From humanitarian aid to investing in humanity

BEIRUT: In my earlier column, I spoke to the expired model of humanitarian aid, and wrote about the necessity for a new social investment vehicle, the Community Capital Fund. In the midst of humanitarian aid and response inefficiencies and wastage, and at a time of fast-ballooning demands for sustainable and scalable impact, the need for a new structure and mindset is overdue.We know that communities serve with voice, capital enables with intelligent cash-flow, and funds bring legal due process alongside governance. This new type of partnership has the potential to bring community and capital together, powered by thoughtful and intentional funding.The last few days has been a space to listen to the reflective views of my peers who are serving communities and causes in the Middle East. Their expertise and abilities to impact have been a powerful case-in-point of how much our region continues to teach us, and how we have much to communicate with the global philanthropic and social investor community. I hope my column today does justice to the many priorities debated and elevated as crucial to any new model or...