Light for the World

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD

Logo of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
Formation 1988 in Vienna, Austria
Type Non-governmental organization
Purpose International development, blindness prevention, disability rights, community based rehabilitation
Region served
Worldwide
Managing Director International & Austria
Rupert Roniger
Managing Director Belgium
Isabelle Verhaegen
Managing Director Czech Republic
Čestmír Hrdinka
Managing Director The Netherlands
Mathijs Nederveen
Budget
21.1 million (2013)
Staff
129 (2013)
Volunteers
29
Website www.light-for-the-world.org
Formerly called
CBM Austria, CBM Belgium, Dark & Light

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is an international disability and development NGO aiming at an inclusive society. The organisation currently supports more than 150 programmes in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania dedicated to the restoration of eyesight, prevention of blindness, rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and promotion of their human rights.[1]

Organisation

Following a major change in governance in early 2016, the organisational structure of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is that of an international organisation with fully integrated core members and autonomous associated members. In 2008 a formal agreement of confederation had been signed by member organisations in Austria, Belgium and Czech Republic in order to strengthen collaboration and improve opportunities to distribute funds and resources. In April 2011, Dutch NGO Dark and Light joined LIGHT FOR THE WORLD.[2] Country Offices currently operate in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and South Sudan.

Core members:

Associated members:

The overall income of the confederation LIGHT FOR THE WORLD in 2012 was €20.99 million. The foundation of the work is built on the commitment of over 150,000 individuals, who account for 57.9 per cent of total revenue. 14.2 per cent came from public bodies – mainly the European Union, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), and the Czech Development Cooperation.[3][4]

History

Key activities

Initially, prevention of blindness and restoration of eyesight were the most important sector focus in the programmatic work of Light for the World. Recent years have seen a widening of scope towards the promotion of Inclusive Education, Community Based Rehabilitation, and Disability Rights, all of which now feature prominently on the organisation's website.[6]

Light for the World commits itself to strengthening the rights of persons with disabilities and creating new opportunities, increasing mobility with the help of devices and starting initiatives that will provide education and incomes. Another objective is to raise awareness on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in their family and social environment as well as in international, regional and national contexts. Raising public awareness on the situation of persons with disabilities in developing countries vis a vis United Nations and European Union bodies and other international actors forms an important part of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD's work.

As stated in their activity report, Light for the World is currently active in the following partner countries: Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Mozambique, Rwanda, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Northeast India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Bolivia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Former partner countries, in which the confederation is no longer active, include Haiti, Togo, and Nigeria.[7]

On its website, the organisation cites the following guiding principles in cooperation with partners in the developing world [8]

Ambassadors

Internationally, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is represented by the members of its International Board of Ambassadors: Paralympics winner Henry Wanyoike, Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie, Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, former Austrian minister and EU commissar Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Nelson Mandela's lawyer Lord Joel Joffe as well as inclusion activists Yetnebersh Nigussie und Prof. Ron McCallum.[9]

External links

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.