Microsoft In partnership with US State Dept hosts ‘Innovate For Good' in Dubai.

Microsoft In partnership with US State Dept hosts ‘Innovate For Good' in Dubai.(BB).Microsoft, in partnership with the US State Department and Al Ahli Holding Group CSR Division, hosted the premier event of the US State Department's Startup Youth Initiative, ‘Innovate for Good’, in Dubai.
‘Innovate for Good’ is a Microsoft YouthSpark programme that enables youth to collaborate, inspire and support each other while using technology to make a difference in their communities and provides the tools and resources needed to bring their ideas to reality.
The Startup Youth initiative provides entrepreneurship programmes and events in conjunction with the private sector to facilitate opportunities for young entrepreneurs to actualise their ideas.

‘Innovate for Good’ brings together youth from around the world in local events and in a global online community to provide support for their ideas on making a difference. To this community, Microsoft brings the knowledge that the company, its employees, and alumni have gained over more than 30 years of innovation, business and technology expertise as well as active engagement in more than 100 countries around the world and shares it to spark and inspire the next generation of good.

The speaker lineup at the ‘Innovate for Good’ event included US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin, who thanked Microsoft for its leadership in promoting youth opportunity in the Gulf, Dr. Akhtar Badshah, Senior Director, Citizenship and Public Affairs and Zeenat Rahman, the US Secretary of State's Special Advisor on Global Youth Issues, Dr. Azza El Shinnawy, Education and Citizenship Lead, Microsoft Gulf, Sabeen Malik, US State Department senior adviser for External Engagement, Office of Global Youth Issues and Mohamed Khammas, CEO at Al Ahli Group.

Ms. Zeenat Rahman is the Director of Policy at the Interfaith Youth Core, an international NGO that seeks to make interfaith cooperation a social norm. In this position, she oversees policy initiatives and international programs for the organization. She travels abroad frequently to speak about the importance of interfaith youth work in promoting civic engagement and healthy integration amongst youth and to facilitate youth-led interfaith initiatives.
She has worked closely as a strategic advisor to different federal agencies including the U.S. State Department, USAID, the White House, and the Corporation on National and Community Service on issues related to youth and religious identity and interfaith service.
Zeenat completed her Master's Degree at the University of Chicago’s Center for Middle East Studies in June 2006. Her thesis work was focused on Muslim youth and the territorializing of Muslim religious institutions in America.Hmmmm......Why does "The Future does not belong to those who slander the prophet" come to my mind?Must be a Chicago thing.Read the full story here.

Related: global Network of Interfaith Leaders (Interfaith Youth Core): The Interfaith Youth Core commits to create a global network of interfaith leaders in the U.S. and Muslim countries over the next four years,training and equipping over 1,000 interfaith leaders this year alone who will bring together tens of thousands of their 
religiously diverse peers, in an effort to bridge the faith divide and provide thousands of volunteer hours in their communities.


Intel teach: The Intel Teach Program has trained over 7 million teachers in more than 60 countries, and over 550 thousand teachers in PNB focus countries (Egypt, Palestine and Turkey). Intel is willing to expand this program further with the support of PNB to improve teaching and learning through the effective use of technology.

Intel Learn: Intel Learn Program is an after-school, community-based program designed to teach
technological literacy, problem solving and collaboration skills. The program runs in Egypt, Palestine and Turkey and has already reached more than 200,000 pupils. Intel is willing to expand this program further with the support of PNB 
MENA region Investment (Cisco): Cisco has commitment to invest $20 million dollars in the MENA
region. Cisco has just announced two $10 million venture capital investments, one in Jordan and one in
Egypt, that aim to create a sustainable model of job- creation and economic development in these two
countries, with a particular focus on high-potential small businesses.