UAE | General
Cooperate and form united force - Mohammad
Organising your work will give you increased financial and social power, Arab philanthropists told.
- By Abbas Al Lawati and Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporters
- Published: 01:27 January 21, 2008
- Shaikh Mohammad attends the main plenary session of the regional consultations on philanthropy in the Arab world in Dubai.
- Image Credit: WAM
Dubai Philanthropic organisations in the Arab world should coordinate their charitable activities to establish an Arab philanthropy foundation, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday.
Speaking to participants of a philanthropic conference in Dubai, Shaikh Mohammad stressed the importance of cooperating in the field of philanthropy to create a 'united force' for Arab philanthropy.
"You work at an individual level and are unknown to all the people. Unifying and organising your work will give you increased financial and social power," he said.
The two-day conference entitled From Charity to Change was launched in Dubai yesterday with the attendance of Shaikh Mohammad, Queen Rania of Jordan and Prince Turki Bin Talal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
Aimed at finding ways to institutionalise and coordinate philanthropic efforts in the region, the conference's theme was based on a study, funded by Boeing, and conducted by the American University of Cairo analysing trends and making recommendations.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Chairman of the Board of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, stressed that governments alone cannot take the responsibility for charity in the region, citing the importance of institutionalising philanthropy to encourage the private sector's contribution.
The private sector, he told journalists, "takes a lot but gives back very little".
"The private sector needs to know that its income comes from the people and it has to go back to them," he said in his speech.
"Illiteracy is still on the rise. Two weeks ago, a report from an Arab organisation indicated that nearly 200 million in the region continue to lack access to education. Concerted investment in education is imperative to transform our Arab societies into knowledge-driven economies."
A major objective of the conference, added Al Gergawi, was a "networking opportunity" for the various philanthropic organisations that operate in the Arab world, to have them cooperate and coordinate their activities.
- With inputs from WAM
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Mohammad calls for Arab agency for charitable work
Mohammad calls for Arab agency for charitable work
-
Conference to discuss challenges and plans
Conference to discuss challenges and plans
-
'Recruit youths' to serve society
'Recruit youths' to serve society
-
Arab world needs 'modern ways to battle social problems'
Arab world needs 'modern ways to battle social problems'
-
Corporate leaders are 'new citizen activists'
Corporate leaders are 'new citizen activists'
-
Focus shifts to strategic philanthropy
Focus shifts to strategic philanthropy
-
Forum to widen role of relief work
Forum hopes to widen role of relief work
Popular in UAE
-
Have your say
Living in untidy homes
Do you think that people who live in untidy homes have bad character?
Latest news
- Khalifa congratulates Karzai on re-election
- Khalifa receives congratulatory call from Talabani
- Complaints against cab drivers decline
- Camel in RAK gives birth to twins
- No hike in water, electricity rates
- Thalassaemia website 'will help educate youth'
- Saif is appointed Emiratisation chief
- Experts call for reviewing green cost of desalination
- Readers: Less water usage means less desalination
- Dubai Police open centre to combat marine pollution
- Pavement parking irks pedestrians
- Man jailed 3 years in fatal assault of colleague
- Murder: Mother gets stiffer sentence
- Traffic Prosecution adopts humanitarian step
- 'All-green' project to ease traffic flow
Community Reports
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
-
Community report: Doing their bit for poor children
A group of students takes concrete action to raise funds for Dubai Cares
