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The World Association of Children's Friends (Association mondiale des
Amis de l'Enfance, AMADE, in French) was founded in 1963 by Princess
Grace of Monaco. The Association Board of Directors met for the first
time in June of that year under the presidency of Mr. Jean ARDANT.
In June 1964, Mr. Pierre Cannat becomes the first Secretary General of AMADE; the statutes of the association are adopted in 1964.
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Princesse Grace's legacy
In the early years, AMADE mostly supported short-term humanitarian aid projects from its central office in Monaco.
The late 1960s were however to witness the creation of the first national affiliates abroad.
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Building an international network
A national affiliate was first created in Belgium in 1966, quickly
followed by the birth of a distinct AMADE in Monaco. By the end of the
decade, the network had expanded to another three countries of the
Mediterranean -France (1968), Italy (1969) and Spain (1972)- which were
subsequently to be joined by Portugal (1980) and Greece (1989).
In the 1980s, AMADE managed to build links with organisations outside
Europe: local offices of the Association were thus opened in Madagascar
(1983), Guinea (1987), Togo (1989), Zaïre (1989) and Senegal (1992). A
national affiliate was created in Lithuania in 1992.
By the late 1990s, AMADE membership grew significantly in size with the
coming of another ten countries from Africa, Eastern Europe and, for
the first time, South-America and Asia.
New AMADE members in the 1990s
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| Country |
Membership |
| Argentina |
1995 |
| Burkina Faso |
1995 |
| Cyprus |
1995 |
| Lithuania |
1995 |
| Poland |
1995 |
| Senegal |
1995 |
| Burundi |
1996 |
| Niger |
1997 |
| Benin |
1999 |
| Philippines |
1999 |
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In 2003, the AMADE family was joined by two new countries: Chad and Chile.
Today, after some necessary reorganizations of its network, AMADE has
11 local representatives in Europe, Asia, South-America and Africa,
which are all independent but linked to the main body by a mutually
agreed protocol.
AMADE international network
Mother and child : program AMADE - Virlanie in the Philippines
(photo:Virlanie Foundation)
HRH The Princess of Hanover
Daughter to the Princess Grace of Monaco, HRH the Princess of Hanover
was elected President of AMADE on 14 May 1993, with HSH Crown Prince
Albert of Monaco becoming Honorary President of the Association.
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It is not just because of filial piety that I chose to succeed My
Mother as president of the World Association of Children's Friends, but
also out of a sense of duty of charity and justice for all the children
who suffer throughout the world.
Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover
Word of welcome from our President |
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