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Should the UAE think about a ‘Peace Corps’?

Al Bhatti

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August 24, 2014

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Food baskets are distributed to families in Pakistan earlier this year as part of the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan. Having Emiratis spend time abroad volunteering their services could help their professional development.

Should the UAE think about a ‘Peace Corps’?
An addition to existing volunteering programmes would help needy communities and young Emiratis

The UAE’s proud tradition when it comes to foreign aid goes far beyond being, as The National reported yesterday, the largest and most prolific donor per capita in the international community. Unlike some other countries, the Dh506.2 million the UAE has given so far this year is provided where it is needed, rather than used as an adjunct to foreign policy goals.

Whether it is breaking down barriers of distrust in restive areas of Pakistan so millions of children can be vaccinated against the entirely preventable disease of polio, or providing the necessities of life to the innocents who are caught in the middle of the conflict in Syria, the UAE helps lessen misery for millions. This is not simply because this a wealthy country, but also reflects the fact that less-prosperous days here are still within living memory.

While Emiratis old enough to remember conditions before oil came on tap find it easy to empathise with those in need, subsequent generations do not always have that connection. So, perhaps one way of providing younger Emiratis with a more direct engagement with global issues is to find a way for more people to go and work on long-term projects abroad.

The Emirates Foundation for Youth Development’s Takatof programme provides an opportunity to lend a hand where it is needed, such as when it sent teams of volunteers to a working class area of New Jersey to assist in the reconstruction after Hurricane Sandy. But these are one-off projects. An extension to that programme might be something like the US’s Peace Corp, where young volunteers with specific skills like engineering or medicine are provided the opportunity to go work for maybe a couple of years in communities abroad.

The results from programmes like the Peace Corps and Britain’s VSO support the contention that young Emiratis will stand to benefit greatly. This would not be a non-military alternative to national service, which was introduced to give young people the opportunity to give back to and serve the country. Instead it would utilise Emiratis’ professional skills to help others, while raising the profile of the UAE and dispelling ignorance and misinformation about this part of the world. Moreover, an extended period embedded with needy communities abroad would build in participants a deeper understanding of the world, and that is just about right for a country that constantly looks well beyond its spot in geography.

Should the UAE think about a ‘Peace Corps’? | The National
 
Emiratis on US mission to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy

A group of 12 young Emiratis have given up their time to rebuild homes in New Jersey that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

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Volunteers from the UAE travelled to New Jersey to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild the home of Leslie Morris on Ocean Avenue. The volunteers were coordinated by Takatof, the Emirati organisation that provides humanitarian volunteer opportunities for youth in the UAE.


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Taleb Al Blooshi works on the house of Leslie Morris in Sea Bright, New Jersey.


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From left, Hasan Al Ali of Takatof and Saood Al Junaibi who were in New Jersey to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild the home of Leslie Morris.

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Taleb Al Blooshi, works on the house. he 12 young Emirati men and women who spent last week helping to renovate and build houses in New Jersey, including Ms Morris’s, aim to contribute to the rebuilding effort and also to act as cultural ambassadors for their country.

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From left, Abed Al Blooshi and Iman Ustadi, take part in the Habitat for Humanity project in Sea Bright, New Jersey.

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Taleb Al Blooshi works on rebuilding the home Leslie Morris on Ocean Avenue, Sea Bright, whose home was so badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy that it had to be demolished.

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Volunteers including Adel Al Areefi and Hasan Al Ali undertake building work on the home in Sea Bright, New Jersey. The volunteers were coordinated by Takatof, an Emirati organisation that provides humanitarian volunteer opportunities for youth in the UAE.

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From left, Tuaiba Al Darmaki, Hasan Al Ali of Takatof, and Adel Al Areefi working on the Habitat for Humanity project to rebuild the home of Leslie Morris.

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Volunteer Abed Al Blooshi digs deep for the Habitat for Humanity project.

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The home in Sea Bright, New Jersey, being built by Emirati volunteers, begins to take shape.
 
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@Al Bhatti

Excellent my friend. I remember that hurricane in the news a few years ago. Good to see them making a difference and a nice initiative. KSA should have something similar. Maybe the GCC could make some united peace corps of some sorts?

Volunteering is a good thing. UAE is moving in all the right directions. Even compulsory military service has been introduced which I wish KSA also had as you can learn a lot from a stint in the military on a human level that can also be helpful in the future in your workplace etc.

In Western Europe it is really recommend to have some other credentials than just your degree. Volunteer work is highly rated.

There is the Saudi Red Crescent though and other volunteer work in KSA but I don't recall any peace corps as of now.
 
May 20, 2014

Emiratis return from US after helping to rebuild home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy

Twelve volunteers have returned from a humanitarian mission in New Jersey to renovate a home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

The volunteers travelled to Sea Bright, a working-class area, to help rebuild a home razed in the storm, which struck the east coast of the US in autumn, 2012.

Their eight-day mission was part of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development’s Takatof programme.

They worked alongside local volunteers to build the house’s foundation, frame and scaffolding, the Emirates Foundation said.

They were collaborating with Habitat for Humanity Monmouth County, a non-profit organisation that builds affordable housing.

Dina Long, mayor of Sea Bright, and local police met the Takatof volunteers.

“The UAE is honoured to lend its assistance in rebuilding these great communities,” said Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US. “Over the past year, we have witnessed New Jersey’s courage and determination as its citizens worked tirelessly to restore their homes and schools.

The programme’s success shows the enthusiasm of UAE youth who volunteer, said Maytha Al Habsi, the foundation’s chief programmes officer. “As we welcome the volunteers back home, we applaud the effort they have put in to help those in need,” Ms Al Habsi said.

The volunteers also participated in the annual UAE National Sheikh Zayed Kidney Run in New York’s Central Park on May 10.

Proceeds from the run, held in memory of the founding President, go towards research on kidney disease.

The Emirates Foundation was founded in 2005 as an initiative of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey after hitting Jamaica and Cuba, causing the most damage there and in New York.

Thirty-eight people died in New Jersey in the storm, which caused unprecedented damage amounting to US$40 billion (Dh146.92bn). Hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed.

Sea Bright had a population of about 1,400 before the storm.

The state’s coastal towns rely on summer tourism to their beaches, many of which were damaged by the storm.

Emiratis return from US after helping to rebuild home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy | The National

@Al Bhatti

Excellent my friend. I remember that hurricane in the news a few years ago. Good to see them making a difference and a nice initiative. KSA should have something similar. Maybe the GCC could make some united peace corps of some sorts?

Volunteering is a good thing. UAE is moving in all the right directions. Even compulsory military service has been introduced which I wish KSA also had as you can learn a lot from a stint in the military on a human level that can also be helpful in the future in your workplace etc.

In Western Europe it is really recommend to have some other credentials than just your degree. Volunteer work is highly rated.

There is the Saudi Red Crescent though and other volunteer work in KSA but I don't recall any peace corps as of now.

Welcome to Takatof

http://www.shvoluntary-award.com/en/index.php

Abu Dhabi Awards | About
 
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May 20, 2014

Emiratis return from US after helping to rebuild home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy

Twelve volunteers have returned from a humanitarian mission in New Jersey to renovate a home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

The volunteers travelled to Sea Bright, a working-class area, to help rebuild a home razed in the storm, which struck the east coast of the US in autumn, 2012.

Their eight-day mission was part of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development’s Takatof programme.

They worked alongside local volunteers to build the house’s foundation, frame and scaffolding, the Emirates Foundation said.

They were collaborating with Habitat for Humanity Monmouth County, a non-profit organisation that builds affordable housing.

Dina Long, mayor of Sea Bright, and local police met the Takatof volunteers.

“The UAE is honoured to lend its assistance in rebuilding these great communities,” said Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US. “Over the past year, we have witnessed New Jersey’s courage and determination as its citizens worked tirelessly to restore their homes and schools.

The programme’s success shows the enthusiasm of UAE youth who volunteer, said Maytha Al Habsi, the foundation’s chief programmes officer. “As we welcome the volunteers back home, we applaud the effort they have put in to help those in need,” Ms Al Habsi said.

The volunteers also participated in the annual UAE National Sheikh Zayed Kidney Run in New York’s Central Park on May 10.

Proceeds from the run, held in memory of the founding President, go towards research on kidney disease.

The Emirates Foundation was founded in 2005 as an initiative of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey after hitting Jamaica and Cuba, causing the most damage there and in New York.

Thirty-eight people died in New Jersey in the storm, which caused unprecedented damage amounting to US$40 billion (Dh146.92bn). Hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed.

Sea Bright had a population of about 1,400 before the storm.

The state’s coastal towns rely on summer tourism to their beaches, many of which were damaged by the storm.

Emiratis return from US after helping to rebuild home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy | The National



http://www.shvoluntary-award.com/en/index.php

Abu Dhabi Awards | About

I think that a healthy society is often characterized by a actively participating population. Especially on a grass roots level. Values such as active participation in the process of a country and your local community, volunteer work, solidarity and a common goal should be emphasized. I know that I now sound like some commie at the height of the Russian Revolution but nothing could be further from the truth as I am not a fan of communism.

But those few values are part of any sane ideology.

I think that such initiates could also help in Pakistan and all other Muslim countries.
 
Takatof volunteers in Tanzania

Twenty volunteers from Takatof Programme took part in an international volunteer project implemented in the Tanzanian capital, Dar Al Salam during February 8-20, 2013. The volunteers made maintenance work in five classrooms in one school, construct pieces of furniture in multipurpose school hall in another school and construct 100 seats in a third school . The project was carried out with the participation of 10 volunteers from Tanzania within the cultural exchange programme between the two countries.

The project was highly successful as Takatof volunteers accomplished 1,960 volunteer hours. Emirati ambassador to Tanzania HE Abdullah Al Suweidi visited Takatof team in Dar Al Salam and expressed happiness over the voluntary work. He confirmed his commitment to continue the work initiated by the Takatof volunteers at the three schools.



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November 18, 2014

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A volunteer from Dubai Cares digs foundations for the primary school in Barkamuda, Nepal, which will cater for 150 pupils. The project is part of the group’s Volunteer Globally 2014.

Volunteers help build school in Nepal

UAE volunteers who helped to build a primary school in Nepal say the experience has inspired them to take part in future projects.

Sixteen volunteers dug trenches, laid bricks, tied and reinforced steel bars and mixed concrete during a week-long Dubai Cares project to build a primary school for 150 pupils in the village of Barkamuda.

“It renewed a desire in me to extend a helping hand to anyone, anywhere,” said Sultan Karrani, an Emirati.

“A smile of an ambitious child, a look of satisfaction on an optimistic girl’s face, a mother’s joy for a future of her children’s education … those were the most valuable gifts that the people of Barkamuda and the surrounding villages in western Nepal presented to us for our involvement in building a new school.”

The group was part of Volunteer Globally 2014, a Dubai Cares community programme.

The school is part of its mission to eradicate poverty by giving children access to education and organising adult literacy programmes in developing countries.

The team left Dubai on November 8 and worked in Barkamuda and Likma villages, supported by a professional building team from the local community.

They were led by Tariq Al Gurg, chief executive of Dubai Cares.

The team visited a school funded by Dubai Cares in Likma, took part in workshops, met families and learnt skills such as basket weaving from the local Tharu population.

They lived in homes close to the community, which helped them understand their way of life.

“Many of the men and women in our host families did not have any education at all,” said Joshua Nelson, a Canadian volunteer from the UAE.

“This trip reminded me of how blessed I am to live and work in Dubai.”

Mr Nelson said access to education was not readily available to many in Nepal, particularly the Tharu community.

Dubai Cares was launched in September 2007 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

“We were able to maximise interaction with the Barkamuda community and emphasise the influence the school will have on raising a generation of educated youth, who can participate and benefit from a knowledge-based global economy,” Mr Al Gurg said.

“Volunteer Globally offers an opportunity to be part of something unique and affirming.

“The group worked together as a team and undertook activities such as digging, picking, sifting, mixing concrete, making bricks, carrying water and tying rebar.”

He said the project reflected the positive impact of a diverse group when they worked together to help a community in need.

“We hope that this experience highlights the fact that despite differences in geography, religion, social customs, economic standing, we can all help one another and benefit from mutual respect, awareness and education,” Mr Al Gurg said.

For Australian volunteer Michelle Smith, connecting with the local population and working with UAE volunteers from eight different nationalities was a memory she will cherish.

“To me this experience has been super rewarding, being at the worksite with members of the community and having that sense of solidarity,” Ms Smith said.

Dubai Cares partner BuildOn co-managed the volunteer initiative, provided logistical support and monitored the safety and quality of the building.

The work has been recorded as part of a documentary Dubai Cares is producing to record the impact of UAE volunteers in developing countries.

Volunteers help build school in Nepal | The National
 
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