Make a difference for a good cause in honor of your loved one.
Displaying 25–36 of 45
CARITAS AUSTRIA is an internationally operating non-profit organisation (donations are tax-deductible Reg. Nr. SO1126; equivalent 501(c)(3) US organization) under the mission of the Austrian Catholic church and pursues solely and directly charitable and benevolent objectives. CARITAS AUSTRIA relief work addresses the needy in their entirety, taking also into consideration their physical, psychological and spiritual-religious backgrounds. CARITAS AUSTRIA commits itself to providing assistance to people in need which is done without regard to creed, ethnicity or ideology of those seeking help. In its operations CARITAS AUSTRIA is guided by respect for the dignity and self-determination of the people it serves. There are more than 1,000 places throughout Austria where CARITAS AUSTRIA helps people in need. In the areas of caregiving, supporting people with disabilities, hospices, in the social counseling centers, on assignment for families in need or for older people who cannot afford heating. CARITAS AUSTRIA - this comprises its fulltime staff, but above all, also the roughly 50.000 volunteers and each and every one of you who supports our work. CARITAS AUSTRIA's main activities are aiming at social support and advocacy for those in need. These activities are taking place in Austria and abroad, whereas the main focus is lying on national work in Austria. Inside and outside of Austria, CARITAS AUSTRIA always aims at addressing the basic needs of the vulnerable taking also into consideration their social and cultural background.
Established in 1981, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is one of the world's largest environmental education organisations, with over 100 member organisations in 81 countries. At the heart of the FEE are our five programmes. Coordinated by the Head Office in Copenhagen and implemented by our members around the world, our programmes aim to bring positive change on a global scale: The internationally recognized Eco-Schools programme engages young people in quality environmental education and meaningful action. Through a seven-step framework, pupils are empowered and motivated to drive change and improve environmental awareness in their school, local community and beyond. Close to 50,000 schools around the world are part of the Eco-Schools programme. Learning about Forests (LEAF) advocates for outdoor learning and hands-on experiences, allowing students to connect with nature and develop a deeper understanding of the natural world. While the LEAF programme started with a focus on tree-based ecosystems, today it includes a diversity of ecosystems to foster skills and knowledge by exposing learners to outdoor experiences. LEAF is implemented in 28 countries. Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is an award-winning programme that empowers young people to take an educated stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and gives them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography and video. Over 300,000 students engage in the YRE programme yearly. The iconic Blue Flag programme is one of the world's most recognized eco-tourism awards for beaches, marinas, and tourist boat operators. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained. Over 5,000 beaches, marinas and tourism boats are currently awarded. Green Key is a voluntary eco-certification programme. With more than 4,000 certified hotels and other establishments in 60 countries, Green Key is the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism and hospitality industry. With 40 years of impactful experience in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), FEE's strategic plan - GAIA 20:30 - prioritises climate action across all five programmes to address the urgent threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. FEE's Environmental Education Principles The member organisations of FEE have agreed upon these principles to guide our work towards excellence in EE/ESD: 1. Ensure that participants are engaged in the learning/teaching process. 2. Encourage participants to make reasonable decisions and actions on real life sustainability issues. 3. Encourage participants to work together actively and involve their communities in collaborative solutions. 4. Support participants to examine their assumptions, knowledge, and experiences, in order to develop critical thinking and to be open to change. 5. Encourage participants to be aware of cultural practices as an integral part of sustainability issues. 6. Encourage participants to share inspirational stories of their achievements, failures, and values, to learn from them and to support each other. 7. Continuously explore, test and share innovative approaches, methodologies, and techniques. 8. Ensuring continuous improvements through monitoring and evaluating are central focus of our programmes. FEE's overall Mission is to engage and empower people through education in collaboration with our members and partners worldwide.
Through educational, economic, social, psychological, and legal support, we empower women to break free from cycles of violence. We inform, educate, and encourage citizens to engage in activism aimed at reducing discrimination against women, especially Roma women. We influence public policies and train the public sector to contribute to a systemic response to violence against women and girls, as well as the prevention of early child marriages.
Hospices of Hope's mission is to improve the quality of life for patients in South East Europe who are suffering from a terminal or life-limiting illness through increasing access to palliative care services and palliative care education. Palliative care aims to address the physical, emotional, spirtual and social needs of the patient and give support and guidance to their family members. We fulfil our mission by working with our in-country partner organisations in Romania, Serbia, Albania, Moldova, Greece and Ukraine (which together make up the Hospices of Hope Network) and supporting the training of health care professionals throughout Central and Eastern Europe. All care is provided free of charge to patients and their families. The four main pillars of our work are: 1) advocacy, for example lobbying governments to provide more resources and funding for palliative care and changing legislation where necessary, 2) technical expertise, for example providing expert advice on all aspects of fundraising or hospice buildings, 3) training, for example providing volunteer expert trainers from the UK or USA to help train local staff and 4) providing funding to help grow and develop palliative care services and education. We always aim to provide models of care that can be replicated in other cities or countries in the region, for example in Romania, our hospice was the only one for 10 years, but through our educational initiatives, there are now more than 100 functioning palliative care organisations in the country.
Founded in 2018, the ITTF Foundation was created by the International Table Tennis Federation as an independent nonprofit organization. The Foundation aims to create positive impacts through table tennis in communities worldwide. The ITTF Foundation operates through five programs to foster development through table tennis, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The team tirelessly designs and implements initiatives that promote inclusivity, education, and empowerment, ensuring that the sport becomes a catalyst for positive social change. As a nonprofit organization we collaborate closely with local project implementation partners while we assist with planning, financial support, and knowledge sharing. Additionally, we connect with the Parkinson's community globally to promote the use of table tennis for enhancing well-being and health, particularly against neurodegenerative diseases.
The organisation reflects its members' shared concern for the future of humanity and the planet. The association sees its task as acting as an independent, global catalyst for change. The objectives of the Association are therefore: to identify the key issues that are critical to the future of humanity; to evaluate alternative scenarios for the future and assess risks, choices and opportunities through integrated and forward-looking analyses; to develop and propose practical solutions to the identified challenges; to communicate new insights and knowledge from these analyses to decision-makers in the public and private sectors, as well as to the wider public; to stimulate public debate and effective action to improve the prospects for the future of humanity and the planet. The Association's activities are guided by the following three complementary principles: 1. the need to adopt a global, systems-oriented perspective in analysing the problems facing the modern world, recognising that the increasing interdependence of nations and the globalisation of previously local problems create challenges that are beyond the capacity of individual countries. 2. the need for a comprehensive, holistic approach in order to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of both current problems and practical solutions, in political, social, economic, technological, environmental, psychological and cultural terms, which the association refers to as the 'world problematique'. 3. the need to emphasise transdisciplinary and long-term perspectives, which are all too often neglected by governments and other decision-makers, and to focus on those decisions, strategies and measures that will determine the fate of present and future generations. The aim is to arouse public interest and provide responsible decision-makers with a solid basis for formulating and implementing future-oriented measures. The association does not pursue any commercial purposes and does not seek to make a profit.
he World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international non-governmental organisation representing and promoting approximately 70 million deaf people's human rights worldwide. The WFD is a federation of deaf organisations from 134 nations; its mission is to promote the human rights of deaf people and full, quality and equal access to all spheres of life, including self-determination, sign language, education, employment and community life. WFD has a consultative status in the United Nations and is a founding member of International Disability Alliance (IDA). At its recent World Congress in Jeju, South Korea, WFD members (136) approved the WFD strategic direction 2023-2030 and Action Plan 2023-2027. Important themes are covered in these 2 documents which strive to ensure that we create access for all deaf people to all ways of life in "a world where deaf people everywhere can sign anywhere" (vision). Furthermore, our mission is to work towards the full realisation of linguistic rights and human rights in all areas of life, with full recognition and implementation of these rights across local, national and international levels. To realise our mission and vision, the following are part of our Action Plan 2023-2027: Building Capacity across the Globe: ensuring increased participation of women, youth and underrepresented communities; provide effective capacity building projects to countries who are not yet members to assist them with creating their own national deaf associations so that they can represent themselves in their countries; Putting Deaf people on the Agenda: the WFD will continue to strive to put deaf human rights at the forefront of all representation internationally, including at the UN; we will effectively promote International Week of Deaf people and be ready to response to deaf people's needs in times of crises, disasters and war. Realising nothing about us without us: the WFD continues to be the leading authority for deaf people and sign languages and has committed to developing resources to assist deaf people raise awareness in their countries. Achieving Sign Language Rights for all: National sign languages are fundamental to achieving deaf people's human rights. We will aim to assist our member states in promoting the legal recognition of signed language in the country and advocate for early childhood language acquisition and inclusive multilingual education policies. Investing in a strong and sustainable organisation: to carry out our mission and vision we need greater investment in our secretariat and regional secretariat, expand our donor base, increase visibility and fundraising activities so that our organisation can carry on its important global work.
Our mission is to build a just and sustainable world where business and profit serve people and the planet.
At the heart of our Foundation lies a profound commitment to integrating lifelong learning into the very fabric of our social culture. Our mission transcends conventional educational paradigms, as we believe that learning is not confined to the walls of a classroom or limited by age. Instead, we aspire to cultivate a community where the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong journey, woven seamlessly into the everyday lives of individuals. Central to our ethos is the promotion of collective leadership within the local community, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collaboration in shaping the educational landscape. We envision an environment where students and teachers alike are empowered to engage in continuous growth and development, where curiosity is celebrated and learning is a collective endeavour. Through our dedication to nurturing this inspiring environment, we strive to create a vibrant ecosystem where every member has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the ongoing evolution of our educational ecosystem.
Every day, lives are changed by a single, selfless act - the gift of organ donation. Among those waiting for transplants are 2 groups of people: those who die waiting and those who receive the gift of life. Our work raises awareness of the urgent need for organ and tissue donors while helping recipients who have overcome the impossible to live life to the fullest. These individuals have faced life's greatest challenges; they are advocates for the cause but need resources, education and community. Transplant recipients have a unique opportunity to advocate for organ donation and raise awareness. Physical activity plays a crucial role in the recovery and long-term health of recipients. When recipients compete in world events, they demonstrate to the world what can be achieved through the gift of organ donation. Additionally, our programs provide recipients with community, tools, and resources to address the many challenges they face, leading to an increased quality of life. The WTGF promotes amateur sport amongst recipients, living donors and donor families; promoting the study of transplantation; educating the public and raising awareness of the world shortage of donor organs; sharing new knowledge from biological/clinical studies; promotion of mental and moral improvement for recipients, living donors and donor families; fostering international friendship and relations.
ASYLUM PROTECTION CENTER (APC) was founded in 2007 and from the very beginning of the asylum system in Serbia (2008) has been providing legal, psychosocial and interaction/integration aid to exiles, asylum seekers and persons who have been granted asylum or other protection in the Republic of Serbia (with special focus to children and youth- providing legal, psychosocial, interaction/integration aid to minors, unaccompanied minors and youth). Activities of the APC as grass root organization are reflected through our strong presence and engagement at local levels in local communities, in order to establish a dialogue and interaction between asylum seekers/refugees/exiles and local citizens; primarily through the organization of public local events, exhibitions, fairs, asylum corners, interaction/integration, creative and other workshops, round tables, work of APC local networks of volunteers and APC interns, cultural mediators support and other events and activities in local communities, as well as through numerous collaborations with local governments, organizations, institutions, schools, local cultural and youth centers. APC political scientists and researchers actively work in the field of research and advocacy, using extensive APC experience and field data, in order to get to the root of issues and problems of the migration, asylum system and refugees, strengthening and spreading information to the wider general and local public and experts, advocating and fighting to reduce prejudice and xenophobia in local and general public thus building more tolerant and inclusive society in Serbia. Since its founding, lawyers, psychologists, pedagogues, social workers and translators that make up the APC/CZA team have worked first hand with the refugees and migrants in the first asylum centers. Since the opening of the Balkan route, our team can be found across all reception and transit centers, parks, buses, railways stations, at improvised shelters in open air surroundings by the border, in suburbs, on the streets, in forests and in institutions for youth. We have reunified families, discovered smuggling routes and found children who had been lost. Our team continues to protect persons from discrimination and violence, while simultaneously reporting abuse that are endured by vulnerable groups of migrants and refugees. With the help of Social work centers we have placed children in foster families, enabled the healthy births of children, provided birth certificates for refugee babies born in Serbia and reunified children with their families we have ultimately helped wherever we could. APC/CZA has established one of the first mobile applications in Europe - "Asylum in Serbia", providing not only all necessary basic information, placing mechanism tools for reporting abuse in the hands of migrants and refugees, that are necessary in their journey's through the country, or their long term stays in Serbia. With tireless legal assistance and interpretation of regulations, we managed to provide health care (primary, secondary and tertiary protection) to asylum seekers who should receive care equal to the rights of Serbian citizens. In cooperation with local communities in Bogovadja and Lajkovac, the APC/CZA team, as early as 2012 began enrolling the children of asylum seekers into the Serbian educational system, in both elementary and secondary education institutions. We currently continue with this practice and as a result of our engagement with children who attend elementary school in Belgrade, Krnjaca, Sjenica and Tutin, they are able to receive full-time education, have become excellent and thoroughly satisfied students. We are the first in Serbia to have begun the integration process of refugees and asylum seekers in the country- by assisting them to find work, accommodation, the obtaining of documents, ease in overcoming psychological problems and adaptation problems that may have resulted due to their new environment surroundings, regulations, mentality and the culture in Serbia. We have managed to validate and recognize the first pages of diplomas for those who received asylum in Serbia. We provided the first work permits for more than 40 asylum seekers and those who received asylum and established a legal practice enabling and ensuring them with the right to work. Furthermore, APC/CZA also led disputes before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in order to protect people from illegal deportations from Hungary and Serbia and managed to ensure fair and equitable proceedings before the competent institutions. Over the past ten years, we have legally informed more than 220,000 migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, about their rights and obligations in the country in which they are located. We lawfully advised more than 23,600 asylum seekers and represented them in asylum and other proceedings, as well as before Misdemeanor, Administrative, Constitutional Courts and other instances. Our psychologists advised and empowered more than 7,000 asylum-seekers and refugees who needed help - through social assistance, and workshops, we advised more than 3900 asylum seekers. We have held over 937 different workshops (cultural, creative, empowering, health, language, school preparatory, and integration, psychological) with more than 4000 asylum seekers taking part in our activities. We have crossed over 400,000 kilometers with our mobile teams across Serbia. Our web pages were visited by more than 180,000 different people this year alone. During the 2015 refugee crisis, the Center had legally advised more than 110 000 refugees, more than 31 000 children and more than 30 000 women. APC / CZA has trained and taught practices of how to work with children and vulnerable groups, to more than 100 interns and young professionals from the country and abroad. APC / CZA has the first and only accredited training programs for social workers in the social welfare system as well as an accredited training program for professional staff in the education system in the field of migrant / asylum / refugee work with a special emphasis on minors. We have built a volunteer network with over 170 volunteers. Today in Serbia there is no other organization working with refugees where one of its employees has not undergone training, professional development or had a job at with Asylum Protection Center. We are particularly proud of our work related to informing the local community about refugees and migrants - people who have fled from war, persecution, poverty, who have come from various cultures, while at the same time informing the migrants about Serbian culture, customs and the rules of their new environment surroundings. With all of what we have done and of course what has been done by the state and its institutions, who have a primary duty to manage and care about migration, enough has yet to be done to confidently say that the situation with refugees in Serbia is at a good place. Currently there are far more than 5000 migrants in Serbia, of which up to 4000 are housed in reception centers, while others are in the open, in forests, in suburbs, abandoned buildings or in alternative accommodation. The Balkan route is formally closed, but dozens of people continue to enter the country from Bulgaria and Macedonia every day, while in Vojvodina the largest number has accumulated near the borders of Croatia, Hungary and Romania. Illegal deportation of people from Croatia, Hungary and Romania to Serbia is a continuous and illegal practice, and people have been illegally pushed back to Serbia, even in instances when they had not previously travelled through the country. This brings Serbia into the position of becoming a buffer zone for migration and as a new hotspot on the migration route, which ultimately leads to extensive and far-reaching consequences for the future. The longer retention of these people in Serbia and their increasingly difficult transition into EU countries, if that is their goal, requires a change in approaching this problem. Migrants currently have difficulty accessing accommodation and asylum procedures, and registration. They are violated of their fundamental rights as asylum seekers in fair and fast procedures, free legal aid, freedom of movement. This places a vulnerable group of people who are often exposed to abuse and violence more and more, in situations of prejudice and prevents integration and interaction with the local environment, and community while promoting the use of smuggling and crime. These circumstances require a greater engagement by our organization in informing migrants and providing legal protection to asylum seekers and refugees in proceedings before all institutions, bodies and courts of the Republic, as well as monitoring the application of regulations and behavior on the ground through the process' of border monitoring and abuse. It is very important that our organization keeps its independence, professional and objective approach to problems, while continuing to cooperate with the media to objectively inform citizens and the public while continuing our fight against prejudice and disinformation. APC / CZA will continue to train and provide professional practices for young professionals with its accredited training programs for civil servants while working intensively with local communities. APC / CZA will furthermore continue its engagement in the integration of those who have received asylum in Serbia, as well as in supporting the system itself and pushing for the improvement of existing practices, and cooperation in the region. As well, our team will work with secular organizations at the European level who will also be a priority in the fight against prejudices, and in raising public awareness of these problems, in building solidarity and permanent networks of cross-border cooperation between organizations in Europe.
Clown Me In, known as Awrad Association, was created for the purpose of spreading laughter, providing relief to disadvantaged communities, addressing trauma, discrimination and environmental problems and abuses through clowning, laughter and social therapy workshops. We also aim to take the arts outside of the capital, giving disadvantaged and/or rural communities access to arts and culture. Clown Me In has worked around the world, in Mexican, Lebanese, Palestinian, Indian, Brazilian, Moroccan, Jordanian, Syrian, Greek and British communities.