Arab Hope Makers initiative to honour philanthropists

Wam

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched an initiative titled Arab Hope Makers that aims to honour Arabs who dedicated their lives to serve humanity.
Those who make a difference in their communities through programmes, projects and humanitarian initiatives and go above and beyond in their philanthropic efforts would be honoured as per the initiative, which is an extension of the Year of Giving.
"We want to instill benevolence across our Arab region," Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that it is very important to shed lights on unprecedented initiatives by ordinary people to serve their communities. "Our objective is to celebrate benevolence and hope makers and civilisation makers. They are the real stars and the idols for new generations," Mohammed said.
He said that even when the hope makers want to stay behind the curtains, new generations need new idols for positive change.
He also emphasised the importance of positivity and making hope in the region, especially amid the current situation. Sheikh Mohammed also urged to fight pessimism and negativity. "Renaissance of nations doesn't rely only on governments, but also on people who are aware of the situation and contribute positively in facing their socio-cultural challenges."
Sheikh Mohammed invited outstanding individuals with a rich portfolio of philanthropic activities and community initiatives from the Arab region to nominate an Arab Hope Maker. "They should be people who are active in volunteering and humanitarian work, especially those with noble merits of self-sacrifice and passion for serving people. The hope makers should include people who are recognised in their community for their good conduct and humanitarian values - as well as those who believe in young people's potential in the Arab World. The initiative aims to identify 20,000 stories of hope in the Arab world.
The scheme has been launched by Sheikh Mohammed's Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, which aims to "improve the Arab world through humanitarian, developmental and community work".
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi