years to enable all the children in the world to go to school. This is less than is spent in one year on cosmetics in the USA or on ice-cream in Europe. (UNICEF 1999)

Particularly in rural areas of Africa and Asia, clean water is a luxury that only 2 – 25% of people enjoy.





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