AMURT (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team) is one of the few private voluntary organizations of Third World origin, being founded by Shrii P. R. Sarkar in India in 1965. Its original objective was to help meet the needs of victims of disasters that regularly hit the Indian sub-continent. Over the years AMURT has established teams in eighty countries, to create a network that can meet development and disaster needs almost anywhere in the world. In 1985 we broadened our goals to include long-term development. We feel we can play a useful role in helping the poor 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.

Within the area of development work, Shrii P. R. Sarkar introduced the concept of the ALL ROUND SERVICE PROJECTS (ARS). He selected a few, poverty-stricken and disaster-prone areas where there would be a need to provide the fundamental necessities of life on an on-going basis. Accordingly the A.R.S. Projects provide food, clothes, medical care and education on a regular basis to the people in these areas. In India, our projects have been running for the last ten years, in the following areas: Kalahandi and Bisoi, Orissa; Palamu, Jharkhand; Bastar, Chattisgarh; Telangana. A. P.

Shrii P. R. Sarkar selected the following places around the world as ARS areas: Macao, Mongolia, Beijing. Seoul, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia, Fiji, Solomon islands, Papua New Guinea, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Romania, Portugal, Greenland, Sudan, Turkey, Egypt, Croatia, Ghana, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, AMURT-AMURTEL have been working in these areas concertedly.

Our mission is to help improve the quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged people of the world, and to assist the victims of natural and man-made disasters.

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.

One of AMURT’s great strengths is its people. Its people are concerned citizens attracted by the AMURT principle that compassion for everyone and everything is the starting point of relief and development. Many are professional volunteers who provide thousands of hours of volunteer time to keep our budgets low. Contact us if you wish to know more about our volunteer placements.

· 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 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.

• American Red Cross
• Baba's Foundation Inc.
• Buddha's Light International of the
• CONCERN, Nairobi Republic of South Africa
• Catholic Relief Service
• CARE
• Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra and Orissa, India
• Japan Embassy
• Red Cross-Croatia
• Swiss Disaster Relief Team
• United Nations High Commission
• UNICEF for Refugees UNHCR
• UNESCO
• World Food Programme