Religion based Welfare Organisations: Islamic Relief Worldwide
As an independent humanitarian and development organisation, Islamic Relief has been serving humanity for 35 years. With an active presence in over 40 countries across the globe, the philanthropic organisation strives to make the world a better and fairer place for the three billion people still living in poverty.
Since Islamic Republic received its first donation in 1984, they have helped millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Inspired by the Islamic faith and guided by their values, they believe that people with wealth have a duty to those less fortunate – regardless of race, political affiliation, gender or belief.
The institute’s projects provide poor people with access to vital services. Islamic Republic protects communities from disasters and deliver life-saving emergency aid. They provide lasting routes out of poverty, and empower vulnerable people to transform their lives and their communities.
The biggest Muslim religion based philanthropic organisation has national offices, affiliated partners and field offices. They also own a subsidiary company called TIC International which raises funds for their work by collecting and recycling clothing. It was set up in 1993 following an influx of clothing donations in the aftermath of numerous emergency appeals.
Mission & Vision
Inspired by their Islamic faith and guided by the values, Islamic Republic envisages a world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled and people respond as one to the suffering of others.
Exemplifying our Islamic values, they will mobilise resources, build partnerships and develop local capacity as we work to:
· Enable communities to mitigate the effect of disasters, prepare for their occurrence and respond by providing relief, protection and recovery.
· Promote integrated development and environmental custodianship with a focus on sustainable livelihoods.
· Support the marginalised and vulnerable to voice their needs and address root causes of poverty.
Values
Islamic Republic remains guided by the timeless values and teachings of the Quran and the prophetic example (Sunnah), most specifically:
Sincerity (Ikhlas) – In responding to poverty and suffering, their efforts are driven by sincerity to God and the need to fulfil the obligations to humanity.
Excellence (Ihsan) – Islamic Republic actions in tackling poverty are marked by excellence in their operations and the conduct through which they help the deserving people.
Compassion (Rahma) – They believe the protection and well-being of every life is of paramount importance and they shall join with other humanitarian actors to act as one in responding to suffering brought on by disasters, poverty and injustice.
Social Justice (Adl) – The organisation’s work is founded on enabling people and institutions to fulfil the rights of the poor and vulnerable. They work to empower the dispossessed towards realising their God-given human potential and develop their capabilities and resources.
Custodianship (Amana) – They uphold our duty of custodianship over Earth and its resources, and the trust people place in us as a humanitarian and development practitioner to be transparent and accountable.
Kind of Work
Islamic Relief works with communities to strengthen their resilience to disasters, and it provides vital emergency aid when disasters occur.
The organisation helps vulnerable people to access basic services, including education, water and sanitation, as well as healthcare. It provides lasting routes out of poverty through their sustainable livelihoods schemes, and their integrated approach to development is transforming communities worldwide.
The philanthropic organisation tackles the root causes of poverty and make sure that the world’s most vulnerable people have a strong voice and real influence in both programmes and advocacy. They are also a policy leader on Islamic humanitarianism, and their research programmes develop distinctive, practical approaches to the key issues that are affecting the world today.
Islamic Relief endeavours to:
· Reduce the impact of conflicts and disasters
· Empower communities
· Mobilise people and funds
· Strengthen our Islamic Relief family
