Big dreams for civil society

Let's suppose for a moment that all the grand plans of Dubai come to fruition. Dubai becomes a financial centre on the order of New York, London or Hong Kong. It becomes a tourist destination to surpass Orlando. It becomes one of the most desirable places in the world to live. If (or when) all this happens, how will civil society have fared?

In developing countries civil society and the social development that leads to it often gets short-changed. In Dubai, however, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has emphasised just how important social development is to the advancement of this society by insisting that the Strategic Plan 2015 includes significant attention to matters of how people who live here are able to improve their well-being. He has said that it is far easier to build financial capital than it is to build intellectual, psychological and moral capital. He knows the value of social development as a foundation for sustained economic development.

Indeed, civil society requires solid investment in social development. But how does this happen?

Education

First and most important is education — not education as in primary, secondary, tertiary, although these are important and also fall under the rubric of social development. Rather, we must educate about social development itself. Social development is about empowering people. It is about helping people of all socio-economic strata achieve the best possible outcomes in their lives. This often involves education, health care and culture. In the UAE it also encompasses Emiratis successfully entering the workforce and the preservation of national identity. Perhaps the most common but least discussed understanding of social development focuses on the needs and nurture of parts of the population who are least able to fend for themselves — the poor, the very old, the very young, those with special needs, among others. The common feature and focus of social development is people — not money, not stature, not property. It's all about getting the very best outcomes for the most people.

Second, if social development has value, and almost everyone agrees that it does, then it must be supported as if it has value. Words are cheap. In the UAE, education is certainly receiving its fair share of the budget. The commencement of the Community Development Authority late last year also bodes well. There are, however, many other ways in which social development can be valued and supported. From the very top, leaders must stress how important it is for people to have careers in the social service sectors. Everyone need not be an engineer or a doctor or a finance manager. In civil societies we need all types to make the systems work. We need social workers, child care consultants and managers, teachers for all ages and particularly teachers and managers in pre-schools and teachers equipped to work with special needs children. We need counsellors for children, adolescents and adults, association directors, directors and workers in women's shelters and in the juvenile justice system. We need advocates for labourers, human rights specialists, managers and workers in non-government organisations. In short, we need people to work in the people businesses.

This will only happen if these professions are valued and supported. The government needs to lead by providing financial packages for these professions that reflect their value to society. Teachers and social workers and all the others need salaries that say ‘we matter'. When salaries provide good, solid, living wages, then more young people will be drawn to these important professions. Students need scholarships for education in the ‘people professions'. These do not all have to come from the government either. Private industry should take note of opportunities to support social development initiatives because at the end of the day, their success also rests on the success of communities to provide civil and humane living conditions and proper support services for their employees and dependents.

Social innovators

Third, with regard to social development, just as with so many other aspects of the UAE, we must be willing to dream big dreams and set about to make them happen. In this country we are well versed in innovation. We enjoy the latest and the greatest, from technology to building design. We admire business entrepreneurs and innovators. But less well known or appreciated is the worldwide move towards social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Social innovation means discovering a social need or problem and creating or improvising a solution. It most often involves strategies, concepts, ideas as well as their implementation — all for the purpose of extending and strengthening civil society. Social innovators, whether they reside in governments, private enterprises, non-governmental entities or volunteer agencies, or are simply individuals or teams with ideas and determination, need to be encouraged and supported. With innovation all around us, the time for social innovation has come.

The current worldwide economic climate must not be an excuse for neglecting this important aspect of civil society. Indeed, times like these should help us focus on what is most important.

Dr Kennon Rider is associate professor and director, Family Community Services undergraduate degree programme, Michigan State University Dubai.