His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians has awarded the insignia of Knight in the Order of the Crown (Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Couronne) to philanthropist, social entrepreneur, author, film producer, and columnist, Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah, a princess in the ruling Al-Sabah Family of Kuwait.
The prestigious Belgian insignia was awarded to Sheikha Intisa at her residence on 31 May by the Ambassador of Belgium to Kuwait H.E. Marc Trenteseau, on behalf of His Majesty King Philippe..
The honor is awarded in recognition of Sheikha Intisar’s humanitarian and philanthropic work in the fields of education through positive psychology, women’s self-empowerment, and bottom-up peacebuilding efforts, both in the Arab world and globally.
Sheikha Intisar, founder of Intisar Foundation, Alnowair, and Bareec, said following the decoration ceremony,, “I am beyond grateful to His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium for recognizing and commending my work. I have been committed to building a more peaceful Arab world by encouraging positivity among young people and providing psychological support to Arab women traumatized by war and violence.
It is because I am a firm believer that achieving better mental health and applying positive psychology can significantly contribute to humanity’s greatest cause, Peace, and enable it to flowchart from the Arab world, reaching and affecting all of humankind. I am therefore pleased that the Kingdom of Belgium considers that my life’s work attests to my devotion to the ideas of unity, tolerance, and human rights.”
Speaking on the occasion Ambassador of Belgium H.E. Marc Trenteseau said: “Of course Belgium and Kuwait are good trading partners, but more than that, we share common values, like the necessity of good neighborly relations, the primacy of international law on the rule of the jungle, respect for individuals and Human Rights. Furthermore, the respect of gender equality, the alleviation of sufferings of innocent victims of human violence is of paramount importance to the Belgian Authorities. This award acknowledges the considerable service given by the princess and her foundation to these values and to the cause of victims of war in Arab countries throughout the years, especially women and children.
“Her endeavor and dedication are well known and are much valued by the Belgian Authorities and by their Majesties, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. It is therefore a great pleasure for me as Ambassador of Belgium to the State of Kuwait to bestow upon Princess Intisar Al-Sabah the decoration of Chevalier de la Couronne (Knight of the Crown) on behalf of his majesty King Philippe.”
Throughout her life, Sheikha Intisar has been dedicating her time and effort to humanitarian causes related to health, education, women’s empowerment, child protection, and human rights.
In the MENA region, she is known for her active humanitarian work towards a vision of a peaceful Arab world and for being a very ardent defender of children, young people, and women, bringing much needed relief to those in need, especially due to the continuous periods of violence in Arab countries over recent decades.
The Intisar Foundation established by Sheikha Intisar is the first charitable organization to provide drama therapy sessions to women traumatized by war and violence in the Arab world, and is a registered Charity Commission for England and Wales. Intisar Foundation has been hailed for developing and introducing an innovative and scientifically-proven approach to the field of bottom-up peacebuilding that effects a long-term, systemic change by enabling the psychological recovery and self-empowerment of women traumatized by war and violence. Furthermore, Sheikha Intisar has launched the ‘One Million Arab Women initiative’, a 30-year-plan to alleviate psychological trauma in one million Arab women.
To date, Intisar Foundation has implemented over 174+ virtual and field drama therapy sessions, reaching hundreds of women in Lebanon and Jordan and thousands of indirect beneficiaries. In addition, the foundation has published research papers in international journals which confirm the qualitative and quantitative impact of drama therapy on vulnerable populations. Furthermore, the foundation plans to expand the pool of qualified drama therapists in the Middle East by providing scholarships for female Arab students at the USEK, Lebanon.
Karima Anbar, CEO, Intisar Foundation, added, “Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah has an impressive track record when it comes to making a difference. As the CEO of Intisar Foundation, I am proud to be part of her mission where we developed a pioneering and innovative bottom-up peace-building process. Research findings prove that women’s psychological health affects the entire household. By self-empowering women, we ensure that future generations and communities are resilient and less prone to violence and we contribute to building a bottom-up peace process. This medal is very well deserved fby Sheikha Intisar as she contributes to making this world a better and more peaceful place every day.”
Founded in 2013, Alnowair is Sheikha’s Intisar and the region’s first nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting positive psychology and positivity as a way of living that leads to overall mental wellbeing. Alnowair’s aim is to bring a positive social behavioral change across the community, in fields of education and environment by transforming positive psychology research findings into interactive programs and behavioral campaigns.
Alnowair till date has engaged 2.5 million people across four programs and 220 campaigns becoming a pioneering example for Kuwait’s neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the organization’s educational program titled ‘Boomerang’ works on eliminating bullying in schools through the use of applied theater. The program has till date positively impacted 15,100 students, 264 real life victims, bullies and by-standers across 33 private schools. Workplace wellbeing program ‘Yelloworks’ empowers employees and executive management with tools to increase their positive outlook and contribute towards positive organizational culture. The program has till date positively impacted teams of six major telecom, banking and real estate sector organizations in Kuwait.
Bareec is the first and only educational NGO from Kuwait to have presented their work to the United Nations. In January 2020, Sheikha Intisar provided an overview of the impact of positive psychology on academia, as well as social behavior on mental wellbeing of students,as well as teachers in the schools that have implemented the program.
Gaja Kruchlik, Director, Alnowair, said, “Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah, and her belief in the human potential and positivity as a driving force in making the world a thriving place has left an everlasting impact on me, on my team and all the people whose lives she has touched. For the past ten years, we at At Alnowair have been working on bringing positive social behavioral change in Kuwait, and we are very proud of the fact that today through meaningful steps, sustained deliberation, and collaborative work, we have helped make mental health and its importance a household subject in Kuwait.”
Bareec has conducted over 20 training programs and reached more than 500 educators. Bareec is being implemented in 47 public high schools, reaching more than 11,600 learners. It has been included in the human development state plan of New Kuwait Vision 2035 by the Supreme Council for Planning and Development and has been approved by the Ministry of Education of Kuwait in its new five-year plan for the development of education.
Rokaya Ali Hussain, Director General, Bareec, said, “With an unprecedented passion, Sheikha Intisar smartly and scientifically motivated state officials for Bareec to become part of the State of Kuwait Development Plan. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the number of public high schools applying for the program grew exponentially to 47 schools, training more than 500 teachers and reaching out to more than 11,600 students. Bareec became a daily fulfilling activity that educators, learners and parents could harvest its ripe fruit immediately after implementation.”
In a belief that media and art are particularly effective in influencing behavior and attitudes, Sheikha Intisar has also been committing her work as an author, film producer, and columnist to spread the message of peace, humanity, and social responsibility as the main pillars of any meaningful change across the world. Her media publications, published art books, and released award winning films have been promoting wellbeing and personal growth, high ethical standards and values, her Kuwaiti heritage, as well as furthering women’s empowerment in the Arab world and beyond.
To learn more about Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah, please visit her website
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