Strengthening the UAE’s Nascent Civil Society

Rapid economic development brings many benefits, but it also involves complex social and civic challenges that citizens cannot sort out and address as individuals.  So while UAE citizens and residents have an ever greater need for a vibrant NGO community to represent their concerns, the development of the UAE’s civil society sector has not kept up with economic development and is largely not up to the task.  This project aims to give the UAE’s civil society a modest but important boost.  

Sharakah [Partnership] UAE, an initiative by the Emirates Enviromental Group (EEG) to network and help expand the capabilities of civil society organizations (CSOs), has brought together senior CSOs representatives to examine efficient organizational development, resource mobilization, and operations.  “Creating an on-going curriculum of management for staff of non-government organizations and CSOs can increase the professionalism of the attendees, build a connected network of professionals, and raise the effectiveness of the organizations over a period of time.” EEG Chairperson Habiba Al Marashi said.

With support from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) local grants program, the EEG organized two seminars where civil society leaders discussed challenges facing CSOs in the UAE, and articulated curricula ideas for specialized training workshops that would better equip CSOs to address key challenges.  The first of these workshops, held April 4-6, focused on building a civic culture within the organization, and methods and tools for achieving sustainable funding. It concluded with sharing of best practices and an outline of action plans to for each participating organization. “The quality of the participants resulted to lively and fruitful discussions on major issues and concerns besetting NGOs and CSOs in the UAE”, commented Habiba. “The group in general expressed their intention to bring back the lessons of the workshop to their respective organizations”, she added.

Through its Sharakah program, the EEG has moved beyond its pioneering efforts to protect the environment in the UAE, and is providing a means for civil society organizations to learn with and from each other.  In addition, the EEG is complimenting these efforts with advocacy for a new corporate social responsibility, through which the UAE’s burgeoning private sector could lend significant support to civil society.