Retreat held to implement Year of Giving objectives

Ministers and top officials brainstorm at the Dubai Arabian Horse Stud for ideas for a national strategy that will implement objectives of the Year of Giving.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, joined a retreat gathering of seven ministers and 100 government officials and community leaders to launch a unified national strategy
that will implement objectives of the Year of Giving.
He saw the ideas that are set to implemented in six areas of focus for the Year of Giving: Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering, Serving the Nation, Role of media, developing a legislative system to achieve objectives, and the growth of the development sector and humanitarian organisations.
The retreat was also attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister.
Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, said suggestions will be gathered in a national strategy that will soon be announced to unify efforts of all segments of the society towards achieving goals of the Year of Giving.
He said the government will be looking to issue proper rules and regulations to monitor volunteering activities, encourage philanthropists across the country and help develop humanitarian work of public and private entities.
Al Gergawi is also chairman of the Higher National Committee that will oversee and follow up achievements of the different six pillars, led by each minister in the related field.
With 200,000 registered volunteers in 2017, Al Gergawi said the government is looking forward to increase the number.
"There are many charity foundations established by our leaders in different emirates," Al Gergawi said. "The UAE has set a great example in giving balance between economic and humanitarian development."
He said that with many millionaires and businessmen in the country who contribute to the country's development with their charity work, different programmes will help organise the process.
"We know that there are many doctors who volunteer in hospitals for example, but how many volunteers do we have? and which hospitals? We need to keep record of such information," said Al Gergawi. "Students and residents should also be included in the volunteering process that will help engrave the sense of giving in our youth."
He added that in today's world, the future of nations does not only depend on economic growth, but also humanitarian growth. "It is about the future of the world when it comes to doing good and helping other," he said.
Sheikh Mohammed has called for organising the Giving Retreat last Saturday, and invited members of the community to share their ideas and suggestions for the Year of Giving through #YearofGiving on Twitter.
The retreat aimed to cement a partnership between the public and private sectors as well as NGOs and society in general to shape a future defined by the values of values of charity and generosity.
The Higher National Committee for the Year of Giving has also set up a portal for the Year of Giving (www.giving.ae) to enable all stakeholders and the general public to stay up-to-date with the developments throughout the year.
UAE has given Dh173 billion in charity
Since its foundation in 1971, the young country has extended philanthropic aid, in the form of humanitarian relief projects or through cooperation with international and UN organisations, to 178 countries worldwide, with the total aid given reaching approximately Dh173 billion by 2014.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the majority of aid given focused on "government and civil society" sectors in developing countries, as they received approximately Dh80.6 billion, followed by "general support", with a given value estimated at Dh22.5 billion, and approximately Dh7.7 billion dedicated to "emergency humanitarian aid".
The total aid donated in 2015 amounted to Dh32.34 billion. The aid was distributed through 40 Emirati entities to 155 countries across the world, from which 120 countries were eligible for financial aid and developmental assistance, including 43 of the most under-developed countries in the world.
The key pillars of Giving Retreat
The agenda of the Giving Retreat is based on six key pillars. A minister will take charge of the pillar related to their field and will oversee the strategy and initiatives, liaise with national authorities on large-scale implementation, follow-up on achievements and present regular reports to the Higher National Committee for the Year of Giving.
Corporate social responsibility
Minister of Economy, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri
Under the pillar, a system will be established to allow government to gather information on humanitarian work of different entities.
> Introduce a "mandatory disclosure" to be able to evaluate charity work in each organisation. Put a framework through monitoring renewing licences for each entity with the economic entities or the Ministry of Economy.
> Introduce national criteria which evaluates the level of company's contribution in social responsibility sector and establishing an order of these companies depending on results.
> Create an electronic platform that would give access to all companies to the definition of social responsibility, its culture, ways to adopt social responsibilities in its operations.
> Set up annual awards for companies that excel in humanitarian work, depending on their fulfillment of criteria.
Volunteer work

Minister of Community Development, Najla bint Mohammad Al Awar
> Establish a national umbrella that supervises and regulates volunteer work of different organisations
> Create a thorough strategy for volunteering in the country, with targets to different initiatives that include local individuals and entities
> Set up an electronic platform that displays volunteering opportunities in all fields for volunteers, individuals and entities who want to stay updated about different opportunities
> Introducing a motivational programme of volunteers to open fields for volunteers in all specialised fields.
> Keep a database of all volunteers in UAE.
Serving the Nation
Minister of State for Youth, Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui
> Introduce 100 ways for young people to serve the national projects, be it family, education or society. Volunteering is one of the ways to serve the nation, but there are other ways.
> Shedding light on those who do good whether a doctor, a student, or teacher, citizens or residents.
> Build a wall with names engraved of those who have sacrificed and have done exceptional good work. In school and universities, to know how to encourage students to serve their nation, which includes activities. Everybody should wake up thinking how can I serve the nation.
Legislative system and government policies

Minister of State for Happiness, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi
> Introduce a legal framework to encourage entities to contribute positively in development of UAE. Every company should have guidelines on a volunteer programme.
> Endowment (Al Waqf), Islamic tradition, and government should use this as an opportunity for development and for all aspects and sectors taking part through legislation, be it in education, health or other sectors
> Launch 'Giving for Happiness' programme to increase awareness on how giving can contribute to volunteer's and the society's well-being.
Media

Minister of State, Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Al Jaber
> Introduce the Giving Knights initiative, a platform that will show the efforts of individuals and organisations pertaining to humanitarian work in the UAE.
> Implementing Good, which will be an electronic platform that will have information and data needed to implement humanitarian work.
> Launching work policy of humanitarian work in media and not be less than 150,000 hours of volunteer work. Media outlets will have to designate editorial or advertising space, across media channels, to publish stories on humanitarian work worth Dh1 billion.
> Innovation in humanitarian work and giving, which reflects an initiative to encourage young people to develop creative content that definitions of charity work.
> "Good Influencers," a platform where there will be meetings that gather social media influencers to promote activities and tools to further develop humanitarian work.
> To launch policies and signs encouraging humanitarian work and published in the media.
> Walking for Good, which would be a gathering of social media influencers, media persons, published on social media, to walk together to highlight the definition of humanitarian work.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai