Ehaab Abdou Speaks at 3rd World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists in Doha

Ehaab Abdou, advisor to the Middle East Youth Initiative and leader of the Initiative's current social entrepreneurship research project, addressed the 3rd World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists (WCMP) in Doha on March 22. Ehaab presented initial findings from the Middle East Youth Initiative's research on social enterprise and social investment in the Middle East during a breakout session titled "Social Enterprise and Investment in the Middle East: Recommendations for Action."

The 3rd World Congress was held March 21-22 in Doha. Speakers included: HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai; HE Ahmad Abdullah Al Mari, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Qatar; HRH Princess Banderi Abdul Rahman Al Faisal, Director General, King Khalid Foundation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Senator John Kerry, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, United States Senate; Ms. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; and others.

The detailed program for the conference can be found here. WCMP is a global network of donors, foundations, and socially responsive corporations established to advance effective and accountable giving. The 3rd World Congress, titled “Building A Better World: New Horizons – Sound Strategies,” focused on how the integrated efforts of philanthropic, public and private sectors can effectively respond to the worsening global issues of hunger, poverty, disease, and most importantly violence.

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The Middle East Youth Initiative plans to release its flagship report on social entrepreneurship in April 2010. The report draws on a series of interviews in both the US and the MENA region with social entrepreneurs, international donors, and investment organizations; six regional roundtables (Cairo, Amman, Beirut and Dubai); a roundtable in Washington, DC with leaders in the field; and in-house and contracted desk research on global best practices and legal and regulatory frameworks governing social enterprise.

More on the MEYI-Harvard roundtable on social entrepreneurship >>