Niels Ebbesens Gade 26,
Aalborg
9000
+45 20 99 13 68
History
‘The Romania Project’
It all started in 1991 with “The Romania Project”. A Danish collaboration between Save the Children and Storstrøm County wanted to do something about inhumane conditions for Romanian children in special orphanages and psychiatric hospitals. The activities which should contribute to developing new ways of treating the children, were divided into five areas: Integration of the children into the education system, training and leisure activities, holiday activities, study and work programs and staff training.
After three years of working with the orphanages and institutional children in Romania, where the collaboration succeeded in moving disabled and injured children to better physical condition, Save the Children wanted to close the project because the children had turned 18 years old. The project also did not receive more funding to continue the work. Henrik Haubro (employed in Storestøm County) asked himself “How could we first help set in motion a good development for these children and then just leave them in the lurch because they turned 18?” “We knew that most of them only had a fate as criminals or prostitutes to look forward to - or to be sent back to the old institutions. Now just as adults." The intention was to create long-term development rather than emergency relief. And then they wanted to create life opportunities outside the institutions.
As a result on 24 November 1994, the initiators had reached the point where they could start an association with Alfred Dam, director of social affairs in Storstrøm County, as the first chairman. The association came to be called Det Europäiske Hus (the European House). Its projects are primarily in former Soviet republics and Eastern Europe, also Denmark, a few other Western European countries and in Laos as well as Southeast Asia. The financial support has come from the EU, Danida, the Democracy Foundation and private donations.
Among the first projects of the recently founded association was continuing the activities in Romania for children including those who had turned 18. Moreover, they started a project in Albania where they wanted to develop psychiatric treatment in the capital Tirana and the city of Ulsan. After the success in Albania, new initiatives in new countries followed, often via personal contacts at international congresses or through professional associations.
From the European House to AMIS
Back then, the initiators liked the image of the European House. It was a metaphor for good neighborliness between people and countries, which means helping each other, respecting each other and creating opportunities with each other. However, the name has created some misconceptions, and many have thought it had something to do with the EU. Therefore in 2020 the association changed its name to AMIS - A More Inclusive Society - or as French word for “friends”.
Nowadays, AMIS is a seasoned NGO with 25 years of experience, offering a wide array of activities and projects both nationally and transnationally. In recent years, it has aligned its efforts with the United Nations Development Goals, advocating for social and cultural sustainability as integral components of overall sustainability initiatives. The organization continues to empower individuals at risk of social exclusion, including children, youth and adults with disabilities, those with mental illness, the homeless, and other vulnerable groups.
Potential new members of AMIS can expect to join a vibrant and committed community, focused on making a tangible impact. They will have the opportunity to participate in innovative projects that range from local community support programs to international collaborations aimed at fostering global social equity.
