The Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Foundation “MiSK” organized the 7th NGOs Forum on 3-4 May in partnership with the UNESCO. The Forum was held in Riyadh in the Four Seasons Hotel to discuss “Youth and their Social Impact.” Several ministers, officials, and young people from 70 states participated in the Forum to shape the future of youth and shed light on the mechanisms used to empower and develop the young generation.
With the participation of over 1800 people, 400 NGOs, and 70 states, the Forum discussed the abilities, ideas, and roles of young people in six fields as follows; education and training, volunteerism, new technologies, social networks, sustainable development, and the protection of social heritage. The Forum focused on generating new ideas to support international development through the innovative insights of youth today.
Many inspiring international figures participated in the Forum with inspiring and fruitful speeches including the Director-General of the UNESCO Ms. Irina Bokova, Founder of Wikipedia Mr. Jimmy Wales, the Minister of Labor and Social Development H.E. Dr. Ali Nasser Alghafis, the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs of the United Arab Emirates H.E. Ms. Noura Al Kaabi, the Founder and President of Positive Planet in France Mr. Jacques Attali, the Executive Director of Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation Mr. Brian Rusch, and the Gold Medalist Mr. Carl Lewis.
The MiSK Foundation has initiated the MiSK NGO Pitch Competition for the most promising project or proposal from an NGO that fosters engagement amongst young people to create positive social change. Over 70 NGOs worldwide participated in the competition and the best ten projects will be nominated for the MiSK Award. The winner receives a cash prize of $30,000 as well as profiling by the MiSK Foundation.
The Secretary General of MiSK Foundation, Mr. Bader Alasaker, stated that the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reflected on its internationally leading position at all levels. Mr. Alasaker added, “Organizing the NGOs Forum by the MiSK Foundation in partnership with the UNESCO echoes the congruence of the developmental objectives of Saudi Arabia and the diverse developmental objectives of the UNESCO and all other international NGOs that aim for development in all areas.”
Mr. Alasaker welcomed the participants and guests at the Forum pointing out that the Forum discusses the most significant challenges people around the entire globe face today, especially youth-related issues. He said that the Forum focuses on empowering youth to be the agents of change and creating better opportunities for a more sustainable and developed future for youth. Mr. Alasaker emphasized the importance of translating the ideas and innovations into reality, especially that platforms like the NGOs Forum motivate youth to come up with creative ideas serving their societies and the whole world as well.
Mr. Alasaker also pointed out that Forum complies with the Saudi Arabian efforts to scale up social development and boost the economy through leading Saudi NGOs that proved their ability to implement positive changes in various social development issues and aspects.
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Philanthropy Foundation “MiSK” is a non-profit foundation devoted to cultivating learning and leadership in youth for the Saudi Arabia of tomorrow. To this end, MiSK focuses on the country’s youth and provides different means of fostering talent, creative potential, and innovation in a healthy environment that paves the way toward opportunities in the arts and sciences. For more information, please visit: http://unescongoforum2017.com/
