Announcement: 'Arab Hope Makers' Initiative Submissions Close on March 24

The Arab Hope Makers committee has set March 24, 2018 as the deadline for accepting any more 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, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiative (MBRGI) - Arab Hope Makers Project Manager said, ”In less than two weeks of its launched, 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. Engagement online has been 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.

Expanding the circle of hope

Omran stressed on the prominent role that social media has played in supporting many hope makers, spreading their message and highlighting their important work. He said, “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 world.”

Omran also 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% of the total entries, followed by Egypt with 11%. The UAE is in third place with nearly 10%, followed by Algeria with 9% and Morocco with over 8%.

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% of total submissions, followed by education initiatives with 12% and health and medical initiatives with over 6%.

The Evaluation Committee

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.

In addition, the Arab Hope Makers committee includes specialised researchers who review and confirm all attachments to submissions, including videos, photos, and links to social media posts and websites. The more comprehensive the data provided, (such as videos, photos, links and more), the higher the chances are of the submission proceeding within the process.

Arab Hope Makers

Arab Hope Makers is the largest initiative dedicated to celebrating flashes of hope in the Arab World. The initiative seeks to honour the people that launch humanitarian initiatives, projects and programmes that improve their communities, the quality of life in their environments and help those in need, making a positive impact on the lives of people around them.

The initiative seeks to send a message of hope to the entire region by celebrating and highlighting the people who dedicate themselves to helping others. Its message is to channel hope to fight despair, frustration and pessimism, and to enhance optimism, strengthen the culture of giving, and provide the opportunity for positive change through the people who spread those aspirations with their initiatives and projects.

When Arab Hope Makers launched in February 2017, the response was unprecedented. Although it was anticipated that 20,000 people would apply, a whopping 65,000 shared their inspiring stories of hope.