EAA launches Empower 2021 youth conference

In the presence of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Vice-Chairperson of Education Above All (EAA), and HE the Minister of Sports and Youth Salah bin Ghanem al-Ali, Reach Out To Asia ( Rota), a programme of EAA, in conjunction with Qatar Museums on Tuesday launched the Empower 2021 International Youth Conference.

The three-day hybrid event under the theme ‘Young Global Citizens Co-Create Culture,’ has brought together over 1,000 youth in Qatar and beyond to engage in cross-cultural exchange. HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said: “Culture allows us to recognise our common humanity and has the power to shape our communities and forge a sense of identity and belonging. Here at Empower 2021, we recognise and celebrate the youth’s unique opportunity to promote, preserve, and co-create a global culture that will allow humanity to thrive. Rota continues to support young people in this journey through equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to become agents of positive change.”

Youth participants between 15 and 24 will participate in workshops and learning opportunities, in line with Rota’s Global Citizenship Education mandate, to foster civic engagement and cultural preservation with the goal of bringing about sustainable social and economic development for future generations.

The speaker line-up brings together some of the finest arts and culture institutions in Qatar and beyond, including the Museums of Islamic Arts, the National Museum of Qatar, and the Qatar Children Museum. Abdulla Faraj al-Abdulla, Rota technical director, commented: “Now in its 13th edition, Empower continues to mobilise the next generation as changemakers within their respective communities and foster a sense of belonging to a common humanity among young people everywhere. We are grateful to our partners Qatar Museum Authority, Unesco, Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizenship, College of the North Atlantic – Qatar, Georgetown University in Qatar among other partners for lending their unparalleled insights into the power of cultural preservation in building sustainable creative economies, based on empathy, solidarity and respect for diversity.”