Khalifa declares 2017 as ‘Year of Giving’

Abu Dhabi / WAM

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2017 as the “Year of Giving” to promote the culture of giving back to the community and enhance the spirit of volunteering and loyalty to one’s country.
The “Year of Giving” will focus on three main pillars: the first of which aims at creating a sense of community responsibility in the private sectors so as to fulfil their role in serving the community and contribute in the developmental march of the country. The second pillar focuses on enhancing the spirit of volunteering and encouraging specialised volunteer programs that will effectively assist in social development and community services. The third pillar aims at instilling loyalty and commitment in the next generation to serve their country, a trait that is characteristic of Emiratis who were raised to love and serve their country.
UAE President affirmed that designating the year 2017 as the “Year of Giving” mirrors the method adopted by the UAE ever since its formation, a method based on helping others without expecting anything in return. His Highness further explained that the UAE is known for its philanthropic activities and helping the less fortunate worldwide while the people of the UAE follow in the footsteps of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, the world-renowned philanthropist.
His Highness emphasised that the UAE has made great strides in charitable and philanthropic works and that it is necessary to open people up to the notion of giving back to society.
In implementation of the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum directed to outline a comprehensive framework to implement the “Year of Giving” and set out targets, draft federal and local initiatives as well as coordinate volunteer works and promote a culture of social responsibility so that individuals and institutions from the public and private sectors, be effective partners in the developmental process of the UAE.
Sheikh Mohammed highlighted that the programs and initiatives of the “Year of Giving” will target the private sectors in particular, given the fact that it is an important and major partner in the developmental march of the country. Sheikh Mohammed affirmed that allocating a year to celebrate and disseminate charitable works reflects the UAE’s prominent position as the world’s top humanitarian donors, thanks to the relentless efforts of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed further asserted that the “Year of Giving” sends a message of love, tolerance and hope from the UAE leaders and its generous people to the region and the entire world.
The launch of the “Year of Giving” follows the concluding ceremony of the Year of Reading 2016, which saw more than 1,500 reading initiatives that engaged various segments of the society and most significantly, launched a strategy that aimed at transforming the act of reading into a lifestyle in the UAE and also was crowned by issuing the National Reading Law, the first decree of its kind in the UAE and the wider region, positioning reading as a cultural value and setting it into a legislative context bound by implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. At the end of the ceremony a decree establishing the AED1 billion Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library in Dubai was also established with aim to boost the reading culture in the Arab world.

Year of Goodness
To ensure the success, the focus will be on three major themes: strengthening social responsibility in the private sector, promoting spirit of volunteerism and specialised voluntary programmes in all segments of society, and strengthening the concept of serving the nation in the new generations.
Strengthening social responsibility in the private sector institutions is aimed at encouraging their role in serving the country and contributing to its development. The spirit of volunteerism and specialised voluntary programmes in all segments of society will enable them to provide genuine services to the UAE
society and benefit from its
competencies in all fields.
Strengthening the concept of the younger generations to serve the nation is one of the UAE’s most important personal characteristics. For, serving the nation guarantees developing love for the country, which has been ongoing for decades in the hearts of the people of the UAE, as well as within all expatriate residents.
The launch of “Year of Goodness 2017” follows the conclusion of 2016 as the Year of Reading.
“Choosing 2017 to be the Year of Goodness reflects the UAE’s humanitarian approach since its establishment as well as providing aid for free,” President His Highness Sheikh
Khalifa said.
“The UAE is the country of goodness and the Emiratis are carrying forward the humanitarian legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. When people speak about achievements, we are proud of following the humanitarian approach of the late Sheikh Zayed, and when people speak about their history, we speak about the history of the humanitarian achievements since the establishment of the country,” President Khalifa said.
Pointing out the importance of enhancing the humanitarian concept in all segments of society, Sheikh Khalifa said, ”The UAE has global accomplishments in the field of humanitarian aid and we seek to boost this culture as it represents one of the most important merits of the UAE’s personality and its
institutions.’
“As far as we provide assistance, Allah the Almighty will increase blessings, stability, security, safety, peace of mind, and a dignified life for us,” he added.
In this regard, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa was keen to explain that the noblest image of humanitarian work is connected with serving the homeland and working continuously to develop and sacrifice for it.
“True citizenship does not mean to take always but also means sacrificing precious things for the sake of the homeland,” he explained, adding, “Serving the homeland and the society is a joint responsibility between the government, individuals and private sector, and the UAE will always be one team.”
The president also pointed out the importance of voluntary culture as an indicator of the development of the society, saying, “Our goal is to instil the culture of voluntary service and serving the society as a higher value in our institutions and in our citizens”
The legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed who defined the pillars of humanitarian work as one of the UAE’s main principles, he said, adding, “One of the most important values that we should to instil in our people are his legacies and values.”
Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has directed immediate implementation of the directives of the president.
This is to be accomplished through the setting up of an overall framework to activate the “Year of Goodness” by identifying the objectives, drafting the federal and local initiatives, unification of volunteer work in all its forms, and efforts to strengthen the culture of social responsibility in order to involve individuals and institutions from the public and private sectors in the development of the UAE.
He also said that the initiatives and programmes of the ‘Year of Goodness’ will mainly target the private sector as a key partner in the development process through enhancing the concept of social responsibility in all institutions.
“The year 2017 will be the year of partnership with the private sector to offer something exceptional to the community and contribute effectively to the march of development of our country,” he affirmed.
Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of concerted efforts in this area by saying, “Our goal is to let individuals, private sector and government departments, work in co-ordination and integration to achieve better development of the UAE society.”
The “Year of Goodness” is dedicated to work for the benefit of the Emiratis, the homeland and enhances the humanitarian values in individuals and institutions in society for free as the UAE has provided us everything for free, he pointed out.
Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that designating a year to celebrate and spread humanitarian work enhances the prestige of the country globally as one of the biggest donors.
“President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have positioned the UAE to be number one globally on humanitarian indicators as they are the role models of the Emirati generations.”
“The UAE was established on the pillars of loving charitable and humanitarian work and we seek to instil this culture in our citizens,” he added.
“The sons of the late Sheikh Zayed are educated, open and ambitious and the best and noble values were instilled in them,” Sheikh Mohammed re-affirmed, adding, “Love of humanitarian work and serving people for free represent happiness, and all what we seek is happiness for our people.”
Regarding the importance of assigning a year for Goodness, Sheikh Mohammed said, “The ‘Year of Goodness’ is a message of love, tolerance and development conveyed by the UAE leadership and people to the region and the world. Civilised nations are nations whose individuals support one another and everyone works for the benefit of the nation.”