Conscience International, Inc.

Conscience International's Mission is to respond to the world's most urgent humanitarian needs by partnering with organizations and people of conscience. Through cooperative networking, CI creates programs and provides services for the relief of hunger, disease, suffering, homelessness, and the denial of human rights internationally. CI supplies food, medicine, and shelter to refugees and disaster victims, transports and delivers such aid, sponsors emergency and long-term relief and development programs, and educates people about poverty and medical emergencies. CI prefers to work alongside community leaders in the affected areas, seeking to implement CI's plans in accordance with the cultural and civic responses already in place. CI seeks to leverage its network of volunteers and donors to respond quickly in regions that are isolated geographically or politically. Many of CI's volunteer leaders and staff are US-based personnel who concentrate their efforts in their "homelands" where they know and appreciate the languages and customs. Most CI programs begin with an assessment of an apparent humanitarian need in the given country or region. Analysis is focused on determining what other volunteer organizations are already accomplishing and discovering what national leadership (especially community-based groups) have identified as the most compelling needs remaining to be addressed. Whenever possible, the materials and manpower needed to respond to the most urgent needs are supplied locally. For example, whenever medical teams are needed, the most experienced teams are enlisted from within CI's considerable network and are sent to the locations of need not only to provide emergency medical assistance but also to learn from and to train the national medical responders in longterm medical skills and practices. CI relies largely on voluntary activities, on foundation and relief agency grants, and on in-kind contributions from interested donors in conveying gifts from the donor directly to recipients or to reputable in-country organizations. Conscience International is based on the following principles: "I must follow my conscience; I am my brother's keeper; one person can make a difference; I must respond to people's needs, especially in emergencies; I must work cooperatively with others; I must ignore political barriers, because conscience is above politics."

Medical, counseling and other relief efforts in the Middle East for displaced residents due to war and strife that has been ongoing.