First TEDinArabic regional event calls for young Arabic voices to be amplified

 The first regional event to be held through TEDinArabic – a groundbreaking initiative between Qatar Foundation (QF) and TED – has taken place with the aim of helping to preserve and celebrate the Arabic language and promote its continuing use and relevance to the world.

The event, held during the 2021 WISE Summit organised by the QF’s global education initiative under the theme of Generation Unmute: Reclaiming Our Future Through Education, was attended by QF Vice-Chairperson and Chief Executive HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, QF Community Development president Machaille Hassan al-Naimi, and Dr Ahmad M Hasnah, president of the QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).Mohamad Ali Bahri, Arabic language programme co-ordinator at the HBKU’s Translation and Interpreting Institute, said in his keynote speech that Qatar Foundation has realised that language is a wealth, a thought and feeling, a culture, an identity.“When you love the Arabic language, you can master it. It can take you anywhere you want, and it can be very supportive for you,” he said. “It will leave an impact on you, your personality, your will power, your ability to challenge and your leadership skills.”“From this platform, and under the partnership between the QF and TED to establish TEDinArabic, I call on Arabic speakers, and every innovator, whether in art or in science, to know that this platform is yours,” Bahri added. “Speak so the world can see you. Our ideas are conveyed through our voices. Create an impact and leave your mark.”Mohamed al-Janahi, head of outreach at Teach For Qatar, spoke about his passion for the Arabic language and Arabic poetry since childhood.He used his talent for writing poems in Arabic to create unique visual educational content, helping students learn mathematics and science by providing them a meaningful and accessible content.Al-Janahi told the TEDinArabic audience: “Early Arabs used poetry in all aspects of their lives. Whether to reflect their experiences, telling their stories or talking about their success or heroism and their feelings.”“Poetry is a form of artistic communication that is easy to use and to convey at all times,” he added.Farah al-Taweel, a designer from Qatar, is interested in design thinking and innovative teaching methods for children.A graduate of QF partner Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, she said that she used to advise people to use the children’s design thinking skill, so that they can use it as a means of innovation and creativity as they perceive the world.Dr Rana Dajani, a scientist and professor at Jordan’s Hashemite University, spoke about the “We Love Reading” initiative that she founded in Jordan.It aims to nurture children who are lifelong learners.“They are able to make change through reading to develop their mind, enrich their language, release their emotions, and give them confidence that nothing is impossible,” she said.The event included a series of performances, the presentation of the poem *My Palestinian by Farah Shamma, a musical performance by Qatar Music Academy – part of the QF’s Pre-University Education – and a video clip from the Desert Roots School.It aims to teach music to combat desertification in Morocco, and was founded by TED Fellow, architect, and eco-tourism specialist Aziza Chaouni.The partnership between the QF and TED was launched in July 2017, and includes a digital destination that serves as a platform for TEDinArabic’s content library.It enables high-quality content in the Arabic language – including blogs, TED-Ed video lessons, and custom video content – to be prominent across the world.Since then, its website has been visited 36mn times and its videos have received 14mn views.