SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--‘Jeans for Refugees’ (#JFR) has chosen Her Highness (HH) Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah-UAE, Chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, to be its project’s esteemed patron.
Launched by internationally-acclaimed fashion designer and artist, Johny Dar, #JFR is 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 celebrities to donate a pair of jeans to the cause. 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.
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. Johny Dar, 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 next activation in the Jeans for Refugees series will be a ‘Runway Show’ at the New York Fashion Week tomorrow September 8.
