Sawa for Development and Aid
Sawa for Development and Aid initially founded in December 2011 as a spontaneous response to the arrival of the first 40 Syrian families displaced from Syria into the North of Lebanon.
This initiative then grew to include both local and international activists who worked together ('sawa' means 'together' in Arabic), united by their belief in Syrians’ right to live in dignity and freedom, and to be active individuals in their communities, and wherever they are. In order to better support Syrians, from those internally displaced within Syria to Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, Sawa’s activists focused on sharing their knowledge and exchanging their experiences.
At Sawa we see ourselves as part and parcel of society as a whole. We are on a continuous learning journey based on a participatory relationship at all levels with the communities that we work with, whether host or displaced, as well as with local and international partners.
We believe that humanitarian, development, and community-based work must always strive to promote social justice. To that end, Sawa aims to work with individuals and communities through holistic interventions towards a society based on democracy, pluralism, and values of citizenship and human rights.