Community Development Authority holds brainstorming sessions

Dubai: Dubai’s Community Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday held brainstorming sessions to discuss its 2017-2021 strategy with its partners from the private, public and non-profit sectors to urge the whole community to work together for the emirate’s brighter future.

The brainstorming sessions explored the prospective outcomes of CDA2017-2021 Strategy, which are aligned with the objectives of the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021.

Titled “Active Partnerships for a Happier Society”, the sessions explored potential projects, programmes and initiatives that promote sustainable development in the emirate, as well as ways to optimally invest Dubai’s resources to develop a social sector that matches the aspirations of the government.

“Dubai has become a global role model, leading cities around the world by example and harnessing its resources to serve the public and invest in knowledge to catalyse the development of society. This reflects the city’s ambitions, which have propelled it to the top of global indicators in such areas as tolerance, happiness, artificial intelligence and government services,” said Ahmad Abdul Karim Julfar, director-general of CDA.

Julfar said Dubai must prioritise the community when investing in future-oriented projects.

“This is where the Community Development Authority comes in: we are a partner to all social organisations, as well as individuals working towards community development,” Julfar said.

Four topics were discussed during the session including “Empowered, Proud and Happy Emiratis”, which explored a range of approaches to improve services for UAE nationals, spread happiness among them and encourage them to actively participate in the CDA’s community development activities. The second topic focused on a “Cohesive Society”, which identified the nuclear family as the cornerstone of a cohesive society, and promoted volunteer work as key for effective and participatory community development.

The third topic covered the “Investors as Partners in Community Development” that explored means of forging effective partnerships with the private sector and recruiting private organisations in community development — either through direct financial contributions or by offering their services pro bono. The last topic, “Society and Government: Working Together for a Better Tomorrow”, called for establishing social innovation as a central theme in policies and legislation, as well as for investing in the human capital and supporting at-risk groups.

Julfar explained, “The authority’s strategy sets the tone for social responsibility and volunteer work in the UAE, guiding nationwide efforts to serve all segments of society — especially vulnerable groups. The CDA’s strategy is a road map towards a strong and cohesive society, whose institutions are actively and continuously developing their services, capitalising on existing resources and talents and working to upgrade them, as directed by our wise leadership.”

The new strategy will be an integrated policy and plan to promote sustainable social development within a structured and effective framework. The strategy seeks to proactively plan for the future, empower the public, capitalise on future opportunities and set long-term future-oriented goals for the CDA and the sector as a whole.