ERAWS Ánanda Márga Universal Relief Team
Relief that restores the power to rebuild.
AMURT responds when disaster, poverty or conflict places life and dignity at risk—meeting urgent needs while helping communities recover their strength, voice and direction.
Respond ✦ Stabilise ✦ Recover ✦ Rebuild ✦ Strengthen
01 The meaning of relief
The first duty is to protect life. The deeper duty is to restore human agency.
1965
AMURT formed in India
A grassroots response to disasters affecting the Indian subcontinent grew into a worldwide network of independent chapters.
Ánanda Márga relief begins with seva: service offered because every human being belongs to one human family. Aid is not conditioned by nationality, ethnicity, gender, social status or belief.
The aim is not to impose a ready-made solution. AMURT listens to local knowledge, respects language and culture, and works with people so that emergency assistance becomes a path toward confidence, self-direction and lasting resilience.
02 The relief continuum
Respond. Recover.
Rebuild.
01✦
Respond
Protect life now.
Rapid assessment and coordinated action bring essential support to people facing danger, displacement and loss.
Food & safe waterShelterMedical support
02✦
Recover
Restore safety and rhythm.
Cleanup, health services, child-friendly spaces and psychosocial care help individuals and families regain stability.
Health & hygieneTrauma supportCommunity care
03✦
Rebuild
Strengthen the future.
Livelihoods, education, local organisation and practical skills help communities shape recovery on their own terms.
Local leadershipLivelihoodsPreparedness
AMURTEL · Essentials prepared with care
03 Needs-led relief
Meet the real need, not the assumed need.
| 01 |
Listen and assess locally Field teams and community members identify who is most vulnerable, what is missing and what can already be mobilised. |
| 02 |
Secure the essentials Food, safe water, shelter, clothing, hygiene supplies and medical care are prioritised according to the actual emergency. |
| 03 |
Protect children and caregivers Safe spaces, infant supplies and psychosocial support help restore routine, protection and trust. |
| 04 |
Remove barriers to recovery Cleanup, water purification, lighting, tools and practical support help households and neighbourhoods function again. |
04 Organised compassion
Compassion becomes powerful when it becomes reliable.
AMURT combines the immediacy of volunteers with the discipline of organisation. Local field directors, community relationships and partnerships make it possible to respond rapidly while remaining accountable to the people being served.
AMURT Jamaica · Preparing food and supplies
05 Local solutions
Recovery grows
from within.
Poverty and disaster never have identical causes in every place. Effective recovery begins within the community’s own social and cultural framework, combining local wisdom with useful resources, training and wider partnerships.
| 01 |
Livelihoods and cooperatives Skills, small enterprises, self-help groups and access to resources can restore income and choice. |
| 02 |
Health and education Clinics, maternal care, feeding programmes and schools strengthen the foundations of community wellbeing. |
| 03 |
Preparedness and local leadership Training and community organisation help people meet future challenges with greater confidence and coordination. |
Local livelihoods · Dignity through self-direction
06 AMURTEL
Women leading recovery with women and children.
01
Women-managed response
Founded in 1975, AMURTEL builds women-led teams and partnerships that understand the distinct needs and strengths of women and children.
02
Care after crisis
Child-friendly spaces, psychosocial support, nurturing homes, health services and education help recovery continue beyond the emergency phase.
03
Strength and self-direction
Vocational training, self-help groups and community partnerships expand economic independence and participation in local decision-making.
07 Principles in action
Five commitments behind every response.
Relief is effective when its methods protect the same dignity it seeks to defend.
| 01 |
Basic necessities are human rights Food, shelter, clothing, medical care and education are foundations of dignity, not privileges. |
| 02 |
Serve beyond difference Every person is approached as an equal member of the human family and treated with respect and compassion. |
| 03 |
Begin with local reality Culture, language, resources and community knowledge shape the response—not an imported formula. |
| 04 |
Women must shape recovery Harmonious development requires women’s full participation, leadership and economic strength. |
| 05 |
Relief should increase independence The strongest programme leaves people with greater capacity to determine and build their own future. |
08 A growing service network
Rooted in service.
Organised worldwide.
1965
AMURT founded
Formed in India to serve populations affected by recurring disasters on the subcontinent.
1975
AMURTEL founded
A women-managed relief and development network focused particularly on women and children.
Global
Independent chapters
Local organisations and field teams cooperate across countries while remaining responsive to local reality.
09 From compassion to capacity
Stand with communities
in crisis and recovery.
Connect with ERAWS, learn more about AMURT’s current work or support a relief response rooted in dignity and local strength.