We get it all the time, boasting the tallest of this, the biggest of that, the greatest of blings, and the most expensive of things. But unfortunately along with all of that, comes one of the largest carbon footprints in the world!

So in true Dubai style, we have a response for the record books.

On March 31st, people across the globe will turn off their lights for 1 hour in honor of Earth Day. Dubai will do it bigger for the betterment of the world we love by turning off the lights for TWO hours.

With all of Dubai joining in on this cause, maybe we can become the number one fan of Earth Day, but in any case, we will have fun in trying to do our part. We know when the lights go out, anything can happen.

So we are asking Dubai:

What would you do in two hours of darkness? Share Read more…

We had a chance to sit down with AnnaBatchelder , the Founder and CEO of Bon Education and Chris Batchelder, the President of Bon Education and get an inside look at what Bon Education is all about.

Bon Education is an Education Technology Consultant, spending 50% of their time in schools across the Middle East, developing teacher and principal workshop programs on how to incorporate technology into teaching and learning.

The other 50% of their time is spent on developing products to help teachers and students learn through the use of technology. Bon Education organizes special events like seminars, workshops and meet-ups that bring educators together to talk about and brainstorm ideas on how to solve problems that they are experiencing in the classroom.

Bon Education work with non-profit organizations like NOGs to develop programs, workshops and online strategies and for-profit organizations to help technology companies implement education programs into education.

Inspiration

Governments across Read more…

“What pushed me was to improve the society I’m living in, because I think that to give the exposure that TED gives to the individuals who are living in Dubai and the UAE, it improves the overall quality of the community” – Giorgio Ungania (curator of TEDxDubai)

TEDx by definition was created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading”.

The TEDx program is actually designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level – where x=independently organized TED event.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to have a sit down with Giorgio Ungania, curator of TEDxDubai, who along with James Piecowye co-created the event in 2009.

Giorgio also mentors many of the TEDx conferences in the region (TEDxAjman, TEDxAlAin, TEDxAUS), was a speaker at TEDxMuscat, a TEDYou speaker at TEDGlobal 2010 and TED Active 2011.

If that’s not enough, he is currently working on Read more…

The majority of people in the region find it difficult to define, understand or differentiate between social enterprises such as charitable and non-profit organizations, NGOs, sustainability, corporate social responsibility initiatives, social entrepreneurship, volunteerism or philanthropy. When any of these terms are mentioned, most of us think of it as just “charity”.

But there is a lot more to it and that’s where Baraka comes into the picture as an enlightening forerunner.

About Baraka

We had an opportunity to have a brief conversation with Rama Chakaki, Co-Founder of Baraka Ventures, to understand what it is that Baraka stands for and how it makes a scalable impact on our society.

Here’s what we learnt:

Rama Chakaki and Mahmoud Abu-Wardeh co-founded Baraka Ventures, a business model that educates as well as incubates businesses and social ventures by providing them with relevant advisory services and tools to become knowledgeable, functional and sustainable models.

The venture started off as Rama’s Read more…

Personally, I’ve always admired individuals who’ve been able to just get up, leave their world behind, go into an impoverished region and make a positive yet tangible impact within those communities.

Monja Wolf, founder of Monyati Initiatives

I’ve been lucky enough to have learnt about the likes of Jacqueline Novogratz (Acumen Fund), Craig Keilburger (Free the Children & Me to We) and recently, Monja Wolf, Founder of Monyati Initiatives.

Wanting to help people, Monja found her release through creating Monyati Initiatives – a nonprofit social development programme based in Dubai that supports worldwide communities in need.

Previously Monya had collaborated with UNICEF in the GCC region, set up the CSR sector for a Dubai based developer, and worked on developing social business for the Grameen Bank with (Nobel Peace Prize winner) Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The word “Monyati” itself is an Arabic word and can be translated into English as a “little wish that Read more…

We’re all too busy with work, play, living our lives and being active consumers. But amidst all of that, we are often too busy to make a difference. Even though all of us want to make a difference, it’s safe to say that we live in a very “busy” consumerist society, which doesn’t seem to leave us with enough time to give back.

There’s an App for that

Well what if, through the items that we purchased from our local retailers, businesses and shops, we were able to directly contribute to our local charities?

That’s exactly what CareZone’s app enables you to do.

Created by a social technology entrepreneur, Ritesh Tilani, CareZone is the region’s first mobile based loyalty rewards platform which helps you to give back to your local charitable causes.

How does it work?

1. Download and Explore

Since CareZone is a free mobile app, you’ll first need to download it through the iPhone App Read more…

What can the Middle East do to become more environmentally conscious? Where can we start, as a community, to develop into an ecologically aware society?

Go to www.goumbook.com to find your answers.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Tatiana Antonelli Abella, co-founder of Goumbook and ask her a few questions about Goumbook.

What is Goumbook?

Goumbook is an online platform dedicated to environmentally conscious people who feel a responsibility for the planet and live in the Middle East.

Why “goum”?

Instead of something general like green or eco, they wanted something that fits to the Middle East, belonging to the region. Based on the Bedouin life, the goum is a family tribe, travelling together, living together, to save resources and live as a community. The idea is to create a green community.

Where did the inspiration come from?

Newspapers reported about bad effects on the environment in the Middle East. The community was asking Read more…

The Human Project Kickstarter Page »

Human beings have evolved over the years, sometimes out of necessity and other times out of curiosity. But have we ever evolved by design?

Perhaps now is time to step back and take a look at the bigger picture, not as a country or a group, but as a species. Two ambitious women based in Dubai have initiated a thought-provoking project with the goal of building a platform that addresses challenges facing the entire human race.

About The Human Project Co-Founders

Anna Stillwell and Erika Ilves

Erika Ilves and Anna Stillwell were consumed by a common concern: where do we as a human race go next?

After three years of research and careful deliberation, Anna and Erika decided to launch The Human Project, undertaking the mammoth task  of launching a global conversation on the future of our species in order to first better understand the Read more…

What is Community Cinema?

Community Cinema define’s itself as a social intersection where film screenings function as a catalyst and platform, bringing individuals from the community to engage in framing current and relevant social issues, exposing different angles, and sharing ideas to facilitate solutions.

The films they screen deal with social, humanitarian, environmental, cultural and urban issues that can shed light on and / or directly address current relevant concerns.

Why Community Cinema, why now?

With each screening, Community Cinema creates a safe space to discuss issues that are relevant to the framework we live in. Documentaries and filmmakers have access to and document issues that impact our lives, whether environmental, sociological, humanitarian, etc.

Through regular screenings, they aim to solve the current problem of accessing Arab documentaries in the region. Proof of their good timing is the sudden rise of all kinds of film-related projects projects popping up around us. So much is currently going on in terms of film Read more…

In my chat with the directors of The Hub – UAE (Najla al Midfa, Marwan Chaar, Aman Merchant and Habib al Assaad), we learn about what the hub is, and how it works.

The Hub is a social enterprise with the ambition to inspire and support imaginative and enterprising initiatives for a better world. The Hub is a global community of people from every profession, background and culture working at ‘new frontiers’ to tackle the world’s most pressing social, cultural and environmental challenges.

In short, The Hub a place for people…with ideas…for good!

Website: http://the-hub.ae
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thehubuae
Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheHubUAE

In his chat with me, Saleh Al Braik (aka @FearlessinDubai) talks about his exciting new initiative: Think Up

‘Think Up’ is a social hub that circulates around one main idea, & that is to highlight the talented generation of the GCC. The hub aims to motivate & enrich the younger generation via awareness of what other khaleeji members are doing for their community & themselves.

Whether it is tied to a great cause, or philanthropically starting their very own business, Think UP GCC wants to encourage the youth to become active in their community & take their future into their own hands.

Their mission is to “Voice the Future!”

Website: http://thinkup.ae
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ThinkUpGCC
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thinkupgcc

In his chat with me, Tony Bury (Founder and Trustee of the Mowgli Foundation) explains why all entrepreneurs should have a mentor.

Mowgli is a non-profit company that provides mentors who inspire, support and empower entrepreneurs in achieving their business and personal potential, encouraging sustainable job creation and social and economic development. They work in many of the Middle East and North African countries, along with the United Kingdom.

They recruit high quality mentors and entrepreneurs, and then connect them together. Mowgli Programmes provide participants with high-end training and relationship building, to prepare matched mentors and entrepreneurs for an open and supportive year-long mentoring relationship.

Donate or get involved at Mowgli.Org.Uk. You can also find them on Facebook & Twitter.

Emirates Arthritis Foundation is a non-profit community organization with the aim of raising awareness about arthritis and associated complications in the region. EAF provides an extensive range of events and programs and support arthritis patients and spread the word so early diagnosis can be made possible and accessible.

“There can be several types of rheumatism and arthritis that differ in their cause and management. The Emirates Arthritis Foundation acknowledges that arthritis is not bound by genre, nationality or culture.”

The Emirates Arthritis Foundation was launched under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2005. Dr Humeira Badsha and Suzanne Al Houby were behind the idea of EAF in order to give underprivileged patients the required health care. The doctor duo has also established Dubai Bone and Read more…