HUMANSERVE International, Society for Relief and Development, is a non-profit agency registered with the Government of Alberta (see Bylaws) and governed by a community-based board of directors. HUMANSERVE works with a number of local and international non-government organizations (NGOs) providing educational, community health, development and social services in Lebanon and Palestine.
Initially, the society was the regional office of Medical Aid for Palestine, an NGO based in Montreal. Between 1993 and 1996, several projects were implemented through the Edmonton office. Funds that were raised in Edmonton by the regional office were forwarded to the head office and MAP-Montreal maintained responsibility for developing the budgets and financial administration of the projects.
In December 1996, the Edmonton regional office of MAP closed and the Society changed its name to HUMANSERVE International. We are now able to self-administer our funds and take responsibility for our projects from beginning to end. This society is committed to results based, practical and sustainable development work.
Nathan has served on the HUMANSERVE board since 2007. He has traveled to Lebanon to work on low-cost water filtration and to monitor HUMANSERVE'S projects. Nathan enjoys creating and presenting public engagement materials which he has presented at HUMANSERVE public engagement events at venues such as International Week at the University of Alberta.
Nathan is a civil engineer and is currently working as a Research Engineer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta.
John's interest in global development concerns began in the 1980s, when he managed a community-based translation bureau for MOSAIC, an immigrant and refugee service agency in East Vancouver. Afterwards, he was a program director abroad for Canada World Youth. Then, for twenty years, he directed training programs at the UofA's Centre for International Business Studies. In 2014, he branched out into teaching, providing ESL instruction at EMCN in the evening. In 2018, he retired from both jobs, and volunteers now in the summer at Rashidieh and Burj al-Shamali camps in Sour, Lebanon.
John's aim overall is to raise awareness in Canada of refugee education needs in the Middle East, and to build Albertans' support for quality education programs in Lebanon.
Tracy has been serving on the board for many years. Currently, she is the Treasurer and the Casino Chair. Tracy is strong supporter of healthy populations, emergency relief and humanitarian initiatives for under-privileged groups worldwide.
Sahar is a new board member for Humanserve as of 2023, but a longtime volunteer with the organization. She is a passionate advocate for inclusivity and has previously served on the board for Diversity in Engineering at the University of Alberta as both VP of Events and VP of Finance. She hopes to leverage this experience within Humanserve to help with new and ongoing humanitarian crises abroad and at home.
Sahar graduated from the UofA with a degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently working in the field of sustainability.
Joan joined the HUMANSERVE board in November 1999. She has worked with many non-profit groups in Edmonton over the years. Joan spent innumerable volunteer hours in 1999 as a team leader to help settle the refugees from Kosova who immigrated to Edmonton.
Joan is a Doctor of Chiropractic and has a practice in Edmonton in the Lendrum Health Centre. Joan spent 3 weeks in the West Bank in December 2003 giving hands-on training for "Management of Low Back Pain" to physiotherapists in Bethlehem and Ramallah as part of a HUMANSERVE project.
Site designed, built and managed by
Ali Cat Graphics
© 2021-2024 Humanserve International
All Rights Reserved