SAFADI FOUNDATION

Message from the Founder

Dear Friend:

Since its incorporation into an official nonprofit in 2001, Safadi Foundation has prided itself in fostering values that protect freedom of thought, promote good governance, respect social justice, and cultivate education. For nearly two-decades of service in some of the most impoverished and marginalized communities in Lebanon, we have sought to plant seeds that will enable local actors to play a participatory role in the country’s national development process.

I believe Lebanon’s spiritual diversity, cultural heritage and entrepreneurial past are strong indicators of what is possible when a country’s human and material resources are empowered to serve the individual and collective capacities of communities. Building upon this history, the Foundation hopes to support the emergence of Lebanon’s sustainable development in a way that allows it to fulfill its international legacy, while also developing the creative and innovative visions of its people at home.

After two-decades of development work, Safadi Foundation is changing tack by implementing new methods that will improve governance and boost the power of local communities. We believe these steps are necessary to improve the coordination and effectiveness of the generous donor assistance Lebanon has received over recent years and will have in the time to come. Strategies that seek to reduce corruption, improve economic livelihoods and promote inclusive growth have the potential to present real opportunities for economic assistance in Lebanon to transcend the unsustainable system that has traditionally paralyzed resources throughout the country.

I invite you to browse our website that offers information on our latest news and initiatives, which highlights our small part in accomplishing these goals. I also would like to extend my sincere appreciation to our communities and partners at the local, national and international levels that have helped make Safadi Foundation the trusted organization it is today.

Warmly,

Mohammad A. Safadi
Founder, Safadi Foundation

Vision

Our vision is a cohesive society with improved economic livelihoods that contributes to the values and heritage of coexistence as a way to reduce social barriers between people and secure Lebanon’s sustainable development.

Mission

The mission of Safadi Foundation is to empower vulnerable communities in Lebanon, with a focus on women and youth, to find sustainable solutions that will enable them to play a participatory role in the country’s national development process. Our aim is to reduce socio-economic regional disparities, decrease the gender-gap, and narrow the gap between citizens and their governing institutions. Through developing innovative strategies we will reduce poverty, increase access to labor markets, and educate local communities to play an enhanced role in civic engagement.

Values

“We are armed with a mighty pen.”
~ Unknown

Freedom of thought and expression represents the basis of our core values. We believe that through a wealth in minds, society can advance through innovation and critical thinking.

“Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.”
~ C.S. Lewis

We strive to set an example for society by adhering to good governance standards. When values such as honesty, transparency and accountability are firmly rooted, an environment that is conducive to sustainable development can be achieved.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Building upon the legacy of Charles Habib Malik, a Lebanese academic, diplomat and philosopher, and one of the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we acknowledge that the value of a human being is honored when human rights and social justice are respected.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

~ Nelson Mandela

As the saying goes, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Providing learning and training programs represents the bedrock on which we seek to build a more inclusive, open and productive society.

"We won't have a society if we destroy the environment."

~ Margaret Mead

Respect for nature and the environment is one of the ways we hope to plant seeds of hope for future generations in our communities. Lebanon has been plagued with an unsustainable trash crisis and it has been a catalyst for civil society to initiate changes and new behaviors. We realize that for change to happen we need to start with ourselves. So that is why we are currently in the process of enforcing environmental regulations in all our offices.

Approach

Strategy

Best Practice

Objectives

Our objectives aim to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Specifically, our objectives aim to:

Create an inclusive and balanced human development throughout Lebanon
Improve livelihood and coexistence for different Lebanese communities
Recentre Tripoli as a cultural and economic hub in the region
Increase local and foreign investment in Tripoli and rural areas

About Us