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The Welfare Association has funded a project to enhance rural economy and food security in Qattana, North West Jerusalem, through the use of greenhouses irrigated by treated domestic waste water. Photo © Palestinian Wastewater Engineers Group
Although there are centuries of experience of giving in the Middle East, charity is the driving force behind it: the word philanthropy is still alien. According to Arab tradition, people who are able should give 2.5%-5% of their total wealth (not income) annually to their community.
Although there is little information available on how much money is given or what impact it is having, the potential is huge: the surplus from oil was around $400 billion in 2007. If this level of tithing were followed through, then vast amounts of money, potentially billions, ought to be being distributed each year.
However, the main thrust of present practices is to give the needy a fish rather than teaching them how to fish. This does not lead to meaningful sustainable development beyond mere survival, but rather creates dependency and weakens communities in the long term.
Over the last three decades, some people with wealth have started challenging this practice of giving imposed by religious institutions and governments, by being more strategic in their philanthropy. One example is an organisation called Welfare Association, or Ta'awoun. It is made up of around 100 business leaders mainly from the Palestinian Diaspora. Our main objective is to improve basic daily services and to support a vibrant Palestinian civil society. To date we have supported more than 600 charities and other non-governmental civil society organisations. We aim for sustainable social change, and our members have set up an endowment, which is now $75m (£32.5m), to help us achieve this objective.
We also are seeing an increase in the proportion of foundations being set up in the region with the aim of achieving social change rather than just continuing ‘charity’; Egypt alone now has 85 foundations, compared to only a handful in the 1990s. The Arab Foundations Forum was established in 2006 by a dozen representatives of foundations in the area, including Welfare Association, to explore best practices in programming and governance and to network with similar groups around the world, like the Council on Foundations (COF) and European Foundation Centre (EFC). We hope that the outcome of the discussions within the Forum will shape new regulations in the Arab Region, resulting in a more favourable environment for philanthropy.
The most important intervention needed in the Arab region is the creation of opportunities for young people through better education. The Arab population of 330m is young, with more than 50% under 25, and 25% of people 18-25 are unemployed with 50% looking for work for the first time. The main challenge for the private and the non-profit sectors is to work constructively and effectively with governments to make education more relevant. Education should provide life skills generally, and equip young people according to market needs specifically, to make sure that the young are positively engaged in their communities. Young people are the future of their communities, but if frustrated they can become a negative and destructive force.
This is an exciting time with great potential, especially with the growing interest of the private sector in corporate social responsibility and the increased financial surpluses in the region. The non-profit sector must mobilize more support for sustainable giving in the Arab region. It must find ways to win governments over, for more co-operation and change.
Dr Atallah Kuttab is Director General of Welfare Association (WA), a private non-profit foundation established in Geneva by Palestinian business and intellectual figures in 1983. WA is dedicated to making a distinguished contribution toward furthering the progress of Palestinians, preserving their heritage and identity, supporting their living culture and building civil society. Most of its work focuses on the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian camps in Lebanon and the Palestinian community in Israel. Dr Kuttab can be contacted at kuttaba@awelfare.org.jo or www.welfareassociation.org.
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