American Jewish World Service

AJWS
NEW YORK CITY
45 West 36th Street
New York, NY 10018
t: 212.792.2900 or
toll free 800.889.7146
f: 212.792.2930

AJWS was established in Boston on May 1, 1985 when Larry Phillips and Larry Simon, together with a group of rabbis, Jewish communal leaders, activists, businesspeople, scholars and others came together to create the first American Jewish organization dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among people across the globe.

Since that time, AJWS has remained true to our founders' vision and commitment to tzedakah: empowering people throughout the world to achieve justice and self-sufficiency through the promotion of human rights, education, economic development, healthcare and sustainable agriculture.

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality.

Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community.

Six hundred and fifty million people in the world live with disabilities. The vast majority of them, especially those in the developing world, are denied essential services and excluded from full participation in their communities due to prejudice, stereotypes and environmental limitations.

Furthermore, they are often shut out of important advocacy opportunities due to stigma and physical hurdles that result when conference rooms and event arenas are not made accessible. In other words, some of the world's most marginalized voices aren't just left out – they are completely unheard.

February is the first annual Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month, an opportunity for the Jewish community to raise its consciousness about those who experience physical or mental challenges.

Given its commitment to the world's must vulnerable peoples, AJWS has recently expanded its grantmaking to include organizations around the world that focus on people with disabilities, especially those organizations led by disabled people themselves. Such opportunities help people with disabilities to strengthen their voices and demand justice, creating communities of activists and advocates.

People living with disabilities in the developing world experience multiple intersections of oppression, which can include poverty, gender discrimination and severely limited access to essential services. In much of the developing world, people with disabilities cannot afford or obtain quality health care. Ninety-eight percent of children with disabilities in developing countries receive no formal education. Women with disabilities face an unemployment rate that is virtually 100% in many developing countries.

An important milestone toward full rights for people with disabilities was the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2006. Since then, 48 countries have ratified the convention, which pledges to fully ensure and protect the rights of people living with disabilities. This treaty, the first of the 21st century, emphasizes the importance of including people with disabilities in the development of laws, policies and programs.

To promote these values, AJWS has partnered with the Disability Rights Fund, a grantmaking organization that supports disabled people's organizations in the developing world. AJWS supports several organizations around the world that are at the cutting edge of support, services and empowerment for people living with disabilities.

http://ajws.org/who_we_are/history.html

http://ajws.org/who_we_are/


© 2009 American Jewish World Service. All rights reserved.