Dubai: National Giving Survey, a diploma in humanitarian work, a giving card, CSR Smart Platform, Smart Platform for Developmental and Charity Work and Specialised Volunteering Programme are among the ten new initiatives that His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched on Wednesday.
He approved the programmes and policies during a meeting of the Year of Giving Higher Committee, which he chaired.
Following up on the progress of the Year of Giving, Shaikh Mohammad reviewed the UAE’s role as a philanthropic leader in the region achieved through a sustainable framework that integrates both private and public sector institutions.
“The Year of Giving precedes the Year of Zayed because the value of giving is mirrored in Shaikh Zayed’s spirit; the Year of Zayed will be a continuation of giving,” he said during the meeting.
Expanding humanitarian policies
Urging the nation to step up the efforts of giving, he added: “We have three months left in the Year of Giving — this final stretch is the most important. Our goal is to expand further on our humanitarian policies, ensuring that we multiply our efforts to deliver even more goodness to all parts of the world.”
Reviewing the success of the initiatives, he revealed that so far, the Year of Giving has managed to collect over Dh1.6 billion through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and programmes, and private and public sector and individual donations.
Over 2.8 million volunteer hours were registered, and 141 institutions offered 716 volunteer opportunities in various fields, along with almost 275,000 volunteers who registered nationwide through the National Volunteer Platform.
Expressing his pride on the achievements and successes of the Year of Giving initiative, he said: “The Year of Giving has revealed and nurtured the philanthropic Emirati spirit. We have introduced the largest number of policies, legislation and sustainable initiatives for giving in the UAE.”
Taking the campaign further, he introduced ten new sustainable initiatives and policies, within legislative and executive frameworks, in order to ensure the UAE remains a regional and global capital for humanitarianism and that philanthropy is deeply ingrained in the community.
He also adopted ten new initiatives and policies, within various elements of the UAE National Strategy for the Year of Giving.
Initiatives
“We seek to sustain giving in the UAE with five new pieces of legislation, two national long-term plans and ten sustainable initiatives and policies in the fields on volunteerism, corporate social responsibility and enhancing the role of humanitarian organisations and the development sector,” he said.
Among the new initiatives is the CSR Smart Platform, a comprehensive electronic platform that provides companies in the private sector opportunities to participate in development and community projects.
As part of the programme, 20 companies with outstanding contributions will be honoured annually in the CSR Annual Report.
A Specialised Volunteering Programme is also part of the new initiatives, offering various incentives for skills-based volunteers.
Two programmes have been adopted for the government sector: Involving Government Employees in Volunteering, which includes setting up of a new federal mechanism to encourage federal and local government employees to volunteer, and the second one is Opportunities in Government, through which a list of volunteer opportunities will be shared for all segments of society.
In an effort to achieve integration between various charity organisations, Shaikh Mohammad adopted Smart Platform for Developmental and Charity Work, an online platform with all pertinent information on humanitarian, charitable and developmental institutions in the country.
Shaikh Mohammad also unveiled the Giving Card on Wednesday, an initiative launched in cooperation with charities and banks, inspiring people to give donations to charitable causes.
Another initiative called Twinning between International and Local Development Institutions will help the local charities to work with the world’s leading humanitarian organisations.
A professional Diploma for Humanitarian and Development Work was also launched in order to develop altruistic national cadres and provide them with the best expertise and skills in the humanitarian fields.
The meeting also saw the launch of National Giving Survey, aiming to evaluate and study the attitudes and actions towards philanthropy in the UAE, thus contributing to government efforts in developing programmes and plans for giving.
During the meeting, Shaikh Mohammad also adopted five pieces of legislation that were finalised, making the Year of Giving the largest initiative to introduce laws that guarantee the institutionalisation of giving and humanitarian work in the country, covering CSR, volunteerism, community service and the establishment of a Coordinating Council for Charitable and Humanitarian Institutions.
Initiatives
- Specialised Volunteering Programme
- Giving Card
- Diploma in Humanitarian Work
- Opportunities in Government
- Twinning between International and Local Development Institutions
- National Giving Survey
- CSR Smart Platform
- Involving Government Employees in Volunteering
- Smart Platform for Charity Work
- Five pieces of legislation on giving/coordinating council for charitable institutions
