Dubai: The Community Development Authority in Dubai (CDA) will increase engagement with the youth, non-profit organisations and key stakeholders to implement its innovative community initiatives and projects, including social work and volunteerism as part of the CDA Strategy 2021.
CDA held several brainstorming sessions with its stakeholders recently to develop programmes that would contribute to the promotion of a cohesive and empowered community. The sessions also took into account the CDA Strategy 2021, which was inspired by Dubai Plan 2021 and aligned with the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 project.
Stakeholders, academics and youth talked over the strategy pillars in detail and came up with 42 important recommendations. CDA adopted 21 to be implemented immediately and is discussing the rest with partners to be launched soon within specified timeframes.
Ahmad Abdul Kareem Julfar, CDA director-general, said educating the youth about the importance of social work and voluntarism would hugely impact the future of the social sector. Improving the sense of responsibility toward the community among children and adults is a key part in getting everyone involved in the social development.
“Building a resilient community require working together with the entire community members, each individual, group or company has a role to play in sustaining the community development. We all know that improving people’s lives and increasing their happiness is not a task of a single entity, it is a continuous work that needs everyone’s support and will positively reflect on all,” Julfar said.
“We were keen to bring together the various segments of society to participate in the brainstorming labs. We have noticed a positive spirit and a good awareness of the priorities of the community development,” he added.
Julfar said one of the most important actions they will take is to work closely with non-profit organisations, which is an important engine for sustainable community development projects in the most stable and progressive societies.
“Law No. 17 of 2017 on the regulation of civil enterprises in Dubai, supports these institutions to become one of the engines of community development in the Emirate,” he said.
Julfar said the media also has a role to play in promoting social work and educating people about the opportunities they have to be part of the social development.
Julfar said the participants also recommended to conduct a study for the labour market needs, the outputs of which should be reflected in the academic specialties in order to achieve greater ability to recruit competencies according to the needs of the labour market, and contribute to greater empowerment of the national manpower.
The brainstorming laboratories of CDA Strategy 2021 was attended by more than 70 academics, youth, businessmen, government and private representatives, representatives of stakeholders, non-profit organisations, community members, volunteers and members of UAE and non-Emirati families.
