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Formation | 1996 |
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Founder | Richard Moore |
Type | Non-profit |
Headquarters | 2 St Josephs Avenue, Derry. BT48 6TH |
Location | |
Coordinates | 54°59′29″N 7°19′30″W / 54.991483°N 7.325057°W |
Website | www |
Children in Crossfire is a registered charity founded in Northern Ireland which aims to eradicate poverty and help children in war zones[1] and works in partnership with local organizations in the developing world to make healthcare and education more accessible to young children. Children in Crossfire is registered as a charity in Northern Ireland (NIC101412) and the Republic of Ireland (CHY 20045517).[2] It is also a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States.
The charity has raised funds totaling over £25 million for causes in 10 countries including Malawi, The Gambia, and Ethiopia.[3]
The headquarters of the Children in Crossfire is located in Derry.[1]
On May 4, 1972 during the Northern Ireland conflict ten year old Richard Moore was walking home from school past an army lookout post when a British soldier fired a rubber bullet from ten feet away blinding him for life.[4] Despite the blindness Richard went on to complete school with a degree in Business Administration, and became an accomplished musician.[5]
Feeling a lack of satisfaction in the mid-1990s, Moore felt the need to give back to the world and help other children who, like himself, had been "caught in the crossfire" of violence.[6] In 1996 he realized this goal and began the Children in Crossfire charity with a mission to "combat the ravages of child poverty around the world."[5]
In 2007, Moore was the subject of the BBC documentary titled Blind Vision in which he tracks down the soldier who originally shot him in order to offer his forgiveness.[7][8] The two have become firm friends and give joint talks regarding the Gift of Reconciliation. In 2010, at the invitation of the Dalai Lama, they gave a talk in Dharamsala to an audience of over 2,500 people.[9]
Children in Crossfire has been of interest to the Dalai Lama since its founding, and it has been described as "one of his favourite charities".[1] Having met with Moore initially at a peace conference in Belfast, the Dalai Lama was invited to the 10th anniversary of the organization's founding in 2007.[10] Upon his arrival, the Dalai Lama stated to Moore, "Richard I'm here, your friend, you're my hero."[11] The Dalai Lama returned to Derry in September 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NGO.[12][3]
Since its 1996 inception Children in Crossfire has raised over $32.4 million to combat poverty in 10 countries.[13] This money has gone to provide clean water to over one million people in Malawi, provide accessible education for visually-impaired students in The Gambia, treat over 2,000 cancer patients in Tanzania, and treat over 10,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Ethiopia.[13][14] The charity has also given preschool access to over 100,000 children throughout Africa.[15]