“Sharjah is committed to supporting refugees around the world by extending a strong and reliable helping hand reflected in several sustainable humanitarian programmes that mirror the ethos of our cultural project”, said His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, during a virtual event held to honour the winner of the fifth annual Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support (SIARA 2021).
“Sharjah will always be steadfast with building on the values of cooperation and partnership to create a world where love and justice will always prevail. In our religion, as in our Arab culture, standing by the vulenarable and people in need is a duty, not a choice. It is also a daily responsibility and not a sporadic reaction”, the Sharjah Ruler continued at the virtually-held awarding ceremony of SIARA’s 2021 edition organized by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a Sharjah-based global humanitarian charity, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and held on Sunday, June 20, which is marked globally as World Refugee Day – an annual observance designed to honour refugees from around the world.
At the awarding ceremony, which was facilitated by renowned Arab media personality, Maysoon Azzam, His Highness noted: “Undoubtedly, we share these religious and cultural values with all nations and cultures worldwide because helping the less fortunate is a core human value rooted in every culture, and are close to the hearts of all individuals. This leads us to discussing the significance of humanitarian institutions who have been successful in consolidating their intent, energies and capabilities to design sustainable projects that have changed the lives of thousands... even millions of refugees and needy people worldwide.”
Reiterating the fact that by extending support to those in need, communities ultimately create a bright future for all, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi opined: “Societies are shaped by values, and people’s actions determine what these values are. Those who carry out good deeds and sincerely help those in need, contribute to shaping a culture of empathy, compassion and cohesion in their communities. Based on this tenet, humanitarian organizations deserve every bit of society’s support and must be provided everything they need to execute key humanitarian programmes and initiatives. It is because these entities open the door of hope for the forcibly displaced and are a trusted place for anyone seeking to carry out humanitarian work.”
One such entity on which SIARA turned the spotlight on this year with its AED 500,000 (US$ 136,000) cash prize is RefuSHE, a Nairobi-based humanitarian agency founded in 2008 to address the significant, unmet need for child and girl-focused refugee services in Kenya.
SIARA 2021 highlight: A TBHF–NAMA special grant of AED 1.1 (US$ 300,000) awarded to three non-profits, INARA, The Lotus Flower and RefuSHE.