- H.E. Dr. Al Hyas: Social innovation is an important pillar for strengthening family cohesion.
• Dr. Hariri: Social innovation has been harnessed to solve many psychological and family problems.
Abu Dhabi’s, The Department of Community Development (DCD) conducted second episode of their “SI Talks”, under the theme, “Real Issues… Real Impact” with the core objective of garnering awareness for the vitality of the Social Innovation as well as discovering innovative platforms for addressing out diverse social hinderances that are complicated to solve via conventional methodology.
The second episode was apprehended virtually under the title, “The Role of Social Innovation in Building a Cohesive Family and Community”, and was joined remotely by more than 1,700 participants.
Statement by her Excellency Dr. Layla Abdulaziz Al Hyas, Executive Director, Social Monitoring & Innovation Sector DCD
- Her Excellency Dr. Layla Abdulaziz Al Hyas, Executive Director, Social Monitoring & Innovation Sector at DCD was prompt in stating that, “Social innovation is an important pillar for strengthening family cohesion and it is one of the DCD’s main ambitions to work towards a tolerant and inclusive community for citizens and residents, founded on cohesive family values.”
- Al Hyas also indicated out that the “SI Talks” series is a unique and innovative solution, introduced to raise awareness on various social issues by stimulating healthy behaviours for individuals and families that ensure the cohesion of families and community.
Dr. Heba Jamal Hariri, Psychologist, Researcher and Assistant Professor at the University of Jeddah – KSA, presented at the event, shedding light on the different stages of family growth, the role of parents at each stage, and discussing the essential role of social innovation in building a healthy and cohesive community.
Dr. Hariri, in stressing the innumerable stages of family growth, emphasized that awareness of the stages, each with its own necessities, challenges and needs, is key to helping families grow in a healthy way, and an essential factor in preventing possible risks, challenges or failures by focusing on the latest socially-innovative methodologies, and the necessary psychological preparation for them to be applied, to achieve healthy and cohesive families.
At the closure of the event, Dr. Hariri addressed queries and inquiries from the attendees, stressing the fact that social innovation has been harnessed to solve many psychological and family problems, adding that various platforms are now available to raise the family’s awareness of the skills needed to build a stable and healthy family atmosphere and provide appropriate counselling that suits the family needs.