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The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Sheikha Shamma opens collective to drive climate action through stories
Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan, founder of The Climate Tribe, opened the project's first physical home – The Climate Tribe Hub – this week. Tucked away in the heart of Abu Dhabi, the interactive space serves as a gathering point for climate storytelling, sustainable design, and hands-on workshops. Every detail, from tables made of date seeds to furniture woven from palm fibres, reflects the UAE's local materials and artisanal heritage. 'When we created the hub, we didn't want it to be a static space,' said Hind Al Ghseen, executive director of The Climate Tribe. 'We wanted the community to build it – to be part of it. We sought out local makers and brought them together.' A lifetime of work Sheikha Shamma is a passionate climate activist. 'It started for me when I was a student at Zayed University,' she told a room of climate advocates this week. 'My parents decided to go on a humanitarian trip to Mogadishu – I went with them. It was my first time witnessing the impact of a drought on a population.' That experience left a lasting mark. 'While studying business, I realised our economic models were missing something fundamental – the environmental cost. That moment changed everything for me.' Her other organisation, the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), focuses on policy and corporate alliances, but the Climate Tribe was designed to bring the conversation to a more personal, accessible level. 'It provides the human element,' she says. Global ambition with local heart Since its founding in 2023, The Climate Tribe has mobilised more than 2,200 people through grassroots initiatives, from tree-planting drives to recycling campaigns. In total, the group has helped plant 921 trees and divert more than 8,600kg of waste from landfill. Its blend of digital and physical tools – including workshops, tool kits and editorial storytelling – is designed to inspire both behavioural change and systemic action. According to Ms Al Ghseen, the launch of the hub represents a shift from online engagement to real-world collaboration. 'The Climate Tribe Hub is a true reflection of our values,' she said. 'From the materials chosen to the storytelling woven into every corner, it celebrates Emirati heritage and community craftsmanship.' Initially, the team looked beyond the UAE for climate stories. 'We were even planning to film in London,' Ms Al Ghseen said. 'But then we realised the UAE was full of untold stories – humble, impactful, and often overlooked. Sustainability here isn't always commercial. It's deeply personal.' The Climate Tribe's mission remains global – to bring international stories to local audiences and elevate UAE voices on the world stage. But at its heart, the aim is constant: to amplify hope, resilience, and solutions. When asked whether she believes the world is progressing quickly enough on climate, Sheikha Shamma didn't hesitate. 'No,' she said. 'There's still too much fragmentation. We live in a world of limited resources – we can't afford to be siloed. We need collaboration more than ever.'
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE: How unconscious biases can deepen inequalities in recruitment, career growth
NamaWomen Advancement, a government initiative for gender equity, held a workshop on unconscious bias in the workplace. The session explored how such bias affects hiring, promotions, and company culture. It highlighted that unconscious bias is a systemic issue, not just a personal one. If ignored, it can deepen inequalities in recruitment, career growth, leadership roles, and employee engagement. The workshop, part of the Irtiqa initiative under the directives and visionary leadership of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Nama Women Advancement, offered participants a deeper understanding of how unconscious biases can influence decisions and reinforce barriers to inclusion and opportunity. Forms of unconscious bias The workshop offered participants an understanding of unconscious biases that can be shaped by upbringing, media, education, and language. Participants were encouraged to reflect on the factors that reinforce bias. Forms of unconscious bias include: — Maternity Bias: Making assumptions about women's commitment or capacity due to caregiving responsibilities — Halo Effect: Forming a generalized impression based on one positive trait — Horn Effect: Forming a generalised impression based on one negative trait — Contrast Bias: Evaluating someone not on their own merit but in comparison to others — Affinity Bias: Favouring individuals who share similar backgrounds, interests or identities Real-life workplace scenarios The workshop engaged participants with realistic workplace scenarios that illustrated how unconscious bias can impact interactions and decision-making, often without intent. These scenarios reflected a range of professional contexts, including performance evaluation, recruitment, promotions, task allocation, and everyday communication. The scenarios invited participants to critically analyze not just individual behaviour, but also systems and assumptions that allow such biases to persist. Through group discussions, they explored how everyday decisions can either support or challenge inclusion and equity within the workplace. Institutional biases through systemic change The workshop emphasised that addressing unconscious bias requires both individual reflection and systemic change. Key areas of action to address institutional bias included encouraging self-awareness, using gender-disaggregated data, and raising awareness through targeted training. The Irtiqa initiative was highlighted as a structured, practical initiative to support organisations in implementing these strategies. Nama's systemic approach to unconscious bias 'At Nama Women Advancement, we view unconscious bias not merely as a personal attitude, but as a systemic challenge that shapes organizational culture, influences policies, and impacts decision-making structures, often without being recognized,' according to Nama. 'By treating unconscious bias as a structural challenge, rather than isolated individual behavior, we focus on transforming systems, not just mindsets. This includes revisiting how organisations assess performance, define leadership, and create inclusive policies.' Irtiqa Initiative Through Nama's Irtiqa Initiative, Nama works with public and private sector entities in the UAE to embed inclusion at both strategic and operational levels through: • Interactive workshops that raise awareness, spark dialogue, and equip stakeholders with actionable solutions • Organisational diagnostic tool known as the Irtiqa Toolkit that helps organizations assess where they stand on their gender diversity journey and provide recommendations to improve inclusion policies and workplace culture • One-on-one organisational consultations focused on reviewing internal practices, such as HR systems and DEI policies, developing action plans and strategies to drive long-term change Measurable outcomes and goals Nama aims for measurable outcomes including increased representation of women across leadership, management, and technical roles; more equitable recruitment and promotion systems supported by inclusive HR policies and performance review structures; greater awareness and behavioral shifts among staff and leadership; and improved access to professional development opportunities for underrepresented groups. Through the directives of Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, Irtiqa aims to drive economic growth by positioning women's inclusion as a major proponent for global GDP expansion and help reshape business ecosystems by advocating gender-inclusive products and supply chains supporting women-owned enterprises. The initiative advances UAE leadership in Sustainable Development Goals (5, 8, 17) and fosters cross-sector knowledge hubs through peer networks. Success measurement Impact is measured through Irtiqa's diagnostic dashboards, quantifying progress across the 5Ps such as increased women in leadership or pay equity adjustments. Policy adoption rates track implementation of toolkit recommendations. Participation metrics include workshop reach and toolkit usage, while longitudinal staff surveys gauge cultural shifts in inclusion perceptions. 'Irtiqa also measures impact through stories of transformation: rising numbers of women leading teams, policies redesigned for fairness, and partners reporting tangible gains in innovation and morale,' according to Nama.
Khaleej Times
18 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
A Toastmasters world champion on finding her voice through motherhood
'Can you think of a time when life tried to knock you down? Who was your toughest opponent?' When Ramona J Smith lobbed these weighty questions with punch in her voice and poise in her stance at the 2018 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, she had no inkling that a quiet coronation awaited her on the other side. She took the audience on a tour of her life punctuated with failures and letdowns, only to rise from the ashes and command the world stage with a life-changing speech 'Still Standing'. The phrase became a lasting motif of resilience in Smith's life, one that not only defined her identity but brought her a glory she had never imagined. Seven years later, the words 'still standing' represents more than mere grit and emerging from the rock bottom. It now means, in Smith's own words, 'gratitude to still be speaking and to still be celebrated as a world champion.' Speaking on the sidelines of Toastmasters (District Toastmasters Annual Conference) DTAC 2025 in Dubai, she said that she did not join the organisation with an intention to overcome stage fear. She had never been one to grow cold feet when on stage, but she recalled the moment when she felt an irrevocable desire to find her voice and release it to the world to echo. And it wasn't something external. 'When I became a mother, that's when I knew that I had to speak up for myself, because I was going to have to speak up for my son. I knew that I was going to have to step up as a leader because I had this little person watching every move that I was making and I wanted to be the best version of myself for my son.' As an unwed mother, who she says is different from a single mother in the struggles that they face, it wasn't easy for Smith to emerge from the backstage of fizzles and frustrations. However, she proudly highlights the fact that her son had his father to fall back on in his growing years, and that gave her the opportunity and freedom to set out on her own from the theatre of her past. It shaped the way she showed up on the stage as a leader whose intention was to carry the message of finding one's own bearings in a world that is filled with distractions of every sort. It gave her the space to spread her wings in the comfort of knowing that her son was safe growing up well and strong with his amazing father. For someone who meets adversities with the same equanimity as facing an audience, winning the World Championship wasn't just about making herself heard. It was also about shedding the fear of not being able to make her dreams come true. 'I'm afraid of not living my life to the fullest, that's the only fear I have, and how I navigate through that today is by continuing to show up globally and continuing to pursue my dreams and achieve my goals.' Smith doesn't believe in merely pouring her words into the mic. For her a speech should be able to percolate into the minds of the listeners, leaving an irreversible impact on them, so much so that it transforms their lives in some way. Like most public figures who hand out practical life lessons and suggest coping mechanisms to successfully survive in a chaotic, digitally disturbed world, Smith too draws from the well-spring of her own struggles, experiences and lessons learnt and imparts them to people in forceful ways. 'Great speakers are great storytellers,' she says and segues into explaining how from being a mere speaker who wanted to tell her stories when she began her journey, she has now grown into an orator who uses her experiences to guide others towards discovering the greatness within themselves. This leadership quality that now helps her empower others wasn't something she was born with; it was shaped by circumstances and honed by choice. It didn't emerge until she enlisted in the United States Air Force, where a military training instructor unexpectedly thrust her into a leadership role. 'It was when he pushed me into that role because he saw some characteristics in me that I didn't,' she recalls. 'I accepted it, and I was able to lead a group of 50 women I'd never met before through training. The title of 'leader' definitely found me. I didn't think I was one before, but I know for sure that I am one now.' Her words carry the modesty of someone who didn't seek power, but grew into it. Her story affirms the truth that greatness isn't always something you're born into; it can be cultivated through intention, commitment, and the willingness to be of value to those you aim to serve. Let's admit it — being a public speaker isn't easy. It takes courage to overcome the two major mental blocks that hold most people back: imposter syndrome and the trap of comparison. The nagging belief of 'I'm not good enough' isn't unique to speakers alone; it's something everyone who has stood on a victory podium has wrestled with at some point. According to Smith, the antidote to this lies in pushing oneself beyond the safety of comfort zones. 'I train them and make them speak in a way they didn't even know they were capable of,' she says. 'They start to unlock a confidence they never knew was there, and along the way, they begin to discover different versions of themselves, and that's very liberating.' In Smith's opinion, to be a great speaker, one has to have life experiences that not only one can share with authenticity, but also have the capacity to process those experiences and derive lessons out of them that can shift audience perspectives. 'Great speakers are shaped by struggle and intentional practice,' she says summarising the primary characteristics of a good orator on stage who can hook, hold and bind the audience in a spell. Smith is undeterred by the invasion of AI in the creative space, of which public speaking is an integral part and holds unvarying certitude in her role as a speaker and life-changer. She is convinced that live, heartfelt communication in an era dominated by quick content and virtual personas has an undisputable place of its own. While she does not deny that 'AI can help to come up with ideas and creative statements and create creativity', there's still nothing like 'being in a group of people with whom you are laughing, having a good time,' she adds. The energy that genuine thought and communication bring is incomparable and 'there is no substitute for live interaction.' Smith observed that what stood out most about the Toastmasters community in the UAE was their palpable excitement, deep passion, and dedication to the organisation. Unlike what she often sees back in the United States, where not everyone treats Toastmasters with the same level of personal investment, members in the UAE hold the community close to their hearts. She found their warmth and the way they received her and other world champions to be truly humbling. While many individual stories and voices moved her during her visit, what remained most memorable was the collective spirit, a level of enthusiasm and commitment she considers among the strongest she's encountered in her journey. Smith is disarmingly adorable when she says that if she hadn't become a world-renowned speaker, she might have simply been a stay-at-home mom. If there's one myth about public speaking she wishes to bust, it's the idea that it's 'hard, challenging, and terrible'. For her, the most powerful thing the craft has taught her is the ability to say, with conviction, 'I am enough.' For someone who wakes up each day feeling happy and excited about what the hours ahead might bring, and who finds deep power in the quiet satisfaction of doing what she loves, that simple statement becomes a profound declaration for a lifetime.
