This month I had the opportunity to travel with Stephanie Kinnunen, NEED magazine’s editor in chief, to Dubai in the United Arab of Emirates. NEED had been asked to be a media sponsor for the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development conference (DIHAD).We gladly agreed to support the cause and packed our bags. Two long flights and many cups of coffee later, we touched down in the Dubai International Airport. After a few days of wandering through souks and enjoying some delicious Middle Eastern food, it was time for the conference.
The DIHAD conference turned out to be great. The three-day event was full of knowledgeable speakers who touched on relevant development and disaster relief issues. DIHAD’s theme this year was “Empowering Communities between disaster and development,” and topics such as the reconstruction plan for Gaza strip, food crisis and global economic downturn were discussed.Soccer star Clarence Seedorf, who started the organization Champions for Children to empower children through sports activities, gave an interesting speech about the importance of charity work in his life.
