The Ajman Centre for Social Responsibility (Ajman CSR) – an affiliate of the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry – organised the Ajman CSR Best Practices Virtual Forum, bringing together representatives of both UAE-based and international companies.

“We are committed to organising these specialised conferences to discuss best practices and solutions in sustainability, facilitating the exchange of experiences and success stories of countries and companies in that regard,” Ajman CSR’s Chief Executive Officer Nasser Nasser Al-Dhafri asserted. “The Ajman CSR Best Practices Virtual Forum sheds light on the local and global experiences of both the public and private sectors in launching sustainable initiatives that promote social responsibility in communities.”

“The Ajman Centre for Social Responsibility seeks to provide a platform that offers the necessary guidance on corporate social responsibility, helps boost the positive role that the business sector plays, raises awareness of social responsibility, and promotes it in a manner that ensures the wellbeing of the community and the sustainability of the economy,” Al-Dhafri added.

Moderated by Mrs. Rita El Haddad, CEO of Quality Matters, the Forum featured Mr. Majd Fayyad, Senior Advisor at the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, in its first session, where he gave a presentation on sustainable practices in Denmark, ways to achieve the Zero Net initiative, and key solutions adopted by the City of Copenhagen, which built strong partnerships with the private sector to support the initiative. Fayyad outlined the necessary measures for companies to reduce carbon emissions and effectively contribute to carbon neutrality.

For his part in the same session, Mr. Gustaf Anselmsson, Co-Founder & CEO of Gokind in Sweden, shed light on Swedish best practices in social responsibility in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector, and the measures they implement to promote sustainability and the green economy. Anselmsson also explored the topic of innovation in social responsibility and ways to enable SMEs to adopt socially responsible practices.

The Forum’s second session – titled ‘Sustainability: The Concept and Best Practices’ – features Mr. Iftikhar Hamdani, Area General Manager for the Northern Emirates at Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, who explained the relationship between human sustainability and the successful implementation of green initiatives that can reduce waste. Furthermore, Hamdani introduced new and innovative ideas to reduce everyday use of plastic. Also taking part in the session was Ms. Fatima Humaid Alsuwaidi, Outreach Officer at Bee'ah, who spoke of the importance of raising awareness about social responsibility for organisations, showcasing Bee’ah’s initiatives in that regard.

The third and final session explored how COVID-19 changed the way corporate social responsibility is implemented. Speaking at the session, Mrs. Lina Hourani, Division Director at Al Ahli Holding Group, discussed the impact that COVID-19 had on the way CSR initiatives are implemented, highlighting prominent new trends in that regard. For his part, Mr. Chafic Ajour, Operations Manager at Amina Hospital, highlighted the most notable projects the hospital had implemented since the beginning of the pandemic as part of its social responsibility activities. Meanwhile, Mrs. Noor Al-Chaghouri, Head of Community Service at Ajman University’s Office of Community Engagement, showcased the CSR best practices implemented at Ajman University during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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