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UAE: Registrations open for Dh500,000 refugee advocacy award

Nominees evaluated based on impact of work in bringing benefits to refugees or displaced communities

Champions of humanity have been urged to to participate in the Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support (SIARA) 2023, from September 1 – November 15.

The Dh500,000 award prize being offered to winners is a special contribution by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a Sharjah-based global humanitarian non-profit organisation, and does not represent any share of the donations made to the foundation.

The event is being organised under the patronage and support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of TBHF and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children.

The award targets local humanitarian organisations in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa who have offered outstanding services to refugees and forcibly displaced people, which have had a positive and sustainable impact on their lives.

The nominees are evaluated based on the impact of their work in bringing about tangible benefits within refugee or displaced communities. Innovative practices that boost overall sustainability of programmes and project activities, gender sensitivity in the planning and implementation of these projects, and demonstrable ability to address humanitarian gaps, especially in emergency situations, are some of the other important criteria.

Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of TBHF, said: "Educating the displaced, particularly children and youth, bringing smiles to their faces with film screenings or strengthening their sense of community through cultural festivals is as vital to their overall development as traditional relief efforts. This makes philanthropy a widely applicable value, not limited to only those who make charitable contributions. Thus, we call on organisations who dedicate themselves to making other people’s lives better to participate in SIARA. Their efforts are truly appreciated”.

The sixth edition of the award (2022) received 177 nominations from 39 countries. Of these, 110 nominations were from Africa, 59 from Asia, and 8 nominations from Europe and the rest of the world. Nigeria topped the list of country-specific nominations with 33 entries, followed by Uganda with 23.

The rest of entries came from Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa, Palestine, India, Somalia, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, the United States, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Congo, Bangladesh, Nepal, Lebanon, Cameroon, Philippines, Jordan, Ghana, Turkey, Iraq, the UAE, Malaysia, Malawi, Poland, the UK, the Netherlands, Botswana,and Gambia.