In April 2009, Al-Khaleej Studies Center organized a panel on the reality of women organizations in the UAE and ways to increase their effectiveness and outreach to all society sectors especially youth, to channel their interests towards volunteerism and more civic activism. The panel was chaired by our own Dr. Fatema Al Sayegh and included opinions of several UAE women leaders and activists. Participants in the panel included:
Ahlam Al Lamki, GWU
Amal Belhoul, Psychologist, ‘Watani’ program. (Watani means my country)
Amira Tariam, Editor of Kul Al Usra magazine
Halima Shikshik, RAK Women Organization
Moza Al Taghi, RAK Women Organization
Dr. Hessa Lootah, Professor, UAE University
Sarah bin Karam, Head of Sharjah Women Organziation
Salma Al Junaibi, GWU
Afra Al Mansouri, Head of Family Development Foundation, Shahama
Fatima Al Qubeisi, Family Development Foundation, Al Wathba
Sheikha Majd Saud Al Qassimi, Deputy Director of Sharjah Women Union
The session concluded with the following recommendations:
- Allocate a political seat that represents women organizations that would rotate every 2 or 4 years
- The importance of spreading a culture of social work and increase contact with youth
- Focus on studies and statistics that identify flaws in the work of the organizations as well as proper mechanisms to address these flaws.
- Strengthen relationships between different organizations and create a real partnership between civil society and non-profit organizations
- One women union that would be the umbrella of all women organizations in the country
- More media attention to the role and activities of women organizations
Showing posts with label volunteer work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteer work. Show all posts
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Saudi Arabia: JCCI club to back voluntary work
Galal Fakkar -- Arab News
JEDDAH: The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has set up a special club for volunteers, particularly businesswomen, to support activities promoting the city council and civic services in Jeddah.
“This club will contribute to the development of Jeddah by providing the municipal council with ideas and proposals to find solutions to the city’s problems with concerned sectors,” said JCCI Secretary-General Mustafa Sabri.
Sabri recalled the directives of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal to initiate development programs in Makkah, Jeddah and Taif — key cities of the province — over the next five years.
Ulfat Qabbani, chairman of the Jeddah Council for Social Responsibility at the JCCI, said the club would encourage businessmen and businesswomen to voluntarily serve the community. “This club will give a real boost to Jeddah’s municipal council and will further enhance voluntary activities,” she added.
Tariq Fadaaq, director of the council, said the club would establish direct and more effective means of communication between members of the public and officials, and would help find solutions to a number of problems facing the city.
“The municipal council has so far received 140 complaints on various civic issues of which 80 percent have been resoved,” Fadaaq added.
The director confirmed that the council would deal with each complaint in 48 hours and said it had made remarkable achievements in the city’s development.
He added that the council had signed an agreement with King Abdulaziz University to initiate projects to solve certain issues facing the city.
Fadaaq said under the agreement, 50 students distributed questionnaires asking the public what they felt was required from the municipal council and how to promote the role of the youth in society.
Muhammad Abu Dawoud, a council member, said the new club would convey the opinions of businesswomen to the council to enrich civic work in the city.
JEDDAH: The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has set up a special club for volunteers, particularly businesswomen, to support activities promoting the city council and civic services in Jeddah.
“This club will contribute to the development of Jeddah by providing the municipal council with ideas and proposals to find solutions to the city’s problems with concerned sectors,” said JCCI Secretary-General Mustafa Sabri.
Sabri recalled the directives of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal to initiate development programs in Makkah, Jeddah and Taif — key cities of the province — over the next five years.
Ulfat Qabbani, chairman of the Jeddah Council for Social Responsibility at the JCCI, said the club would encourage businessmen and businesswomen to voluntarily serve the community. “This club will give a real boost to Jeddah’s municipal council and will further enhance voluntary activities,” she added.
Tariq Fadaaq, director of the council, said the club would establish direct and more effective means of communication between members of the public and officials, and would help find solutions to a number of problems facing the city.
“The municipal council has so far received 140 complaints on various civic issues of which 80 percent have been resoved,” Fadaaq added.
The director confirmed that the council would deal with each complaint in 48 hours and said it had made remarkable achievements in the city’s development.
He added that the council had signed an agreement with King Abdulaziz University to initiate projects to solve certain issues facing the city.
Fadaaq said under the agreement, 50 students distributed questionnaires asking the public what they felt was required from the municipal council and how to promote the role of the youth in society.
Muhammad Abu Dawoud, a council member, said the new club would convey the opinions of businesswomen to the council to enrich civic work in the city.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Saudi Arabia: Summer camp aims to help young women plan for future
RIYADH: With the aim of generating a sense of social responsibility among young Saudi adults, the Summer of Luthan camp for girls has been established at Luthan, the first women-only hotel in Riyadh.
The three-week camp, which begins on July 5, is a new concept in summer camps. Among its many programs include visits to workplaces where women are taking the lead. It will also present workshops to enhance the girls’ knowledge of many aspects of life and to build their self-esteem and confidence.
“It is essential to build in the young girls the initiating characteristic, as many were not trained to step up; they are mainly receivers,” says Dr. Nora Al Yousif, a university professor and a consultant on women’s affairs to the Shoura Council.
Al-Yousif, one of the Summer of Luthan planners, said that introducing the young girls to achievers from their society could encourage them to work hard and be confident.
“Social responsibility in our society is still crawling, while in Western society it is a tool that leads development plans to compete — and sometimes overtake — government initiatives,” said Princess Madawi bint Mohammad, board director of Luthan, at a press conference held for announcing the summer camp, which is open to girls of high school and college ages.
“We hope that this initiative we are adopting will be an example for establishing the concept of social responsibility,” she said
About 70 percent of the Saudi population is under the age of 30. Princess Madawi points out that targeting this category is important to create successful examples of women playing an important role in society.
“Building the sense of patriotism and belonging is one of the goals of the Summer of Luthan,” says Aziza Al-Khateeb, another of the camp’s planners. “It is important to read between the lines of this initiative. It sets an example for the participation of the private sector in the field of social responsibility.”
Saudi Arabian society has long offered summertime activities for its youth — young men and women alike.
But Princess Madawi says that many of them are devoted to entertainment and time-wasting activities that do not necessarily engender qualities that can lead young men and women to become productive, socially conscientious citizens.
The Summer of Luthan program, she said, is aimed at a specific key age group of young women with useful activities.
“With Summer of Luthan, we are presenting the girl who is trying to plan her future with a comprehensive program to clarify her vision for future and equip her with necessary tools,” said Princess Madawi.
The camp includes workshops in etiquette, arts and crafts, drawing and other girls’ interests in an entertaining manner, and away from the daily, rigid routine of rote learning.
Princess Madawi said that more programs would be offered in coming years.
-- Walaa Hawari Arab News
The three-week camp, which begins on July 5, is a new concept in summer camps. Among its many programs include visits to workplaces where women are taking the lead. It will also present workshops to enhance the girls’ knowledge of many aspects of life and to build their self-esteem and confidence.
“It is essential to build in the young girls the initiating characteristic, as many were not trained to step up; they are mainly receivers,” says Dr. Nora Al Yousif, a university professor and a consultant on women’s affairs to the Shoura Council.
Al-Yousif, one of the Summer of Luthan planners, said that introducing the young girls to achievers from their society could encourage them to work hard and be confident.
“Social responsibility in our society is still crawling, while in Western society it is a tool that leads development plans to compete — and sometimes overtake — government initiatives,” said Princess Madawi bint Mohammad, board director of Luthan, at a press conference held for announcing the summer camp, which is open to girls of high school and college ages.
“We hope that this initiative we are adopting will be an example for establishing the concept of social responsibility,” she said
About 70 percent of the Saudi population is under the age of 30. Princess Madawi points out that targeting this category is important to create successful examples of women playing an important role in society.
“Building the sense of patriotism and belonging is one of the goals of the Summer of Luthan,” says Aziza Al-Khateeb, another of the camp’s planners. “It is important to read between the lines of this initiative. It sets an example for the participation of the private sector in the field of social responsibility.”
Saudi Arabian society has long offered summertime activities for its youth — young men and women alike.
But Princess Madawi says that many of them are devoted to entertainment and time-wasting activities that do not necessarily engender qualities that can lead young men and women to become productive, socially conscientious citizens.
The Summer of Luthan program, she said, is aimed at a specific key age group of young women with useful activities.
“With Summer of Luthan, we are presenting the girl who is trying to plan her future with a comprehensive program to clarify her vision for future and equip her with necessary tools,” said Princess Madawi.
The camp includes workshops in etiquette, arts and crafts, drawing and other girls’ interests in an entertaining manner, and away from the daily, rigid routine of rote learning.
Princess Madawi said that more programs would be offered in coming years.
-- Walaa Hawari Arab News
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Middle East: Youth Bulge: Challenge or Opportunity?
Brookings Institute: The youth challenge is the most critical 21st century economic development challenge facing the Middle East.
In my brief remarks today, I would like to make one central point: The youth challenge is the most critical 21st century economic development challenge facing the Middle East. In a region where almost 65% of the population is under the age of 30, long term prosperity and stability hinges on the opportunities afforded to this generation. While radicalism and terrorism remain critical security concerns, the majority of Middle Eastern youth are involved in a different fight: a fight for better education, jobs and affordable housing. It is on the back of this generation that the Middle East will build a future middle class - a middle class which can be a catalyst for more open and democratic societies. Therefore to advance U.S. interests in the Middle East, we need more than anti-radicalization strategy; we need a strategy that elevates youth-development alongside defense and diplomacy both in principle and practice.
Drawing both on our research at Brookings and a recent trip to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon where I worked with young people I would like to elaborate on this main thesis by focusing on three areas: first, to show that the Middle East is at a critical juncture and how a large youth bulge presents opportunities for growth and prosperity; second, to outline the main challenges facing youth in the region; and third, to showcase some of the implications for policy, especially U.S. policy with regards to the region.
Recognizing that the Middle East is at crossroads, we have to realize that there is a narrow window of opportunity to build a foundation for lasting prosperity. The region faces a scenario of double dividend or double jeopardy: for the first time in its modern history, the Middle East is simultaneously experiencing an economic boom and a demographic boon. The region is experiencing its best economic performance in three decades – oil and non oil producing countries alike are showing record growth. Second, the region has a large youth bulge, presenting a large pool of human capital which if used productively can usher growth and prosperity. If countries can take advantage of the confluence of these two historic gifts, they can create a virtuous cycle of higher growth, higher incomes and savings. Failure to do so will result in a double jeopardy: the economic and social exclusion of youth drains growth and creates social strife. But the time for securing this double dividend is now. The window of opportunity – where countries have fewer dependents - will close in the next ten to fifteen years.
Middle Eastern economies can seize this opportunity as many Asian economies have done. However, without urgent reform, the region risks missing this historic opportunity. Already, there are some alarming signs. Despite good economic growth, prospects for young people are not improving significantly or rapidly. This has been a central pre-occupation of the Middle East Youth Initiative – to understand why young people continue to be excluded.
I will be sharing some of the concepts and ideas that our studies and work have led to.
The majority of 15-24 and 25-30 year olds in the region are confronted with a new life phase we have termed waithood – a concept that refers to the bewildering time in which large proportions of Middle Eastern youth spend their best years waiting. It is a phase in which the difficulties youth face in each of these interrelated spheres of life result in a debilitating state of helplessness and dependency. Waithood can be best understood by examining outcomes and linkages across five different sectors: education, employment, housing, credit, and marriage.
Poorly prepared for the labor market by their educational systems, Middle Eastern youth face unemployment rates that are nearly twice the world average (20-40 percent compared to 10-20 percent). Furthermore, their queuing time for their first job is measured in years rather than months compared to their counterparts in Asia and Latin America. I’ve met many youth in the region who have waited 3-4 years for a public sector job.
With regards to housing – all the oil money flowing into the region has sent the costs of real estate soaring in urban cities. This often compromises young people’s ability to get married and lead independent lives. Furthermore, while credit allows youth in other parts of the world to smooth their future consumption, in many Middle Eastern countries, poorly functioning credit markets fail in their basic purpose.
As a result of not being able to afford a dowry, or a house, young Middle Eastern men are involuntarily delaying marriage, which in the region, is a rite to passage for adulthood, independence and legitimate sexual relationships. Today, the average age of marriage is on the rise in most Middle Eastern countries, imposing economic and social costs which have yet to be fully understood. All this compounds the dependency of youth on their parents.
So we get back to the question: why does this waithood persist even in good times? The root cause lies in the economic and social institutions and the signals they send which shapes behavior and decisions. Think of this as the invisible infrastructure – the rules of the game which organize society. In the Middle East, this invisible infrastructure is based on an education system which prepares youth for public sector employment, thereby reinforcing three problematic ideas. First, that a university education is the only prize worth pursuing. Second, the notion of a lifetime secure desk job. Third, that readiness for marriage is largely contingent upon both a university education and a stable job which only perpetuates the lure for degrees and desk jobs. But with globalization and privatization, this invisible infrastructure is no longer functioning as it should. Let me illustrate this concept with some examples and facts from the ground.
Parents in the region invest billions of dollars in private tutoring to increasingly prep their children for standardized tests, so children end up learning a narrow set of skills. Then donors and governments must spend resources re-training these very youth to given them a wider range of skills because of the limitedness and poor quality of their initial education. Public policy would be infinitely more effective if parents had the incentives to invest in broader skills, rather than governments and donors undoing the investment of parents.
Through a focus group we held in Jordan, we found that young men are willing to continue waiting for public sector jobs which may never materialize. They are not incentivized to search for a job in the private sector (informal or formal) because they feel the wait is much better than the stigma and insecurity attached to work in the private sector.
Why do youth who have lower opportunity costs not undertake more voluntary work? A Gallup poll in 2006/2007 asked Middle Eastern youth “in the last month, did you volunteer your time to an organization”. The regional average was just 11%; in countries like Jordan, only 4% of respondents answered yes. The reason is because youth and their families have no incentives to invest in volunteerism; neither public nor private sector jobs value these experiences, and universities base their decisions on nothing but national rankings on standardized testing.
But all is not lost – because here you have a region where parents are willing to do anything for their children; most youth are in school and spend years working for their future; and policy makers are increasingly more concerned about these issues.
Now I will touch upon the implications these challenges pose for policymaking with a particular focus on the U.S. perspective.
First, the youth challenges that the region is facing are driven by economic and social incentives, which in turn shape the decisions taken by millions of families and youth. Youth transitions constitute outcomes across several interconnected markets, most importantly in education, labor, credit, and marriage. Program and Policies need to exploit these inter-linkages. For example, if programs are going to provide credit to young people to start their own businesses, it is important to build-in clear criteria which are based not only on their diplomas but what they have achieved outside school to incentivize volunteerism and extracurricular activities.
Second, the chasm in U.S.-Middle East relations has emerged amidst greater convergence in ideas and aspirations. Triggered by a large youth cohort, the Middle East is undergoing change where it is aligning with fundamental drivers of globalization. The region has embraced the idea of market economy and values education. Middle Eastern youth ascribe to the fundamental pro-growth norms of behavior such as hard work and high investment in children including girls.
There is a strong foundation to build a future middle class. These are all areas where the U.S. is a leader. As the country with the world’s best record in harnessing the energy of youth, there is much the U.S. can offer the Middle East. The U.S. relationship with the region should be cast on broader terms, making youth development as a template for exercising smart power.
Key recommendations include exporting soft technology for institutional reform of education. Youth in the U.S. have a relatively smooth transition to adulthood compared to most advanced countries. Transitions to adulthood in the US are facilitated because of the close integration between the education system and the labor market. The U.S institutional set up may not fit the Middle East perfectly, but as with all exports, soft technology exports can be adapted to fit local conditions. The educational system in the U.S. has already provided the region with great institutions of higher education – such as the American Universities of Beirut and Cairo—which have produced many of the region’s leaders. The US can extend assistance on a broader scale encompassing curriculum reform for high schools, the transition from high school to university (reforms of university admission practices), and the transition from school to work. Government should create incentives for greater collaboration between Middle Eastern and U.S. non governmental organizations, research institutes and universities.
The challenge is how the U.S. can build on its strengths and can be seen as genuinely interested in economic development. At the moment, there is a lack of instruments for such an exchange. In fact, currently, the Foreign Assistance Act does not have an explicit window to target funds for youth. The language of the Foreign Assistance Act should be changed to overcome this policy flaw. Youth development should be given priority, particularly in countries experiencing “youth bulge” and high rates of youth unemployment.
And finally, the discourse on the Middle East is highly and exclusively political and lacks an economic development focus. Addressing Middle Eastern youth solely through the prism of potential extremism misses the opportunity for aligning U.S. policy with the aspirations of the majority of the moderate citizens in the Middle East. It alienates the very people we are trying to help. Currently, there is re-negotiation of the rules of the game in the region, and it is being spurred by youth, who we should be empowering and supporting.
By Navtej Dhillon, Fellow/Director of the Middle East Youth Initiative, co-presented at a panel of experts to congressional staffers from the Foreign Relations Committee on the implications and opportunities of the youth bulge and how states and outside organizations are trying to respond. Joining him were Honorable Marwan Muasher, Senior Vice President at the World Bank, and Ellen Laipson, President/CEO of the Stimson Center.
In my brief remarks today, I would like to make one central point: The youth challenge is the most critical 21st century economic development challenge facing the Middle East. In a region where almost 65% of the population is under the age of 30, long term prosperity and stability hinges on the opportunities afforded to this generation. While radicalism and terrorism remain critical security concerns, the majority of Middle Eastern youth are involved in a different fight: a fight for better education, jobs and affordable housing. It is on the back of this generation that the Middle East will build a future middle class - a middle class which can be a catalyst for more open and democratic societies. Therefore to advance U.S. interests in the Middle East, we need more than anti-radicalization strategy; we need a strategy that elevates youth-development alongside defense and diplomacy both in principle and practice.
Drawing both on our research at Brookings and a recent trip to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon where I worked with young people I would like to elaborate on this main thesis by focusing on three areas: first, to show that the Middle East is at a critical juncture and how a large youth bulge presents opportunities for growth and prosperity; second, to outline the main challenges facing youth in the region; and third, to showcase some of the implications for policy, especially U.S. policy with regards to the region.
Recognizing that the Middle East is at crossroads, we have to realize that there is a narrow window of opportunity to build a foundation for lasting prosperity. The region faces a scenario of double dividend or double jeopardy: for the first time in its modern history, the Middle East is simultaneously experiencing an economic boom and a demographic boon. The region is experiencing its best economic performance in three decades – oil and non oil producing countries alike are showing record growth. Second, the region has a large youth bulge, presenting a large pool of human capital which if used productively can usher growth and prosperity. If countries can take advantage of the confluence of these two historic gifts, they can create a virtuous cycle of higher growth, higher incomes and savings. Failure to do so will result in a double jeopardy: the economic and social exclusion of youth drains growth and creates social strife. But the time for securing this double dividend is now. The window of opportunity – where countries have fewer dependents - will close in the next ten to fifteen years.
Middle Eastern economies can seize this opportunity as many Asian economies have done. However, without urgent reform, the region risks missing this historic opportunity. Already, there are some alarming signs. Despite good economic growth, prospects for young people are not improving significantly or rapidly. This has been a central pre-occupation of the Middle East Youth Initiative – to understand why young people continue to be excluded.
I will be sharing some of the concepts and ideas that our studies and work have led to.
The majority of 15-24 and 25-30 year olds in the region are confronted with a new life phase we have termed waithood – a concept that refers to the bewildering time in which large proportions of Middle Eastern youth spend their best years waiting. It is a phase in which the difficulties youth face in each of these interrelated spheres of life result in a debilitating state of helplessness and dependency. Waithood can be best understood by examining outcomes and linkages across five different sectors: education, employment, housing, credit, and marriage.
Poorly prepared for the labor market by their educational systems, Middle Eastern youth face unemployment rates that are nearly twice the world average (20-40 percent compared to 10-20 percent). Furthermore, their queuing time for their first job is measured in years rather than months compared to their counterparts in Asia and Latin America. I’ve met many youth in the region who have waited 3-4 years for a public sector job.
With regards to housing – all the oil money flowing into the region has sent the costs of real estate soaring in urban cities. This often compromises young people’s ability to get married and lead independent lives. Furthermore, while credit allows youth in other parts of the world to smooth their future consumption, in many Middle Eastern countries, poorly functioning credit markets fail in their basic purpose.
As a result of not being able to afford a dowry, or a house, young Middle Eastern men are involuntarily delaying marriage, which in the region, is a rite to passage for adulthood, independence and legitimate sexual relationships. Today, the average age of marriage is on the rise in most Middle Eastern countries, imposing economic and social costs which have yet to be fully understood. All this compounds the dependency of youth on their parents.
So we get back to the question: why does this waithood persist even in good times? The root cause lies in the economic and social institutions and the signals they send which shapes behavior and decisions. Think of this as the invisible infrastructure – the rules of the game which organize society. In the Middle East, this invisible infrastructure is based on an education system which prepares youth for public sector employment, thereby reinforcing three problematic ideas. First, that a university education is the only prize worth pursuing. Second, the notion of a lifetime secure desk job. Third, that readiness for marriage is largely contingent upon both a university education and a stable job which only perpetuates the lure for degrees and desk jobs. But with globalization and privatization, this invisible infrastructure is no longer functioning as it should. Let me illustrate this concept with some examples and facts from the ground.
Parents in the region invest billions of dollars in private tutoring to increasingly prep their children for standardized tests, so children end up learning a narrow set of skills. Then donors and governments must spend resources re-training these very youth to given them a wider range of skills because of the limitedness and poor quality of their initial education. Public policy would be infinitely more effective if parents had the incentives to invest in broader skills, rather than governments and donors undoing the investment of parents.
Through a focus group we held in Jordan, we found that young men are willing to continue waiting for public sector jobs which may never materialize. They are not incentivized to search for a job in the private sector (informal or formal) because they feel the wait is much better than the stigma and insecurity attached to work in the private sector.
Why do youth who have lower opportunity costs not undertake more voluntary work? A Gallup poll in 2006/2007 asked Middle Eastern youth “in the last month, did you volunteer your time to an organization”. The regional average was just 11%; in countries like Jordan, only 4% of respondents answered yes. The reason is because youth and their families have no incentives to invest in volunteerism; neither public nor private sector jobs value these experiences, and universities base their decisions on nothing but national rankings on standardized testing.
But all is not lost – because here you have a region where parents are willing to do anything for their children; most youth are in school and spend years working for their future; and policy makers are increasingly more concerned about these issues.
Now I will touch upon the implications these challenges pose for policymaking with a particular focus on the U.S. perspective.
First, the youth challenges that the region is facing are driven by economic and social incentives, which in turn shape the decisions taken by millions of families and youth. Youth transitions constitute outcomes across several interconnected markets, most importantly in education, labor, credit, and marriage. Program and Policies need to exploit these inter-linkages. For example, if programs are going to provide credit to young people to start their own businesses, it is important to build-in clear criteria which are based not only on their diplomas but what they have achieved outside school to incentivize volunteerism and extracurricular activities.
Second, the chasm in U.S.-Middle East relations has emerged amidst greater convergence in ideas and aspirations. Triggered by a large youth cohort, the Middle East is undergoing change where it is aligning with fundamental drivers of globalization. The region has embraced the idea of market economy and values education. Middle Eastern youth ascribe to the fundamental pro-growth norms of behavior such as hard work and high investment in children including girls.
There is a strong foundation to build a future middle class. These are all areas where the U.S. is a leader. As the country with the world’s best record in harnessing the energy of youth, there is much the U.S. can offer the Middle East. The U.S. relationship with the region should be cast on broader terms, making youth development as a template for exercising smart power.
Key recommendations include exporting soft technology for institutional reform of education. Youth in the U.S. have a relatively smooth transition to adulthood compared to most advanced countries. Transitions to adulthood in the US are facilitated because of the close integration between the education system and the labor market. The U.S institutional set up may not fit the Middle East perfectly, but as with all exports, soft technology exports can be adapted to fit local conditions. The educational system in the U.S. has already provided the region with great institutions of higher education – such as the American Universities of Beirut and Cairo—which have produced many of the region’s leaders. The US can extend assistance on a broader scale encompassing curriculum reform for high schools, the transition from high school to university (reforms of university admission practices), and the transition from school to work. Government should create incentives for greater collaboration between Middle Eastern and U.S. non governmental organizations, research institutes and universities.
The challenge is how the U.S. can build on its strengths and can be seen as genuinely interested in economic development. At the moment, there is a lack of instruments for such an exchange. In fact, currently, the Foreign Assistance Act does not have an explicit window to target funds for youth. The language of the Foreign Assistance Act should be changed to overcome this policy flaw. Youth development should be given priority, particularly in countries experiencing “youth bulge” and high rates of youth unemployment.
And finally, the discourse on the Middle East is highly and exclusively political and lacks an economic development focus. Addressing Middle Eastern youth solely through the prism of potential extremism misses the opportunity for aligning U.S. policy with the aspirations of the majority of the moderate citizens in the Middle East. It alienates the very people we are trying to help. Currently, there is re-negotiation of the rules of the game in the region, and it is being spurred by youth, who we should be empowering and supporting.
By Navtej Dhillon, Fellow/Director of the Middle East Youth Initiative, co-presented at a panel of experts to congressional staffers from the Foreign Relations Committee on the implications and opportunities of the youth bulge and how states and outside organizations are trying to respond. Joining him were Honorable Marwan Muasher, Senior Vice President at the World Bank, and Ellen Laipson, President/CEO of the Stimson Center.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
UAE: Volunteering must in civil society: experts
ABU DHABI - The first international symposium on developing a 'culture of volunteering' in universities and schools across the country was held in the capital on April 29.
Organised by the Emirates Foundation's volunteer programme Takatof, the symposium, titled 'Learning from the International Volunteer Experience', featured international delegates including senior educational officials and social activists, who stressed that volunteering is a critical aspect of an active civil society.
Delivering the keynote address on university involvement, Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, told delegates: "Volunteering adds a different dimension to learning: it helps students apply what they've learned in their classrooms and become contributing members to their societies."
Minister of Education Dr Hanif Hassan announced that a new student volunteer and community service programme has been initiated in the country, in collaboration with Emirates Foundation's Takatof and the Ministry of Culture.
"This now forms the basis for volunteer service activities in all our schools. The philosophy of the programme is to encourage students to make a personal investment in the wellbeing of others, to accept their civic responsibilities and to develop environmental awareness," said the minister.
The specialists who attended the symposium included philanthropist Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant-Governor of Maryland, the USA, and a board member of the 'Points of Light' Foundation, Liz Burns from the UK, former world president of the International Association for Volunteer Effort, Patricia Nabti, president of Lebanon's Association for Volunteer Services, and Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way of America.
Brian Gallagher stressed that young people should be given opportunities to assume leadership positions and influence the decision-making process of voluntary organisations, as their passion and commitment are necessary for the success of society.
"Civil society will thrive if the three pillars of society, represented in business, government and voluntary organisations, play equal roles as no segment of the society is complete without the engagement of the others," said Gallagher.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Professor at Georgetown University in the US, said teachers need training in order to raise the awareness of their students regarding issues in the community and get them actively engaged in voluntary activities.
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, managing director of the Emirates Foundation, commented: "In partnership with both education Ministries, we shall use the results of this symposium to review the "state of the art" in educational volunteering worldwide so that we can determine which models and best practices are most suitable for the nation."
By Asma Hamid, Khaleej Times
Organised by the Emirates Foundation's volunteer programme Takatof, the symposium, titled 'Learning from the International Volunteer Experience', featured international delegates including senior educational officials and social activists, who stressed that volunteering is a critical aspect of an active civil society.
Delivering the keynote address on university involvement, Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, told delegates: "Volunteering adds a different dimension to learning: it helps students apply what they've learned in their classrooms and become contributing members to their societies."
Minister of Education Dr Hanif Hassan announced that a new student volunteer and community service programme has been initiated in the country, in collaboration with Emirates Foundation's Takatof and the Ministry of Culture.
"This now forms the basis for volunteer service activities in all our schools. The philosophy of the programme is to encourage students to make a personal investment in the wellbeing of others, to accept their civic responsibilities and to develop environmental awareness," said the minister.
The specialists who attended the symposium included philanthropist Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lieutenant-Governor of Maryland, the USA, and a board member of the 'Points of Light' Foundation, Liz Burns from the UK, former world president of the International Association for Volunteer Effort, Patricia Nabti, president of Lebanon's Association for Volunteer Services, and Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way of America.
Brian Gallagher stressed that young people should be given opportunities to assume leadership positions and influence the decision-making process of voluntary organisations, as their passion and commitment are necessary for the success of society.
"Civil society will thrive if the three pillars of society, represented in business, government and voluntary organisations, play equal roles as no segment of the society is complete without the engagement of the others," said Gallagher.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Professor at Georgetown University in the US, said teachers need training in order to raise the awareness of their students regarding issues in the community and get them actively engaged in voluntary activities.
Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, managing director of the Emirates Foundation, commented: "In partnership with both education Ministries, we shall use the results of this symposium to review the "state of the art" in educational volunteering worldwide so that we can determine which models and best practices are most suitable for the nation."
By Asma Hamid, Khaleej Times
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