The Awareness Foundation, founded in 2003 by The Revd Nadim Nassar
The Awareness Foundation, founded in 2003 by The Revd Nadim Nassar, is an international humanitarian charity, driven by Christian values, whose mission is to build peace through education and training.
It aims to empower displaced and disadvantaged children, young people, and women to fulfil their potential. At the same time, it nurtures respect and understanding between diverse faiths and cultures, laying the foundations for lasting peace.
Over the last two decades Awareness Foundation’s ministry has thrived, touching lives, fostering connections, and making a positive impact on communities – especially in Syria and Iraq.
At the heart of Awareness Foundation’s mission is building peace through education. The Foundation believes that peacebuilding is never limited to a region or a country, but must reach out to wherever peacebuilders can be prepared and empowered in their work.
It is a belief that fuels all the Foundation’s three programmes, which have their deep roots in the so-called Arab Spring.
The ‘Spring’ seemed to promise a new dawn for the peoples of the Middle East, who had suffered years of oppression. Tragically, those ideals of freedom and hope soon dissolved into chaos and fear.
Diverse communities that had lived peacefully together for centuries were now polarised by politics, ideologies and the weaponizing of faith.
For Christians, the choice can seem very simple: to stay and suffer or leave and thrive.
Our work seeks to prove to the Middle East’s Christian community that there is another choice: to stay and thrive as full members of the wider community.
To try to achieve this, we run three programmes, transforming often shattered lives while building bridges of mutual respect and understanding between diverse communities.
In this way we aim to help heal and strengthen the fabric of society in the Middle East, with the resulting benefits for everyone, whatever their faith!
Our programmes
- Ambassadors for Peace is an educational and training programme for young adults aged 18-35. It equips and empowers them to overcome trauma, develop a deeper understanding of citizenship, and help rebuild their lives while discovering and exploring their skills and talents, wherever they are.
- Little Heroes is a mentoring programme for displaced and disadvantaged children aged 6-12. It aims to rebuild those childhoods by fostering self-esteem, emotional and mental health, and resilience. It empowers the children to develop existing talents and discover new ones.
- Enterprising Women is an educational programme providing training to women aged between 20-35. It supports them in pursuing their entrepreneurial aspirations, helping them contribute to the economic development of their communities and be a force for peace in their society.
At Awareness Foundation we believe in the power of individuals to transform society. Education is the key to that process; the key to unlocking positive change and lasting peace.
