Stories of refugees told during successful event to mark Human Rights Day 2015
Event in Dubai to highlight the importance of the Business Action Pledge in Response to the Refugee Crisis
To mark Human Rights Day, NRS International partnered with the UN Global Compact UAE Network to stage a two-day event depicting the lives of refugees and victims of humanitarian crises. On 9 December, an interactive art exhibition was created, giving insights into many facets of the refugee crisis, including hunger, women’s rights, education and malaria.
We are a proud member of the United Nations Global Compact United Arab Emirates – Steering Committee, and together we facilitated the first annual event in Dubai to highlight and underscore the importance of the Business Action Pledge in Response to the Refugee Crisis.
The UN Global Compact, in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), launched the Business Action Pledge to call companies and other stakeholders to take action to diminish the suffering of people forced to flee conflict and support solutions for the resulting widespread societal disruption. You can learn how you and/or your company can get involved with the Pledge by signing up here.
The events from 9-10 December featured a reception and exhibition, with attendees travelling from Malaysia, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Qatar, as well as representation from across the UAE. On 10 December, we dedicated the day to youth outreach and held two interactive sessions with students from American University in Dubai, Middlesex University, Amity University, Zayed University, Murdoch University, and the Institute of Management Technology in Dubai.
‘Worst refugee crisis on record’
A news article related to our sponsored event was also published by 7 Days. Read it to learn how businesses have been urged to contribute to UNHCR’s relief fund to help alleviate the ‘worst refugee crisis on record’.
Work together to support refugees
We are convinced that the two days generated conversation on how we can work together to support refugees. Through our Pakistan-based charity, the Bilqees Sarwar Foundation, we have been able to support medical care for more than 5,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon, as well as send core relief items to internally displaced persons in northern Syria. But this is only the beginning, our new commitment to education through the Global Business Coalition for Education will focus on providing solutions for the enrolled young people not in school due to conflict.