World for Libya

The background header image of the First World for Libya website.

World for Libya logo

The flag of the Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969), reinstated by the rebels

World For Libya is a UK registered charity incorporated on 14 Jun 2011. Its stated aims are to "relieve sickness and to promote and project good health through provision of medical aid, medical infrastructure and logistics and the provision of training to doctors and other healthcare professionals and ancilliary staff that are needed to ensure a broad and comprehensive health care system, education for Libyans and the relief of financial hardship for refugees and other displaced Libyans.".

Relationship With the Libyan Rebels

According to the UK charity commission, "an organisation cannot be a charity if it has a 'political purpose'." As a UK charity, World For Libya is therefore explicitly prohibited from "furthering the interests of a particular political party" or from "securing or opposing any change in the law, whether in the UK or overseas".

Logo

The charity's logo clearly bears a remarkable similarity to the Libyan flag reinstated by the Libyan rebels, and their website is covered with the flag, an indication that the charity aligned itself firmly with the rebels.

Relationship to Hand in Hand for Syria

Full article: Hand in Hand for Syria

World For Libya has no known acknowledged connection to Hand In Hand For Syria, a UK charity registered 8 months later. However, the parallels are striking:- both sport logos indicative of a political affiliation to the rebel group in which they were set up. Moreover, they have both have been assisted by independent film maker Saleyha Ahsan. She reports this connection to be coincidental, writing that it "was by some bizarre fluke that returning home from that first short trip [to Libya] that I sat next to Nader Elhamessi, a Libyan, a Londoner for many years and one of the founders of the aid organization World for Libya"

Website

The domain name "WorldForLibya.org" was registered on 20 May 2011. The site's homepage has been broken since at least October 2013, but it continues to shot the File:WorldForLibyaOverview.pdf.