(Just a disclaimer - I am doing this assignment in place of the class session summary notes, not because we were required to do it.)
World Relief is an organisation that relates to the problems discussed in our class because it deals with the violation and lack of basic human rights across the world. World Relief was started as a response to European devastation in 1944 from World War II. It shipped food and clothing from the United States and distributed it in Europe through a network of churches. When the Korean War started in the 1950’s, World Relief arrived and served about 31,000 hot meals every day across 140 centres. In the 60’s, World Relief expanded rapidly, bringing food to the world’s poorest regions, bringing aid to lepers in Taiwan, aid for orphans in Egypt, aid for earthquake survivors, and more. During that time, the organisation also started training programs and “food for work” programs to help people across the world. In the 70’s, World Relief provided aid for earthquake survivors in Peru, cyclone survivors in Bangladesh, and much more. Throughout the years up until the present, World Relief has continued to provide relief to many regions across the world in different ways.
In 2014, World Relief had its 70th anniversary where it celebrated a total of 250,000 welcomed refugees in the United States from 80 countries. Today, World Relief serves over 10 million men, women, and children who have been displaced from their homes. In the United States, World Relief has 20 offices, each serving dependent refugees by making them independent. Refugees are provided with tools to help them secure housing, employment, and education, as well as counselling and legal clinics to help them become U.S. citizens.
Across the world, World relief is currently working in the following countries: Burundi, Cambodia, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Indonesia, Haiti, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, Sudan, and South Sudan. In these countries, World Relief partners with churches to provide medical care and nutrition, as well as assistance with child development, agriculture, savings, and peacebuilding. Their goal is to transform regions by promoting self-reliance and a healthy community.
This organisation relates to our course in several ways. Primarily, the organisation relates to the course because it finds people whose human rights have been shattered, and helps them so that they can be confident in their human rights yet again. Specifically, the human right most often protected and reinforced by World Relief is found in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.” The current refugee crisis has tasked World Relief with a massive job. Millions of refugees across the world have been denied the rights presented in Article 3. They have been forced out of their homes, and therefore denied the right to security of person. By providing these people with the necessary resources to take refuge in America, World Relief is making it possible for them to do so, and they are enforcing the basic human right to security of person.
You can also make the claim that World Relief defends Article 8 of the Preamble, “Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.” For example, World Reliefs first project (bringing aid to war-torn Europe) defended this human right. The people of Europe had their property destroyed, wealth taken, and loved ones killed because of the war. By providing aid to Europe, World Relief brought it one step closer to healing and reimbursement, an “effective remedy” for those who needed it.
Obviously, our class is meant to educate us on problems facing the world regarding human rights. Education is very important, but it means nothing unless action is taken to solve the problems at hand. Today, we are facing major problems such as the refugee crisis and extreme hunger in Africa, which violate the human right of security of person. World Relief, by collecting donations and providing aid to those in need, is taking a step to solve these problems, and therefore protect human rights. Organisations like this are channels we can invest in to defend the human rights we have learned about, providing everyone with equal opportunities and security in their own lives.
