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UAE residents do their bit for Indian flood victims
UAE residents do their bit for Indian flood victims Nivriti Butalia / 29 June 2013 Aid continues to pour in from local communities in the UAE for the victims of floods in the Indian state of Uttrakhand that have washed away hundreds and left thousands stranded. The Uttrakhand Association in Dubai has been working tirelessly to raise funds to send to the worst-affected areas, with Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde saying he expected the death toll to rise over the current 1,000 several days ago. More than 10,000 people remain stranded. Association general secretary Sanjay Singh Thapa said he was in constant touch with people from his hometown. Contact persons Those interested in contributing may contact the following representatives in the UAE: Dinesh Bhatt (055-9272318), Dubai Deepak Dhami (050-2454924), Abu Dhabi Devendra Singh Koranga (050-5103334), UAE Atul Tiwari (055-9029859), UAE Niraj Kumar Joshi (050-6669283), Ras Al Khaimah Sandeep Rautela (050-3506273), Fujairah Navin Singh Kathayat (050-6580214), Sharjah Girish Pant (050-9947548), Al Nahda, Sharjah Jaiprakash Kothari (050-3786112), Al Nahda, Sharjah Kailash Chandra Joshi (0506401142), Al Nahda, Dubai Sanjay Singh Thapa (050-4556736), Al Nahda, Dubai Vivek Bahuguna (055-6587322), International City Anup Jakhmola (056-1148479), JLT and Dubai Marina Capt Anil Agarwal (055-4560236), JLT and Dubai Marina Dharam Singh Rana (050-3501845), Al Ain “Dharchula is one of the worst hit by floods in the Kali river. Thousands of the people lost their homes and their property…it takes lot of time and money to build a good house. This calamity has swept everything; even land doesn’t exist anymore since it has all been washed away by the flood. Hundreds of people are stranded in the villages. At least around 60 villages that are high up in the Himalayas in the vicinity of Mount Panchachuli and Om Parvat and Kailash Manasarovar are cut off from the rest of the world.” From their members in the emirates, the Uttrakhand Association has collected over Dh25,000, with more still coming in. A social worker and mother of two college-going children, Geeta Chandola left Dubai for Delhi on Friday evening and will travel to the affected areas with Dh7,000 that had earlier been collected and handed over to her. She will spend a month in Uttrakhand helping out the victims and distributing clothes and medicines and blankets and footwear. As money pours in, it will be transferred to her Indian bank account and from that fund she will buy what the victims immediately need. In Abu Dhabi, Rahul Dutta, a 29-year-old employee of Emirates Aluminum, has collected Dh1,475 from 10-15 of his colleagues including locals who immediately responded with cash donations to his email plea for relief for flood victims. Uttrakhand Association president Devendra Singh Koranga said money and aid in the form of warm clothing and footwear was coming in every day. On Thursday, the day Khaleej Times printed an article on the subject, he received about 35 calls from people asking how they can help. nivriti@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Be Somebody to inspire the world
Be Somebody to inspire the world Sarah Young / 28 June 2013 Inspirational graffiti is now gracing the walls of Dubai, thanks to an American team undertaking a whirlwind, paint-splashing tour through 15 cities in 11 countries. A team of four have bought the slogan from the social media motivation movement “Be Somebody” to two walls in the Al Quoz art district, Al Serkal Avenue. The brainchild of Kash Shaikh, who worked for nine years building brands for Proctor and Gamble and camera company GoPro, and Josh Heuser, founder of Agar, a culture-creating marketing and social intelligence agency in the US, the six-week self-funded tour started on May 25 in Austin, Texas, and will finish in San Francisco on July 4. Besomebody.com was started by Shaikh who began using the hashtag #besomebody in 2009. The blog now claims to be the fastest-growing online motivation movement in the world, with content reaching 3 million people each week in 30 countries. Following visits to 10 cities including New York, London, Paris, Barcelona, Casablanca, and Shirati, Tanzania, the group reached Dubai, the sole Middle Eastern venue, on Monday evening and left again on Wednesday night. The idea came about after Shaikh saw the phrase tagged on an overpass in his home town Houston, Texas. “Any time someone saw that they’d take a picture and send it to me. I had hundreds in my inbox.” Captured by the idea of “tagging the world”, and bringing together social media and street art, Shaikh and Heuser brought on renowned Cincinnati-based graffiti artist Danny Babcock to create these “punch in the gut” pieces to “inspire people to do what they want to do”, and filmmaker Matthew “Snow” Rowe to document the journey. Shaikh said Dubai was one of the places they were most excited to reach. “It’s an emblem of imagination and innovation. We’ve come here when the art scene is really taking off. “I spent three months living in Dubai two years ago and really noticed the lack of art scene…your first impression of the town is very sci-fi, plastic and metal…so it’s really cool to do this and show a different side of Dubai. “A lot of progress has been made. “One thing we don’t want to do is bring to life stereotypical parts of Dubai…the over-indulgence and luxury. We want to take the true and positive behind that….no limits and pushing further than people have dreamed to push … This place is a fantasy land.” With between 36 and 72 hours in each location, the team has to find a wall and some paint, and then get cracking on a piece relating to a city-specific theme. Dubai posed unique challenges of “highly expensive paint”, and burning heat, meaning the team had to work all hours of the night and early morning. Luckily, arrest was avoided given they were able to do it on private property. “It was a pleasant surprise finding this oasis of art in Dubai, and …people so open and welcoming. It fights back against that stereotype that you can’t do this in Dubai.” Dubai’s theme was imagination, to link to the World Expo 2020 aspirations, and engage the community to connect and build the future together. Babcock, who likens the process to hip hop in that he freestyles his creations on the spot, said the phrase “success and excess” was running through his head while working here. “Everything (here) is done in a creative way …. even if it’s built fast. “It takes imagination to be that successful to excess. “And you’re in the middle of a desert, so everything has to be creative. What is imagination, if not creating and bringing to life.” Al Serkal developer Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal said Alserkal Avenue had always been a home to independent projects, initiatives and ideas. “#besomebody is a wonderful global movement dedicated to engage the community and we are glad to be a part of it.” Shaikh said the UAE had by far the most Be Somebody followers in the Middle East, with most aged between 15 and 30, and was one of the top 12 countries using BeSomebody. “People here understand what we are trying to do. “This is exciting because this age-group can really drive change and movements. So much has happened in this region with the Arab Spring …and the next step is people looking at striving for something positive.” sarah@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
UAE for peaceful resolution of all issues with Iran
UAE for peaceful resolution of all issues with Iran Staff Reporter / 25 June 2013 The UAE is for long-lasting and effective confidence-building measures (CBMs) and peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues with its neighbour Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued to Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Monday. The ministry statement said the UAE also continues to contribute to the international efforts aimed at securing global peace and prosperity. “Despite the long-running dispute with Iran on the question of the three occupied UAE islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs and worries about Iran’s nuclear programme, the UAE has kept open all channels of constructive engagement that could result in a mechanism for confidence-building measures and the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues,” the statement added. However, the ministry affirmed that while continuing to demand the restoration of the UAE’s full sovereignty over the three islands, the country remains committed to its proposal that the issue should be settled either through direct, serious negotiations or by referral to the International Court of Justice. About Syria, the ministry said the UAE was concerned about the appalling and dangerous conflict there. “As has been noted by the Foreign Minister, the UAE supports the emergence of a non-sectarian government in the country which will protect the rights of its various communities. With regards to the current and escalating civil conflict, the UAE has provided substantial support for refugees in neighbouring countries, while participating in the Friends of Syria group, supporting Arab and international initiatives to bring the bloodshed to an end and in the work of the Task Force entrusted with future reconstruction of the Syrian economy,” the policy statement added. The UAE is one of the major contributors to humanitarian assistance and development projects in Palestine, as well as to the direct budget of the Palestinian Authority. Overall, the UAE has provided over $3 billion in aid to the Palestinians, including development funds for infrastructure, housing, hospital and school projects. In addition, the country donated $174 million towards reconstruction in Gaza. Aid to Afghanistan, Pakistan About peace efforts in Afghanistan, the statement said the UAE continues to contribute constructively to the international efforts aimed at stabilising war-torn country. “Besides the active role played by units of the UAE Armed Forces in supporting the Afghan Governments to restore the security, the UAE has also provided Dh5.5 billion in aid to Afghanistan, mainly devoted to infrastructure: road-building, schools, mosques and hospitals,” the ministry said in the statement. The UAE is the only Arab country performing humanitarian activities on the ground in Afghanistan. The country also emphasises the importance of achieving harmony, building confidence and strengthening cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours, particularly Pakistan. Given Pakistan’s proximity to the Gulf region, the UAE has continued to affirm the importance of that country’s stability. The Project to Assist Pakistan is carrying out 28 development and humanitarian projects worth $54.5 million in South Waziristan province, including schools and colleges. Beyond the region, the UAE’s foreign policy continues to adapt to accommodate the evolving changes in the global community. As part of its pragmatic approach, the UAE is building bilateral and multilateral relations with both industrialised and developing countries, while strengthening ties both with its traditional allies in the West and with those in South and East Asia. Referring to the country’s nuclear energy policy, the ministry statement said the country’s quest for nuclear energy also witnessed intense diplomatic efforts to develop cooperation mechanisms to guarantee a credible and comprehensive civilian programme. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
