About Concern America

Concern America is a unique nonprofit, nonsectarian, nongovernmental development and refugee aid organization - unique in that its philosophy emphasizes the transference of skills and thus the creation of opportunity (seen as a more permanent solution), not just the placement of resources into impoverished regions. Concern America trains local populations in health, education, agriculture, and/or environmental health (appropriate technology), and accompanies these populations from eight to ten years, working with and through them to build local, functional social systems that meet their basic needs. Eventually, the Concern America team can be withdrawn, leaving in place trained local people who are "capacitated" to continue the work and to bring it to neighboring communities.

Since its establishment in 1972, Concern America has worked in fifteen countries on three continents, making a measurable difference in the lives of more than two million people in thousands of communities. Concern America has earned a solid reputation for working with formally encamped refugees, internally displaced peoples, and other materially poor communities in "developing" countries. Concern America's projects are set up to assist local populations to move their communities out of poverty and, as such, are in true harmony with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the Earth Charter. Currently, Concern America supports projects in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Mozambique, and West Africa.

In the U.S., Concern America infuses a global perspective into justice education projects with community groups, local churches, and schools; promotes the sale of fair-trade handcrafted items made predominantly by women from the countries where Concern America has projects; holds leadership formation workshops aimed at bringing together leaders from all walks of life to work for a new, more just society; and provides opportunities to explore emerging health care leadership models through mentoring and travel to learn from a successful community-based health care program in Guatemala.

Concern America is well respected for the work it does both in this country and abroad. Its field personnel live in the communities where they work, sharing housing, food, and all of the ups and downs of the host country together with the local population. Concern America is known for its ability to collaborate with local entities that are highly respected and acknowledged for their work with the economically poor. While these considerations well position Concern America to accomplish its mission, they also characterize the quality and intent of its work. Concern America has been commended by the United Nations for its work with refugees.