Download Year of Giving 2017, CSR in UAE brochure (PDF)
It has been a year since the President of UAE, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced that 2017 is the ”Year of Giving” with focus on giving back to the community, encouraging volunteerism and fortifying the loyalty to the country. The announcement came just two months after the UAE had been named the 10th most generous country in the world, according to the CAF World Giving Index. The UAE National strategy for the ”Year of giving” includes over 1,400 initiatives and includes more than 100 government and 400,000 private bodies across the UAE.
In September’s meeting of Year of Giving Committee, while reviewing the effectiveness of all initiatives, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum makes a remark:
”Our goal is to expand further on our humanitarian policies, ensuring that we multiply our efforts to deliver even more goodness to all parts of the world.”
Also, it is announced that it is registered almost 275,000 volunteers involved in hundreds of opportunities in various fields offered by over 140 institutions. At the same time, it is raised over Dh1.6 billion through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and programmes, and private and public sector and individual donations.
Moreover, at the meeting, His Highness promotes 10 new initiatives related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), volunteerism and the role of humanitarian organisations and the development sector:
- Specialised Volunteering Programme- offering various incentives for skills-based volunteers
- Giving Card- inspiring people to donate towards charitable causes
- Diploma in Humanitarian Work- development of altruistic national cadres and provide them with the best expertise and skills in the humanitarian field
- Opportunities in Government and involvement of public sector employees in volunteering- includes a list of volunteer opportunities that will be shared for all segments of society
- Collaboration between International and Local Development Institutions- sharing experiences and knowledge
- National Giving Survey- a focus on evaluation and study of the attitudes and actions toward philanthropy in the UAE
- CSR Smart Platform- a comprehensive electronic platform that provides companies in the private sector opportunities to participate in development and community projects.
- Involving Government Employees in Volunteering
- Smart Platform for Developmental and Charity Work- storing and coordination all information on humanitarian, charitable and developmental institutions in the country
- Five pieces of legislation covering CSR, volunteerism, community service and the establishment of a Coordinating Council for Charitable and Humanitarian Institutions
The National Strategy for the Year of Giving highlights six strategy pillars, which are conducted by a minister in a related field. The process involves coordination between federal and local authorities for major projects, following up the developments and accomplishments and regularly reporting to the Higher National Committee for the Year of Giving. The outline of the program can be found in our ”Year of giving” brochure.
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