African Refugees Development Center

The ARDC, founded in 2004, is an Israeli non-governmental organization created to assist, support and empower the African refugees and asylum seekers in Israel and to promote a humane and fair Israeli asylum policy. Based on the principle of mutual aid and empowerment (“refugees helping refugees”), the organization’s goals include:

o Promote humane, fair and effective policies on the reception, protection and integration of asylum seekers and refugees in Israel;

o Assist refugees and asylum-seekers towards self-sufficiency as independent, productive and contributing members of society;

o Facilitate the participation and empowerment of refugees and asylum seekers through their inclusion in education possibilities, the labor market, and health care;

o Empower local refugee communities through assisting in the development of training and capacity building programs, social and cultural activities, and refugee participation in civic decision-making processes as well as in general Israeli life.

In early 2007, the ARDC started to work towards a solution to the growing need for accommodation, humanitarian aid and case management for newly arriving refugees and asylum seekers into Israel. The ARDC began to operate emergency shelters for new arrivals. [http://ardc.wordpress.com/]