With its worldwide network of volunteers, The Art of Living has been able to immediately reach the calamity-struck place anywhere in the world, providing physical and mental solace and material relief. Through this network, The Art of Living has established itself as one of the vital links in disaster rehabilitation programs the world over.
From extensive relief and rehabilitation work in the tsunami-affected areas to earthquake relief in Gujarat, volunteers of The Art of Living have gone beyond the concern of their own safety to tend to the mental, emotional and material needs of natural or man-made disaster victims.
The Art of Living, along with its sister organisations, The International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI), has taken upon itself the responsibility of healing society rattled by violence, and other natural disasters. Guided by Gurudev, it has developed an effective and dynamic three-stage model for responding to emergency disasters.
Immediate Material Aid And Service
This entails providing emergency services and material aid in the aftermath of a calamity, which includes food, clothes, medicines and shelter. Doctors, counsellors and other physical and mental health experts form an integral part of such immediate relief efforts.
Near-Term Trauma Relief
For survivors of such disasters, who have experienced severe physical and emotional trauma, material help alone is not sufficient. Alleviating the trauma and helping them reclaim their lives is essential. A study on The Art of Living Trauma Relief Programs given to large groups of South-east Asia tsunami survivors showed significant relief from post-traumatic stress disorder in only four days.
Long-Term Rehabilitation
True relief can only happen when disaster survivors are completely rehabilitated - physically, emotionally and socially - and have a sustainable means of earning their livelihood. To achieve this, volunteers work in villages and with local communities, building homes, sanitation systems, roads, schools, vocational training centers and other necessary infrastructure.
