(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
DUBAI, 7th March, 2018 (WAM) -- The Arab Hope Makers committee has set 24th March 2018 as the deadline for accepting submissions, following a second year of overwhelming response to the initiative. All submissions made prior to that date will be sorted, examined and evaluated within specific criteria before the finalists are selected.
Mohamed Omran, Arab Hope Makers Project Manager at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiative, MBRGI, said, "In less than two weeks of its launch, the Arab Hope Makers initiative received over 70,000 submissions - more than the total number of submissions last year - and the website was visited more than 800,000 times. Online engagement was unprecedented, with thousands of interactions with influencers, artists, cultural figures, social activists and more. People all across the Arab world are spreading the message of hope as a weapon to fight despair and negativity in the region."
The pioneering initiative seeks to commemorate the humanitarian actions taken by Arab entities, people, teams and charities every day around the world. It seeks to honour and share the stories about improving the lives of others, empowering communities, addressing critical social issues and contributing in any form to those who need it.
Omran emphasised the prominent role that social media has played in supporting many hope makers, spreading their message and highlighting their important work. "Anyone who knows an inspiring Hope Maker can encourage them to nominate themselves, and share their story so that they can continue spreading the important message of hope and the spirit of positivity around the Arab worldl," he added.
He pointed out that it was interesting to receive nominations from people who submitted and participated in the first round of the initiative last year, saying, "By re-entering, the Arab Hope Makers from last year remind us that the message of hope endures. They deserve praise and support, and they certainly have the opportunity to reach advanced stages of the second round. Their message of hope is important, and continues to spread far and wide."
The highest number of applications continues to come from Saudi Arabia with approximately 22 percent of the total entries, followed by Egypt with 11 percent. The UAE is in third place with nearly 10 percent, followed by Algeria with nine percent and Morocco with over eight percent.
The submissions received include projects in many vital areas and sectors that address various social needs, including women's empowerment, youth empowerment and community service, as well as education, health, culture, the environment and more. Community service initiatives were the most widely shared, accounting for 36 percent of total submissions, followed by education initiatives with 12 percent and health and medical initiatives with over percent of the total.
The Arab Hope Makers committee has formed volunteer teams to examine and verify the submissions received daily. The screening process also includes several stages within subcommittees, during which submissions are verified, and classified by area or sector of specialisation.
WAM/Esraa Ismail/Nour Salman
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