Founded in 1990, Relief International provides emergency, rehabilitation and development services that empower beneficiaries in the process. RI's programs include health, shelter construction, education, community development, agriculture, food, income-generation, and conflict resolution. RI employs an innovative approach to program design and a high quality of implementation performance in demonstrating deep and lasting impact in reducing human suffering worldwide.

Philosophy:
RI dedicates itself to seeking and addressing the long-term developmental needs of its beneficiaries even while in the emergency phase. The agency recognizes that disasters have the most negative impact on the lives of the poor; yet disasters, and especially the movement of the populations, can also bring about unexpected, positive social change. This context can therefore serve as a window of opportunity for eradicating poverty and social injustice.

RI focuses on serving people who typically have not received due attention, and in several large-scale crises RI has been the first US-based agency to provide high-impact development emergency programming to communities in need. RI believes that as a humanitarian agency one of its main functions is to communicate the pronounced needs of the vulnerable and affected populations to the international community. RI thus consults closely with the local communities it serves in order to ensure that its programs do not impose solutions from the outside but rather address their needs and requirements for the long term. This grassroots approach proves effective in fostering an environment of self-help and sustainability.

Mission: (RI) is a humanitarian non-profit agency that provides emergency relief, rehabilitation, development assistance, and program services to vulnerable communities worldwide. RI is solely dedicated to reducing human suffering and is non-political and non-sectarian in its mission. RI's mission is to:

• Serve the needs of the most vulnerable - particularly women and children, victims of natural disasters & civil conflicts, and the poor - with a specific focus on neglected groups and cases.
  
  
• Provide holistic, multi-sectoral, sustainable, and pro-poor programs that bridge emergency relief and long-term development at the grassroots level.
  
  
• Empower communities by building capacity and by maximizing local resources in both program design and implementation.
  
  
• Promote self-reliance, peaceful coexistence, and reintegration of marginalized communities.
  
  
• Protect lives from physical injury or death and/or psychological trauma where present.
  
  
• Uphold the highest professional norms in program delivery, including accountability to beneficiaries and donors alike.

For more information about Relief International please visit: www.ri.org