About us
Split second humanitarian interventions
The Son of Man Association is a growing humanitarian aid and relief institution operating in Lebanon. It was founded by Mother Agnes Mariam of the Cross, the foundress Superior of the Monastery of Saint James (Mar Yakub) in Syria. The Son of Man Association has close ties with benefactors, international humanitarian organizations, stakeholders and decision-makers around the globe.
Our main objectives are
Serving each human being regardless of his origin, gender, religion or political choices.
Protecting human life, especially the most vulnerable, promoting human dignity by all means possible.
Following the International Red Cross, value is placed on the following fundamental principles : humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, efficiency, transparency and honesty.
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts of the Apostles 20: 35)
Our four action pillars
1. Praise
Jesus says: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly ” (Jn 10:10). Based on this verse, we organize worship festivals and prayer groups to give people an opportunity to be transformed through a personal encounter with the Lord.
2. Relief
Loving our neighbors is feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless, treating the sick, taking care of the lonely and protecting human dignity beyond the limits of politics, religion, race or gender. The Son of Man association has accomplished relief projects covering those aspects all over Lebanon.
3. Development
Sustainable food security has become one of the most urgent needs in Lebanon. The Son of Man Association has acquired several plots of land in Lebanon and has put in place a long-term plan based on sustainable agricultural practices, (agroecology in particular), in order to meet this great challenge.
4. Culture & education
Many school curricula around the world have failed in forming balanced children (knowledge, values and responsible leadership). We desire to launch a pilot school in Lebanon with a new curriculum that would answer the urgent needs of our wounded world.
Our history
The foundation of the Son of Man Association goes back to August 1996. Its first name was the "House of the Son of Man". It was a place of healing of the mind and spirit - everyone was welcome. It was a home for people seeking to rebuild their humanity and their dignity. The House of the Son of Man was the first, and to this day, the only institution in Lebanon that offered a residence to women engaged in prostitution.
The House of the Son of Man quickly became a meeting place for young people and academics who sought to build their lives on the rock that is Christ. They united in prayer, spiritual retreats and humanitarian aid.
One of the best known fruits of this Association was the Son of Man Music Festival, a yearly gathering (from 1997 to 2000) leading up to the Jubilee Year 2000 (thus named by John Paul II). The Son of Man Festival remains to this day the largest Christian festival organized in the Middle East. Today, 20 years later, the Son of Man Association has reunited again to work and to pray for the disastrous situation in Lebanon.