The Launch of the Safadi Foundation

Although the Safadi Foundation was officially established in 2001 (Interior Ministry notification 78/AD), its unofficial presence has been felt in North Lebanon for more than 15 years. The Foundation's activities trace their roots to the war that shook Lebanon from 1975 to 1990. During this period, state services collapsed, leaving a vacuum in the provision of social, health and welfare services to Lebanese citizens. In order to reduce the burden faced by the public during this time, Foundation Founder and Honorary President Mohammed Safadi began to provide the necessary support for institutions (both governmental and NGOs) to enable them to continue meeting people's needs. While its roots can therefore be traced to humanitarian or charitable work, the Foundation's success during the early years developed over time into a commitment to the welfare of society, and the developmental issues which face it. The last four years have been critical in the development of the Foundation. During this period, its orientation and work methods have changed from those of a charitable institution, to those of a broad-based development agency. This period saw the launching of regional development workshops entitled "Toward a Comprehensive Development Plan for North Lebanon." The Foundation considered this initiative a critical mechanism by which to shed light on the problems faced in Northern Lebanon, and to involve all stakeholders in the development of workable and sustainable solutions. The workshops helped cement the shift of the Foundation toward broad-based development. As such, the Foundation is concerned with the needs and aspirations of all individuals and communities.
Mission The Foundation is dedicated to the development of individuals and groups through:
	Spreading public awareness about problems that hinder development; and
	Capacity-building in order to overcome these problems.
Vision
The Safadi Foundation has a comprehensive vision for a just society in which all individuals and groups have access to basic services, and in which all individuals and groups benefit from available resources in order to develop themselves and their communities.
Core Principles
The Foundation's focus and methodology is based on a series of values and core principles:
	All people are equal in dignity and rights, regardless of gender, race, religion or beliefs;
	Individual development is the starting-point for developing societies. The individual is the means and the end of improving the quality of life;
	Participation is the pre-requisite for empowering all social sectors, including women and young people, and particularly children; and
	Consolidating cooperation among various stakeholders in society (official, private and civil) is a key, fundamental pre-condition for successful development programs.
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Objectives The Safadi Foundation strives to promote human development through:
	Improving the quality of life for the sectors of society that suffer from deprivation, and working to meet their most urgent needs;
	Supporting development initiatives in various socio-economic, environmental, educational and cultural fields, and coordinating implementation among concerned parties;
	Strengthening the role of various community groups, especially those that are marginalized, and ensuring that they participate in drafting and implementing development plans;
	Developing human capacity in general, particularly that of young people, and orienting them toward the needs of the job market; and
	Tackling public issues that directly affect the well-being of society, and mobilizing the necessary financial and human resources to confront them.
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