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, organized by QF’s global education initiative under the theme of Generation Unmute: Reclaiming Our Future Through Education, was attended by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of QF; Machaille Hassan Al-Naimi, President of Community Development at QF, and Dr. Ahmad M. Hasnah, President of QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Mohamad Ali Bahri, Arabic Language Program Coordinator at HBKU’s Translation and Interpreting Institute, delivered a keynote speech during the event, saying: “We have to speak so that the world can see us - this is the importance of this partnership between Qatar, and TED’s global platform”.

“At Qatar Foundation, we realize that language is a wealth, a thought and feeling, a culture, an identity. We must empower it in our educational and academic institutions and in our social programs. We need to allow our students to live the civilized life of their ancestors, and enable them to enjoy its beauty by bringing back its status.

“When you love the Arabic language, you can take hold of it. It can take you anywhere you want, and it can be very loving for you. It will leave an impact on you, your personality, your strength, your ability to confront and your leadership powers.

“From this platform, and under the partnership between Qatar Foundation and TED to establish TEDinArabic, I call on Arabic speakers, and every innovator, whether in art or in science, to see that you have this platform. Speak so the world can see you. Our ideas are in our voices. Create an impact and leave your mark.”

Among speakers was Mohammed Al-Janahi, Head of Outreach, Teach For Qatar, who spoke about his passion for Arabic language and Arabic poetry since childhood, and how he used his talent for writing Arabic poems to create unique visual educational content, to help students learn mathematics and science by providing meaningful and accessible content.

Al-Janahi told the TEDinArabic audience: “Ancient Arabs used poetry in all aspects of their lives, whether to reflect their experiences, telling their stories or talking about their successes and heroism and expressing their feelings. Poetry is a tool that is easy to use and to spread at all times. It simplifies the complex meaning and can deliver messages.

“I wondered ‘Is it possible for me to teach students to mathematics through poetry, just like it helped us to learn grammar and other sciences?’.”

Farah Al Taweel, a designer from Qatar who is interested in design thinking and innovative teaching methods for children, and is a graduate of QF partner university Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, QF partner university, was also among the speakers. “In the past, I used to advise people to use the design thinking skill of children, so that children can use it as a means of innovation and creativity as they face the world.

“But I was presenting this solution without a child’s perspective, because children’s view of life is different, and the way they discover and use their environment is also different. We do not want to change the way children think, innovate and explore the world, but we want to prepare and support them to face the world”.

Dr. Rana Dajani, a scientist and professor at Hashemite University in Jordan, spoke about the We Love Reading initiative that she founded in Jordan, which aims to nurture children who are lifelong learners people who are able to make change happen through using reading as a tool to develop the mind, enrich language, release emotions, and feel that nothing is impossible.

“Each of the We Love Reading ambassadors has, through their experience, explored their inner capabilities, which led to them becoming change makers in their communities,” she said.

“The We Love Reading strategy is based on intrinsic motivation rather than on external stimuli, which is an important turning point for creating a radical change in the public framework that would help in creating a sustainable future.

"I invite you all to embark together on a journey of self-discovery, in which we change thinking patterns through reading, in order to become the change makers that we need".

The event also included a series of performances, such as the presentation of the poem My Palestinian by Farah Shamma, a musical performance by Qatar Music Academy – part of QF’s Pre-University Education – and a video clip for the Desert Roots School, which aims to teach music to combat desertification in Morocco, and was founded by TED Fellow, architect, and eco-tourism specialist Aziza Chaouni.

To discover more about TEDinArabic and join its ever-growing Arabic-speaking community

For more information about the 2021 WISE Summit, and about WISE