(MENAFNEditorial)
- Themed ‘The Butterfly Effect From Intent to Impact' the forum organised by Naseba under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy, will focus on social change through impact entrepreneurship and investment, diversity & inclusion
- Lead speakers at the event include Tonye Cole, Vibha Bakshi, Haben Girma and Anurag Kashyap
- Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, UAE to give opening keynote
Dubai-UAE: 16 October, 2017: Naseba, a business facilitation company, today announced the 19th edition of the Naseba Global WIL Economic Forum that will be held in Dubai later this month, under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy.
Held on 25-26 October, 2017 at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Dubai, the landmark event will bring together over 500 key business leaders, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, NGOs, artists and youth from around the world to discuss the significance and impact of diversity as the cornerstone of sustainable economic development.
Held under the theme ‘The Butterfly Effect From Intent to Impact,' the 19th edition of the Global WIL Economic Forum will focus on enacting social change through social entrepreneurship, impact investment, philanthropy, diversity and inclusion, education and the arts.
The programme will feature world-renowned achievers and proponents of gender parity, including:
- Tonye Cole, co-founder and CEO, Sahara Group,
- Vibha Bakshi, award-winning director of the groundbreaking documentary ‘Daughters of Mother India,'
- Haben Girma, the first blind-deaf Harvard Graduate, Global Inclusion Advocate and Barack Obama Champion of Change, and
- Anurag Kashyap, film-maker and producer, and recipient of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Prominent speakers from the UAE will include:
- His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy for the United Arab Emirates,
- Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs United Arab Emirates,
- Her Excellency Dr. Raja Al Gurg, Managing Director, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group and President, Dubai Business Women Council
- Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Al Maskari, Chairperson, Almaskari Holdings
- Her Highness Sheikha Mariam Al Mualla from the FUNN Foundation Executive Office of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qassimi.
Designed to complement the WIL Forum's year-long initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion, the event comprises a broad range of insightful keynotes, high-profile panel discussions and ‘talk shows', inspiring case studies and practical workshops. Topics of discussion will include an outlook on women in business in the UAE, corporate philanthropy, entrepreneurship and social impact, and the importance of male champions of change. Parallel sessions will also explore the sub-themes of leadership, financial literacy, as well as youth and education.
The WIL Forum will recognize individuals and organisations for championing diversity with the WIL Achievement Awards, presented by UAE Minister of Economy H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri. A notable inclusion this year is the Best Short Film for Women's Economic Empowerment award, launched by Naseba in partnership with MBC Al Amal, to promote regional talent and propose an alternative narrative around gender and inclusion.
Beyond the two-day annual forum, Naseba works to promote inclusion at the workplace, through the Inclusive Internship Programme, launched in partnership with the SEDRA Foundation. The trailblazing national initiative aims to dispel the misconceptions around the contributions of people with disabilities at the workplace, and provide role models for organizations to follow, and the youth to learn from. In sharing the learnings of the programme at the 2017 WIL Forum, with a special address by its inaugural intern from Roche Diagnostics Middle East, the initiative will seek to welcome more companies from the region to pave the way for a more inclusive workforce.
Sophie Le Ray, Chief Executive Officer of Naseba, said: 'The Middle East region is witnessing a sea-change in areas of diversity and inclusion, amidst a massive economic shift towards a post-oil, diversified and knowledge-driven future. This is a valuable opportunity to launch in to the under-addressed issues of gender parity and inclusion. This is not just from a women empowerment standpoint, but also looking at how to integrate underrepresented groups from society and unlock their potential in order to boost economies.
The sponsors for the WIL Forum include organisations that have made diversity a key component of their DNA and successfully moved the needle for inclusion Event sponsors include Roche, Pfizer, Visa, FedEx, Siemens, GlaxoSmithKline, American University of Sharjah, and APCO Worldwide.
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