Sharjah: The global movement ‘Jeans for Refugees’ has received a contribution from its honorary patron.
Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, donated her coat to the charity initiative.
The initiative aims to spread an influential message through the medium of art. It seeks to empower people to collaborate for a common goal and to create a better world for displaced persons through the involvement of popular celebrities from the worlds of cinema, art, fashion and music.
Shaikha Jawaher’s personal item of clothing has been redesigned by renowned fashion designer and artist Johnny Dar, founder of the ‘Jeans for Refugees’ initiative.
He restyled the garment that Shaikha Jawaher wore during her humanitarian trip to the refugee camp of Zaatari, Jordan in 2014, turning it into a masterpiece of art, which will be exhibited alongside 100 pairs of jeans donated by international celebrities at the Saatchi Gallery until October 30 in London.
All pieces on display at the Saatchi Gallery exhibition are also being auctioned online. The exhibition has been organised jointly by NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA) and Jeans for Refugees, with proceeds from the sale going to the International Rescue Committee in support of the National Emergency Response Programme and women development programmes.
Shaikha Jawaher, who’s also the chairperson of NAMA, has called on the Emirati community to participate in the auction, pointing out that it will result in practical help being given to refugees through the funds that it will raise. She made her plea as part of a broader observation that the world is going through an exceptionally unstable period. “Wars and conflicts are claiming the lives of innocent people in many countries across the world, especially in the Middle East, causing an unprecedented increase in the numbers of asylum seekers,” she said.
The UNHCR in the Global Trends report, which was released by the UN Refugee Agency last May indicated that a total of 65.3 million people worldwide were displaced by the end of 2015.
“I felt her full heart in the creation of her coat, and I feel when someone is walking a path at one with their heart, that their path naturally becomes golden. Her Highness is carrying the refugee matter in her heart, weaving the golden thread around it like a mother would hug her child. It’s the gold that money just can’t buy — as we can only receive this gold from a full-hearted gift. Thank you for all your gifts that you are giving the world.” said Dar.
To view the exhibited garments that are included in the Jeans for Refugees initiatives and to take part in the online auction, visit the campaign’s official website catawiki.com\jeansforrefugees. The auction will close on October 30 at 8pm GMT.
