By Hamza Jilani/Staff Reporter
Katara, the cultural village, signed yesterday a partnership deal with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) whereby the full proceeds from Katara’s Amphitheatre will be donated to the Federation for its humanitarian and development efforts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). |
“Katara seeks to speak to the world through the language of culture and become a beacon of Arab and international culture, and the culture we promote is about art and peace and support,” said Katara general manager M Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti. “Due to their global reach, IFRC is well placed and has made a commitment to the culture of peace, making them the perfect partner to reach the most in need in the world.”
“All of the proceeds” from ticket sales for events at the Amphitheatre fully produced and managed by Katara will be donated to the IFRC.
Where a third party is involved, Katara’s share of income from the project will directly be remitted to the causes of the IFRC.
Katara’s donations towards the IFRC will address immediate and long-term needs of local communities in the MENA region by strengthening their capacities in the areas of disaster management and risk reduction, volunteer and youth development, organisational development, health and social services, and humanitarian diplomacy and resource mobilisation.
“The IFRC appreciates very much the support by Katara and I am confident that it will prove successful in strengthening the capacities of communities and National Societies in the region,” said IFRC secretary-general Bekele Geleta at yesterday’s press conference that took place at Katara.
Geleta said that aid would not be halted by conflict, for example, in cases such as Sudan and Syria.
“The fighting sides always allow us access past the frontlines to get aid to the people who are caught in between,” he told Gulf Times.
“We will be holding the Red Crescent and Red Cross Movement Co-ordination Meeting in Geneva on May 27-28 that will discuss and devise the best mechanisms to co-ordinate assistance to the victims of the Syrian conflict, both within Syria and in neighbouring countries,” Geleta added.
Also at the conference was Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) secretary-general Saleh Ali al-Muhanadi, who commended the agreement as a “step forward to promoting aid to the less fortunate world and this is to show that Qatar is proud to take responsibility to help alleviate suffering”.