Business & Money | Wednesday 7 September, 2016 4:55 pm |

In recognition of her steadfast efforts in making the world a better and more secure place for refugees, ‘Jeans for Refugees’ (#JFR) has chosen Her Highness (HH) Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, as the project’s esteemed patron. 

 

Internationally-acclaimed fashion designer and artist, Johny Dar, launched JFR as a global artistic collaboration dedicated to helping refugees around the world. With A-list stars that include Ryan Gosling, Victoria Beckham, Benicio Del Toro, Sir Elton John, Claudia Schiffer, Eva Longoria, Kate Moss, Pink, Rachel McAdams, Sharon Stone and many others, the JFR initiative has inspired 100 international celebrities to donate a pair of jeans in solidarity with refugees. The garments will be redesigned by Dar and then auctioned, with the proceeds from the sales going to the International Rescue Committee. 

 

Having worked tirelessly for women’s development globally, it is anticipated that NAMA will be a crucial player in the project, adding significant value to #JFR. The organisation will collaborate with JFR believing in the mutual value that every life deserves a chance, and whether by contributing time, skills or resources, everyone can help to create change. NAMA’s mandate is to encourage policies and legislation, and actively pursue programmes that support gender integration into all sectors and abolish unjust practices and policies that discriminate against women advancement. Employing JFR’s unique elements of fashion, innovation, communication and celebrity involvement, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher will be channeling her on-going efforts in the initiative to bring about positive changes in the international community.

 

Revered as a visionary and pragmatic leader, Her Highness has called out to people blessed with better life conditions to assist refuges wherever they can. Her Highness has emphasised the urgent need for the global community to set aside their differences and rise to the challenge of tackling the refugee problem, the gravest that humankind has witnessed since World War II. As patron of the JFR initiative, HH Sheikha Jawaher recognises the immense potential it has in involving people from all walks of life to make individual contributions for refugee rehabilitation and emancipation. 

 

Encouraging people to come together for what Her Highness says is the global community’s most pressing cause, HH Sheikha Jawaher remarked; “We will be jeopardising the world’s future if we treat the current refugee problem as someone else’s crises. Their suffering will continue to give birth to several global difficulties and dilemmas, which, if not addressed collaboratively, will eat into society’s foundations and threaten our very existence.”  

 

The organisers of the JFR project say that the NAMA–JFR association holds great promise for refugees as it brings together two formidable forces that have made stellar contributions to this field. Dar, the architect of the initiative and a man with immense passion for the cause, said; 'It is an honour to welcome Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi as Patron of the Jeans For Refugees initiative.  Her Highness’ work with refugees is a true inspiration and we are delighted to be collaborating in response to the biggest humanitarian crisis our time.  We hope that this partnership brings help, solidarity and support for refugees worldwide, contributing to a more peaceful and stable world."

 

“The refugee crisis transcends everything that divides the world. It moves and concerns us all. The essence of my project is in being at the vanguard of creating global awareness – spreading an impactful message through art. We wish to empower people to collaborate for a common goal, creating a world in which love and respect are the prevailing powers” added Johny Dar. 

 

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher has maintained that the importance of dedicated collaborative efforts in helping refugees to secure food, healthcare and education cannot be overstated. Being elected as a JFR patron and with NAMA’s concerted engagement in the initiative, the JFR project hopes that it will be a further step in consolidating efforts towards building a world where every individual is able to flourish and fully realise their unique capabilities in an environment characterised by safety, stability and peace. 

 

The JFR project will see a total of 100 pairs of jeans donated by popular international celebrities exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in London end of October and auctioned online at: catawiki.com/jeansforrefugees. NAMA is encouraging UAE citizens and its global community to support the initiative by logging on and making a bid for the one-off pieces of denim wear, which are expected to rise in value through exclusivity. 

 

The next activation in the Jeans for Refugees series will be a ‘Runway Show’ at the New York Fashion Week by tomorrow September 8.