DUBAI // Volunteering to aid social welfare groups is abysmally low in Dubai, the Community Development Authority survey has shown.
Compared to highs of 47 per cent in Canada, 44 per cent in the UK, 36 per cent in Australia and 32.2 per cent in Singapore, Dubai registered only 2.9 per cent.
The 2013-14 survey used other OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries as a benchmark.
The findings showed that people need to be encouraged to contribute to society, said Khaled Al Kamda, director general of CDA.
“Being a good citizen does not mean only looking after your family and yourself, there is a responsibility to the country and to give back to society whether it is engineers or doctors,” he said.
“Culture and understanding of volunteering plays a big role. The Europeans are used to giving time to society, that is part of their culture. Although giving is embedded in our culture, volunteering is new. People can give time to help people with disability, help the elderly, work in campaigns.”
Youth should be the focus of attempts to raise interest in volunteering.
“Youth are the engine for change,” Mr Al Kamda said. “Volunteering is important for all ages but our focus at the CDA and through the Dubai Centre for Volunteering is to encourage youth. By 2020 we will need 30,000 volunteers to help the Government in hosting the Expo and that is something we are working on from now. It is an issue we have to address. Creating opportunity for people to volunteer and making them aware will be important.”
The survey was conducted from October to December last year covering 15,077 people including 1,328 Emirati households.
Dr Tarik Ibrahim, director of the CDA’s research and policy department, said it took each person more than an hour to answer a total of 700 questions in the survey.
The last survey was conducted in 2011 and the first in 2007.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
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Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
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Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
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Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
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Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
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6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
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Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
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