The Corps Saint Lazarus International (CSLI), or simply the Lazarus Union, is an international

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

that focuses on humanitarian aid and civil protection, whilst following the principles of Saint Lazarus; tolerance, humility, mercy and charity. The Lazarus Union has members in more than 120 countries and enjoys

General Consultative Status The consultative status is a phrase whose use can be traced to the founding of the United Nations and is used within the UN community to refer to "Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Soc ...

with the

ECOSOC The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

History

CSLI was founded in Austria in 2006.it. 23-02-2021> It is an international organization with headquarters in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, and is recognized by the authorities of that country with registration no. 023914681 (Austrian central register). In a short time the CSLI expands in Europe and in many other countries, in each of which develops projects with local specificities. Recognized as an NGO at the UN in 2013 (Code: 632158), in 2014 it obtained special consultative status at the UN ECOSOC and in 2019 the general consultative status. The reference to Lazarus is not so much to the Christian saint, Lazarus Union itself derives its tradition from the Order of St. Lazarus.it. 23-02-2021>

Activities

The Lazarus Union has a multitude of activities, mostly focused on helping those in need, such as the homeless, disabled etc. In some countries the CSLI has civil protection groups, such as in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Flying Days

Each year the Austrian CSLI arranges a "Flugtag" (Flying Day) for the disabled. The day is held at the Stockerau Airport and it is composed of a wide array of activities that the disabled can try - free of charge. Besides being able to get a free flight in several different types of planes and

helicopters A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

the visitors can also get a ride in a vintage firetruck, a WW2 jeep and other special vehicles.

Help for the Homeless

The CSLI is very active in helping the homeless. Each winter in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

the CSLI donates tents and sleeping bags to the homeless.

Music Corps

The CSLI have their own orchestra playing both brass band music and traditional military marches, as well as an

honor guard A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

List of presidents of the Lazarus Union

* 2006 - 2019: Wolfgang Steinhardt * 2019 - 2022: Lothar Gellert * 2022 - ''ongoing'': Oliver M. Gruber-Lavin

References

{{Reflist International organisations based in Austria Religious organisations based in Austria