Global Donors Forum 2012-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

April 252012

The recently concluded Global Donors Forum is the annual convening of World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists (WCMP) to promote effective giving and forge strategic partnerships for high-impact social investment. The forum was attended by hundreds of distinguished philanthropists, public and private sector leaders, social investors, and experts from around the world to examine current trends in effective grant making and impact investing, connecting them with needs and opportunities on the ground. This forum had also launched crucial new philanthropic initiatives that have emerged from the past four forums. Princess Maha Bint Abdulaziz, a board member of the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropist (WCMP) and the Deputy Vice President of Atheeb Social Development Division was invited as one of the keynote speakers on the panel topic “Investing in the Next Generation” along with Princess Sarah Alfeisal of Jordan and Prince Zain Al-Abidin of Malaysia. Princess Maha Bint Abdulaziz talked about her humanitarian and philanthropic activities as well as Atheeb Group’s Social Development initiatives and Sawa’ed Atheeb, the youth volunteering and leadership committee she founded and chaired. Furthermore, Princess Maha Bint Abdulaziz with her desire to let the voice of youth be heard, had brought in to the forefront of Muslim philanthropy, a group of Muslim youth to discuss “How Youth Can Shape Philanthropy”. With speakers like Ms. Latifa Alsaduon a Business Operations Executive of Microsoft Arabia as the moderator, Mr. Amr Madani the Executive Director of Mishkat and Co-founder of Talent Center, Mr. Farouq Alzouman the first Saudi to Climb Mt. Everest and Mr. Naqi Haider Rizvi an Industrial Engineering Student at Alfaisal University as panel speakers. The panel discussion left an important mark to the forum itself as it opens door of broader understanding as youth in Saudi Arabia are often misconceived.