DUBAI // Hundreds of students will have the chance to make changes in the region and play their part in the UAE’s Year of Giving on Monday with ideas on relieving humanitarian crises.
They will take part in the Youth Engagement and Global Refugee Crisis seminar, organised by the American University in Dubai in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“The situation is so dire and 38 per cent of people displaced in the world are in the Middle East and North Africa, out of more than 65 million worldwide,” said Toby Harward, head of UNHCR Abu Dhabi.
“The biggest crisis is Syria but we also have major crises in Iraq and Yemen and, increasingly, in South Sudan, where it’s now become more than one and a half million fleeing to Uganda.”
Last week, the UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, Steven O’Brien, said the world was facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War.
“Our records keep getting broken,” Mr Harward said. “For us in the UAE, we have been extremely lucky that President Sheikh Khalifa declared this year to be the Year of Giving and we looked at the key pillars, which are corporate service responsibility, spirit of volunteering and serving the nation.”
From volunteering and education to training and creating new technologies to help displaced people, the students will have their say.
“Youth is a critical mass of the refugees,” Mr Harward said. “More than 50 per cent of refugees globally are children and youths and many of them aren’t able to have proper education and their lives have been put on hold.
“It’s natural to see what more can other, more prosperous and fortunate, youth do in the region and globally to engage [in] how they can make their voices heard and become more involved in projects to build effective programmes for refugees.”
Students from Zayed University, Sorbonne University - Abu Dhabi and New York University Abu Dhabi will attend the conference, along with the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Christos Stylianides.
“We believe in the voice of the youth very much,” Mr Harward said. “They will talk about their experiences, what they’ve done in terms of volunteering with refugees in Greece and elsewhere or how they engaged with charities in the private sector. It’s important to get them involved because they are the voice of advocacy to provide a voice to refugees.”
The students can look no further than the country where they live for inspiration as the UAE is heavily involved in humanitarian work in the region and beyond.
“Young people can do many things apart from the usual volunteering and feel responsible towards the community they belong to,” said Elias Bou Saab, former Lebanese education minister and executive vice president at AUD.
“[They] can also start innovating ways and ideas that could help in such crises, whether it’s training, education, creating some type of technology aid, whether it’s an app or any way to ramp up educating children.
“Participating and feeling responsible is important. We’re not tackling how to put an end to [refugee] crises - we’re assuming these things exist [but] what can the community do? What should the reaction be and how can they help?”
Dr Tareq Al Gurg, chief executive of Dubai Cares, said the youth of today were technologically integrated, fast-paced and eager to change the world. “It is highly important to broaden the base of youth engagement in the region,” he said.
“The recent events around the world have delivered powerful examples of the potential of young people to mobilise, engage in social, economic, political and humanitarian issues and to drive the positive change they want to see.
“Dubai Cares aims to articulate an approach that supports young people to do more, do better and reach further in their local communities and beyond. We can only achieve this through a quality education, youth empowerment and creation of enabling environments for youth.”
For more information on the conference, visit audunhcr.com.
cmalek@thenational.ae
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
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SPECS
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Hales' batting career
Tests 11; Runs 573; 100s 0; 50s 5; Avg 27.38; Best 94
ODIs 58; Runs 1,957; 100s 5; 50s 11; Avg 36.24; Best 171
T20s 52; Runs 1,456; 100s 1; 50s 7; Avg 31.65; Best 116 not out
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Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SHAITTAN
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5