Delegations from across Islamic world attend Doha Youth Camp

The Doha Youth Camp for Voluntary and Humanitarian Work got under way at Darb Al Saai yesterday with the participation of youth delegations from 53 Islamic countries. The event is being held in collaboration with the Islamic Co-operation Youth Forum as part of the Doha – OIC Youth Capital 2019 activities and under the motto ‘The Youth is the Power of Nation’. The activity will continue until November 6, organised by the Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Centre in collaboration with Qatar Charity. The proceedings began with an instructive meeting, where Dr Hamad al-Fayyad, director of the Youth Media Centre and general supervisor of the camp, talked about the basic idea behind the event. He stressed the importance of the role played by young people in the areas of giving and philanthropy, as they are considered among the main factors to guarantee the safety and security of their societies. Dr al-Fayyad noted that the camp is a good opportunity for the participating youths to exchange expertise and experiences in the fields of voluntary and humanitarian work. It also aims at enhancing their skills in disaster management and aid work. One of the features of the camp is the overnight accommodation for participants, reflecting the situation faced by refugees and people affected by wars and natural disasters. This initiative allows the camp’s participants to get an idea of the realities of refugees and displaced people.In the meantime, Mohamed Ali al-Ghamdi, camp supervisor and assistant to the Qatar Charity CEO, said: “At Qatar Charity, we are proud to partner with the Ministry of Culture and Sports in organising the Doha Youth Camp for Voluntary and Humanitarian Work 2019, which is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”He stressed that the event provides an opportunity to introduce Qatar’s efforts in related fields locally, regionally and internationally for the benefit of the countries and societies suffering from disasters, and its development work there. He said there are 73 participants in the camp from 53 countries, who will attend a training programme of around 70 hours spread over 11 days. The training will be provided by more than 20 local and international entities. In all, some 25 training courses will be presented by 30 specialised trainers to develop the necessary skills of the participants on saving lives and offering due aid and assistance at critical times. The first workshop of the camp addressed the issue of ‘Refugees and displaced in the world: the crisis, needs and ways of response’, presented by Ahmed Mohsin, senior officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He explained the legal aspects of the issue and the main challenges facing humanitarian work in such areas.The objectives of the camp include establishing positive values and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation among young people through an effective network of youth activists in the field of humanitarian and development work in the countries of the Islamic world. In addition, the camp will provide Muslim youth with an opportunity to go through real experiences by simulating the reality of some communities in the areas of education and health and how to promote them.