UAE: Now children can nominate their heroes for Abu Dhabi Awards
Youngsters can also send thank you notes, videos with nominees for highest civilian honour
Abu Dhabi: Children can now nominate people for the Abu Dhabi Awards using a new, simplified form, the award’s organising committee has announced.
The new form allows young members of society to select and nominate who they think is worthy of Abu Dhabi’s highest civilian honour, the Award organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.
The specially-created nomination form will be distributed to more than 500 UAE schools in collaboration with Emirates School Establishment, and it will be supported by a range of activations to promote awareness of the award’s values. The nomination deadline is October 31.
The simplified form for the 11th edition can be downloaded from the Abu Dhabi Awards website. It includes creative space for drawings, writings or images of their nominees, and the Organising Committee confirms these entries will be assessed in the same way as all other nominations.
The children can also write a thank you letter to the person they are nominating, as well as record a video describing in only three sentences why they are nominating that person without revealing their name. Alternatively, students can record a video with a family member or friend, highlighting which of their qualities best represents the values of the Awards.
School awards
Participating schools have a chance to be awarded ‘Most Engaged School’ in a nationwide competition, with another prize for ‘Best School Activities Coordinator’ going to the most outstanding student.
“Today’s children are tomorrow’s community leaders. We are delighted to be including young citizens and residents in this year’s nomination process and teaching them the values of community spirit and selflessness from an early age. The new forms will help us achieve that goal,” said Amal Al Ameri, member of the Abu Dhabi Awards Organising Committee.
The Awards are held under the guidance and patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It is a government initiative that honours unsung heroes who have selflessly dedicated their time to helping others and have positively impacted the nation.
Since its inception, the Abu Dhabi Awards has garnered over a quarter of a million nominations, representing 135 nationalities. Previous award recipients have made valuable contributions in a myriad of fields including healthcare, education, environment, as well as the preservation of the UAE and Abu Dhabi heritage.
The Awards recognise contributions from anyone working to improve UAE society, regardless of their age, gender, nationality, or place of residency. The single and only criteria that nominees must fulfil is to have made a positive contribution to the community of the UAE.