What is the work your organization is doing?
Inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) works to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world. We pursue lasting change by supporting grassroots and global human rights organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and by advocating for U.S. and international policies for justice and equality worldwide.
To achieve our goals, AJWS focuses our grantmaking and advocacy on five issues we believe are key to creating a world in which all people enjoy equal rights and are free of poverty:
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Defending access to food, land and water rights: We empower communities to protest exploitative development conducted without their consent and protect the land, water and natural resources that they depend on for survival.
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Promoting civil and political rights: We aid communities in their work to recover from civil wars and other conflicts, speak out against injustice, hold their governments accountable for creating and implementing equitable laws, and create vibrant, peaceful societies that respect the rights of all citizens.
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Advancing sexual health and rights: We support women, girls and LGBT people so that they can stop violence and discrimination, gain control over their lives and bodies, and live with dignity, safety and health.
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Ending child marriage: We seek to end the practice of child marriage—which compels 14 million girls around the world each year to marry before age 18, often against their will—so that girls can determine their own futures.
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Aiding communities in the aftermath of disasters: From earthquakes to tsunamis to genocides to epidemics, AJWS provides immediate humanitarian relief and stays the course with long-term support for recovery—focusing on building more just and equitable societies in the wake of disasters.
How does AJWS work to support Indigenous people/communities/movements?
Across all five of our programmatic issue areas and in every region where we work, AJWS is committed to assisting Indigenous people and communities in their efforts to overcome injustice and achieve social, economic and political equality. We do this by funding Indigenous-led grassroots organizations and social movements working to end discrimination and exploitation of Indigenous people in all sectors of society, and to elevate Indigenous voices in local and national decision-making. In their pursuit of justice and equality, these grantees are:
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Educating and empowering Indigenous communities to learn about and exercise their human rights, assume leadership roles in their communities, and organize local responses when their rights are violated
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Promoting the political participation of Indigenous communities in national politics and decision-making
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Speaking out and advocating against government and corporate-backed projects that encroach on Indigenous people’s land and waterways—including dams, mines and plantations developed without their consent
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Working to prevent the hunger, poverty, and loss of cultural heritage and identity that results when development projects displace Indigenous people from the land they depend on for their physical and cultural survival
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Conducting political and legal advocacy to stop violations of the civil rights of Indigenous people—including discrimination in the workplace, health care sector, and justice and education systems—and to protect the rights of Indigenous rights activists
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Improving the safety and security of Indigenous leaders and communities whose work places them at risk of harassment, arrest and even physical attack
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Ensuring that, in the aftermath of disasters, the voices Indigenous people are reflected in humanitarian responses and life-saving aid reaches Indigenous communities
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Forging coalitions and alliances with other grassroots groups in their countries and regions to create stronger movements for collective Indigenous rights