Leading Muslim Philanthropists to mobilize human and financial resources to address poverty, literacy, social justice and economic development

Oakbrook, Illinois, March 14, 2008 - Eminent Philanthropists will gather from around the globe to attend the first assembly of the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists (WCMP), to be held in Istanbul, Turkey from March 22-24, 2008. Humanitarians representing notable foundations, governmental agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions from over 30 countries will engage in multi-disciplinary discussion under the theme of “Facing Challenges & Finding Solutions”.

Prominent speakers will cover topics relevant to development, social justice, civic engagement, poverty, literacy and global environmental issues. Philanthropists will discuss their vision for a better world with experts and on-the-ground practitioners who bring real, tested solutions to the table. Through these exchanges, philanthropists will identify practical, sustainable solutions they need to promote the dynamic, healthy communities they envision.

Muslim philanthropists invest annually an estimated 20 billion dollars in charitable endeavors worldwide. The first-ever gathering of these influential philanthropists provides a forum for mutual learning, identifying best practices and creating greater transparency and accountability between donors and the communities they purport to benefit.

High-level participation is expected from various international institutions including Organization of The Islamic Conference, Islamic Development Bank, United Nations, Kingdom Foundation, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, Qatar Foundation, ActionAid International, USAID, Sabanci Foundation, Koc Foundation and Gaddafi Development Foundation.

WCMP acknowledges the financial contributions of Islamic Development Bank and Kingdom Foundation in organizing this historic event, which highlights the tradition of fostering philanthropic enterprise worldwide by these institutions.

WCMP is a global initiative working with humanitarians and institutions to mobilize human and financial resources in addressing critical challenges facing the world today. “We intend to transform the energy generated through this assembly into a catalyst for enduring engagement of high net worth individuals and philanthropic institutions”, says WCMP founder, Dr. Tariq Cheema.

For more information, please visit the WCMP 2008 web site at http://thewcmp.net. Contact information for The World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists is: WCMP 2008, P.O. Box # 3654, Oakbrook, IL 60522, United States. Phone: +1 (630) 242-2792, Fax: +1 (630) 889-9511, Email: info@thewcmp.net.