Government

Reem Al Hashimy calls on digital storytellers to move beyond statistics and amplify compassion at 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai

Content creators hold the power to make global crises more human and less political, said Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, during a fireside chat on the second day of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.

In an impassioned address, Al Hashimy urged creators to use their platforms to translate numbers into stories, turning data into empathy and awareness that inspire action.

“You are not a statistic; you are a lived experience,” she said. “We need storytellers who can make crises feel real, urgent, and impossible to ignore.”

Al Hashimy highlighted that traditional government communication alone is no longer sufficient to convey the human reality behind global conflicts and disasters. Instead, she said, content creators must step in to bridge the emotional gap between official reports and public understanding.

“One of the biggest challenges we face today is that crises keep erupting around us, but the way governments traditionally talk about them does not always connect,” she explained. “We need others to help tell these stories in ways that make suffering human and intolerable.”

‘Making Kindness Viral’

At the heart of her message was a call to “make kindness viral.” Al Hashimy said that compassion-driven storytelling is the foundation of effective humanitarian work. When audiences emotionally connect to the suffering of others, they are more likely to engage consistently rather than react briefly.

“Empathy and solidarity drive sustained engagement far more than one-off reactions,” she noted.

UAE’s Global Humanitarian Role

Citing the UAE’s extensive humanitarian commitments, Al Hashimy revealed that the country has provided over $2 billion in aid to Gaza, representing more than 44% of all international assistance to the region. The UAE’s support has included hospital operations, emergency bakeries, and the evacuation of patients for treatment abroad since October 7.

She also called attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, describing it as “the worst crisis since World War II in scale”, and pointed out that many global conflicts remain overlooked simply because they don’t dominate media headlines.

“There are more than 200 conflicts around the world that never make it into our top conversations. But that does not make the suffering any less real,” she said.

Humanity Over Politics

Responding to concerns from creators about being labelled “political” when speaking about conflicts such as Gaza or Sudan, Al Hashimy made a clear distinction:“When we talk about human beings suffering, there is nothing political about that. If the focus is on the humanitarian reality — on how life actually is on the other side — then it becomes about people, not politics.”

Partnership for Change

Al Hashimy reaffirmed that the UAE’s humanitarian priorities are shaped by severity of need and accessibility, and that the country actively seeks partnerships with governments, private sector leaders, and content creators to amplify impact.

She concluded by encouraging creators to uphold accuracy, empathy, and responsibility in their storytelling — turning compassion into a shared digital movement for good.

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