2002 - American Refugee Committee

AMERICAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE INTERNATIONAL
ebuilding Lives
Shattered by Conflict
The Mission
The American Refugee Committee works for the survival,
health and well being of refugees, displaced people, and
those at risk, enabling them to rebuild productive lives of
dignity and purpose, striving always to respect their values.
The Vision
ARC insists on involving the people we serve in the planning
and implementation of our efforts. This participatory
approach is critical to the sustainability of our programs.
Dear Supporters and Friends:
The early years of the twenty-first century
have certainly been challenging ones for the
global community. Economic recession,
terrorism, and infectious disease all figured
prominently as the growing threats of our
day. While these forces made us all feel a
little less secure, they also raised our
awareness of how interdependent we all are.
Looking back on 2002, we are at once
pleased by the financial stability of the
American Refugee Committee, and troubled
by the growing need for our services. Also,
the importance of budgetary reserves and
emergency response funds became very clear
as the geopolitical events of the year unfolded.
While many charities struggled amidst the
economic recession of 2002, the American
Refugee Committee performed better than the
previous two years. A surplus of $222,486
was placed into operating reserves, and other
bills were paid off. Significantly, this surplus
was driven by increased private financial
contributions, up 25% over 2001.
Unfortunately, the worldwide need for our
services rose dramatically. More than
3 million people fled Afghanistan for Pakistan
in the early months of 2002. Thanks to the
availability of private funding, ARC was able
to respond quickly to the needs of these
refugees, establishing a presence in a critical
region. This quick action led to further
opportunities to be of assistance to the
struggling Afghan people in the region.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2002 ANNUAL REPORT
ARC’s milestones and achievements in
2002 are described in the pages of this
report, organized by our regions of operation.
We hope you find the descriptions of our
programs and their impact to be both
informative and inspiring.
Most sincerely,
Hugh Q. Parmer Mary Tjsovold
President Chair of the Board
Africa 2
The Balkans 4
Thailand 6
Central Asia 8
ARC Supporters 10
ARC Leadership 15
Financials 16
Refugees Around the World 18
How You Can Help 20
Credits 21
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