Queen urges public-private partnerships to create a culture of giving

At a session of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, H.M. Queen Rania paid tribute to the region's traditional religious tenet of giving alms and made an impassioned plea to reach beyond charity to create a culture of giving driven by civic engagement, social responsibility and joint action.

"We know about charity, but real civic engagement is about more active giving," she said. "One hand alone cannot help society, but many hands together can help to lift it up." H.M. Queen Rania pointed to an evolution that is seeing the field of philanthropy blossoming from a concept to reality. As wealth is being created at unprecedented scale in some areas of the region, it is time for companies, governments and civil society to work together to tackle societal problems at the root, she added.

"There are changes taking place in the relationship between NGOs and the private sector. They now have a strategic interest in working together and to benefit from each other. Increasingly, we are seeing hybrid organizations born out of a sense of social purpose and financial promise. We have all of the ingredients for a thriving philanthropic movement," she said.

Her Majesty was joined by Carly Fiorina, Chairman, Fiorina Foundation, USA, who echoed the need for strategic community engagement by corporations driven by enlightened self interest. "When I was the chief executive at Hewlett Packard, we believed in building capacities in communities where we have operations. This at once creates employees, customers and partners of the future." Now the chairman of her own foundation, Fiorina says every individual has "enormous potential," which is why focusing on capacity building can create real opportunity in communities.

There are obstacles that must be overcome, explained Fadi Ghandour, Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East; President and Chief Executive Officer, Aramex International, Jordan. "It creates massive scepticism when a company wants to give back to a community. People ask 'who are you, why did you come here, what do you want to do and what do you want back'? Government was also sceptical. But we found a modus operandi that works to build trust and engagement." Ghandour insists that this type of civic engagement -- renovating schools, soliciting volunteers and organizing workshops for children -- must be done in partnership with communities. With more than 50% of the population of the region younger than 20, there is an immense, untapped potential to foster volunteerism, a nascent concept that when ignited, spreads quickly across Middle Eastern communities.

H.R.H. Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Chairman, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia, noted that governments can show support for philanthropy in different ways. Al Saud praised today?s launch of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. The Foundation will be launched with an endowment of US$ 10 billion and aims to open doors for forthcoming generations of leaders of the region to shape their future by equipping them with world-class knowledge and education.

Queen Rania pointed out that in the Arab world, complaints and calls for democratization are often directed against governments and leaders. "If we have an empowered civil society it lessens the role of government and increases participation in decision-making," she said.