Sharjah Arab Children Forum Recommends Involvement of Arab Youth

The Sharjah Arab Children Forum (SACF) 2016 ended on Sunday with a recommendation that children’s opinions should be taken into consideration for the development of national plans and strategies. The week-long event concluded with a number of recommendations by SACF’s Supreme Organising Committee that highlighted the need to listen to Arab children and engage them in formulating policies that concern their future.

The recommendations were derived from educational programmes and workshops that were organised alongside the forum, which was held under the patronage of Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs. They were announced during the closing ceremony of SACF 2016, which took place at the Headquarters of Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, in the presence of Reem BinKaram, Head of SACF’s Supreme Organising Committee; Noura Mohammed Mubarak, Deputy Head of SACF’s Supreme Organising Committee; representatives and heads of Arab delegations taking part in the forum and Arab children participating in the event.

SACF’s Supreme Organising Committee called for the need to introduce and develop new methods to strengthen pan-Arab bonds between Arab children and support youth in Arab countries affected by conflict and disasters. It also recommended that Arab education institutions cooperate to develop special programmes for gifted and creative Arab children.

The committee underlined that the annual SACF event should be adopted as a sustainable platform for intercommunication and cultural exchange between Arab children. It said that Arab countries must encourage future generations to use alternative energy and help build the smart and sustainable cities of the future. The committee emphasised the creative aspects of youth and highlighted its important role in developing children’s expressive abilities.

The committee revealed that a special e-gate will be included on the SACF website to enable Arab children who participated in the forum to keep in touch with the programme throughout the year and to facilitate communication between them. It also nominated a number of outstanding children to participate in similar events at Sharjah Children Centres and Sajaya Young Ladies.

Reem BinKaram said; “We view the recommendations by the forum’s Supreme Organising Committee to be a working plan to develop the forum in its forthcoming editions. These recommendations are a result of the proposed ideas and suggestions made by the children attending during their participation in educational, training and entertaining programmes organised throughout the week-long event.”

BinKaram referred to the immense support extended by Her Highness Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, to the forum since its inception. She highlighted how Sheikha Jawaher’s influence has contributed greatly to the realisation of Sharjah’s vision and its strategy to nurture and develop children’s talents and unlock their creativity so that they can achieve their future ambitions.

BinKaram expressed her delight and satisfaction with the positive outcomes of the forum that would not have been possible without the children’s contributions. She stated that a significant takeaway from the event was that the children participating had learned important skills that would allow them to be innovative and help them to overcome the difficulties and challenges they face in their lives. She outlined her confidence that the children taking part in SACF 2016 would be able to contribute meaningfully to the overall development in their respective

countries. She thanked all those who contributed to the forum, extending special gratitude to sponsors, organisers and volunteers who had a significant role in its success.

A documentary film was shown during the closing ceremony that featured the most important projects designed by the children attending SACF 2016, with the record used to showcase their talents to other participating delegations and their peers from Arab states. A second documentary titled ‘Harvest of the Forum's Diary’ was also shown, depicting the many significant and fun moments that the children experienced during their participation in the forum. The film also incorporated the most important daily segments of a programme aired by Sharjah TV throughout the seven days of the event.

Also during the closing ceremony, three groups of children who designed the best three projectsabout future cities were honoured. The three winners were selected by a panel of experts from among five groups that were shortlisted from 25 groups of children who participated in the sustainable cities workshop.

The projects that were nominated to win the first places included ‘Safety City’ and ‘The Future City is Life,’ ‘The Future City,’ ‘Amindam’ and ‘Union City.’ The group, which came in the first place, designed "Union City", while the second winning group designed "Future City", and the third group designed "Amindam".

SACF is a biannual pan-Sharjah initiative established to be a platform for Arab children to discuss issues and exchange ideas. It facilitates the sharing of experiences with their peers from all nationalities in a safe and stable environment conducive to creativity and collective work. SACF treats children as an important section of society who play a significant role in shaping the present and future of the world.