Silatech, a leading social organisation based in Qatar, has launched a humanitarian campaign which involves a `competition' to support the needs and requirements of young refugees and internally displaced persons in conflict zones with special focus on countries like Syria.
The initiative seeks to involve the country's youth and members of the senior Qatari community in providing humanitarian assistance and solutions to generate useful opportunities for the Syrian refugee and displaced persons worldwide.
"Through the exercise we hope to contribute to enhancing the role of youth as global citizens to address greater challenges, particularly the issues of refugees and displaced persons of conflict zones and promote a sense of compassion and responsibility towards their disadvantaged youth", said Silatech's executive director of programmes Faisal al-Emadi.
As part of the mission, a group consisting of 30 young men and women in Qatar will `compete' to mobilise funds to generate jobs for approximately 30,000 young refugees within 30 days, said al-Emadi. "The campaign aims to providing refugees and their families with decent livelihood opportunities and enabling them to improve their lives."
The Silatech official said their organisation is working to connect disadvantaged and marginalised youth, especially those in the conflicts and crisis affected zones with such opportunities as vocational training, development of skills required by employers, employment and supporting funding them to establish income-generating ventures. "Providing work for youth saves their families from poverty and gives them stability and hope for a better future".
The campaign being spearheaded by Qatari youth has been launched under the sponsorship and support of partners from various sectors, aims to contribute and supplement the State of Qatar's various efforts and its humanitarian and developmental role in helping the neighboring societies, especially refugees.
Qatar is at the top of the donor countries providing developmental and humanitarian assistance worldwide, it was informed at the briefing.
International Union of Preachers secretary general Sheikh Ahmed al-Buainain said "the worsening situation of refugees and internally displaced persons calls for our support by providing them with decent work and thus saving their families from poverty."
Qatar Foundation's (QF) external relations head Habes Howail said "We are all aware of the sufferings of our fellow refugees and it is an issue that has many economic and social dimensions that affect not only their lives but also our society in terms of security and prosperity of our country".
He said while this country's youth are obliged to give back to the state that provides them with safety and security, they should also remember the predicament of less fortunate youth whose life is heavily hit by wars and displacement.
Howail said it is a great honour for the young people of Qatar to lead this campaign for those who do not enjoy same opportunities. "We can be role models and compete for the good of others". The QF official said the country's youth are looking for collecting enough donations to provide sources of livelihoods for underprivileged youth elsewhere.
At the briefing, QF's Akhlaquna award winner Swar Al Dalab Ali and representative of Qatari society Eman al-Kaabi also spoke.
Silatech is working out programmes to create jobs and economic opportunities for young people across the world, especially in the Arab region.
