It goes without saying that unity in putting an effort together would reap results that are otherwise not achievable. Philanthropic work is known to be demanding, exhausting, time-consuming, and most important of all challenging to sustain and maintain. Hence the call by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to establish a foundation for Arab philanthropy is understandable and a welcome step. The initiative encourages Arab philanthropic organisations to come together and unify their charitable work within a single framework. "You are all people of giving who work at an individual level, but you need to work collectively to give a stronger boost to your initiatives that aim to serve the poor and needy," said Shaikh Mohammad.
The Arab world is not barren of charity organisations and initiatives that lend assistance to those who are in need. There is an abundance of individuals who have established well-organised and ongoing charity programmes. But Shaikh Mohammad's initiative goes beyond it as he is calling for formulating strategies and exploring new ideas for the future. This way Arab philanthropic organisations become familiar with each other's work and avoid repetition of efforts. But beyond the logistical aspects, the importance of boosting philanthropic work in the region touches a very critical issue. Having large populations that live in need of basic requirements generates long-term obstacles and problems. The United Nations last year pointed out that the Arab region had not made any significant progress in alleviating serious issues concerning poverty, employment, child care, education and health.
Can it be that in the 21st century, 12.7 per cent of Arab children below the age of five are underweight and comprise 37.6 per cent in the least developed countries, and that 7.5 million children are out of school?
