Hosting a session entitled "The Power of Books - What is the impact of literature and reading on our formation?", Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura Al-Kaabi, Assistant Minister, Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy, Omar Saif Ghobash, CEO and member of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Literature Foundation, Isabel Abualhol.
Speakers will be highlighting the impact of literature and its role on their lives on the platform, next Saturday, on the Zoom platform.
The session is the last in the first season of the series "Literary Dialogs Across Borders", which was launched by the United Arab Emirates Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy and the Emirates Literature Foundation, with the aim of enhancing international cultural understanding, through the influence of books and the power of words.
The initiative "Literary Dialogs Across Borders" formed a digital platform to host Emirati writers and thinkers in direct discussions with high-level international experts. He participated in the program that was originally designed to be a mobile program across many countries of the world, but it achieved great success via the Internet after the global pandemic , More than 8,000 people in 63 countries so far.
In evaluating the initiative, Minister of State, in charge of Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Zaki Nusseibeh said: “The arrival of this project to a wide segment of followers and interested was impressive, and its impact exceeded what we expected, as the discussions diversified and included vital topics Such as the impact of the epidemic on our future, global politics, sustainability and food security, the prospects for science and religion, and the changing face of journalism. ”
Nusseibeh added: “We quickly advanced towards the future, studied the effects of the (Probe of Hope) mission to Mars, and returned to the beginnings of history to review the beginnings of our country in the Neolithic period, and we witnessed a poetic event that brings together the brightest and best poets from the UAE, UK and the United States. This project was an exceptional platform for exchanging important dialogues, which includes prominent Emiratis, with a direct audience from all over the world.
For her part, CEO and member of the Emirates Literature Foundation Board of Trustees, Isabel Abualhol, expressed her happiness at the success of the initiative, adding: “It is very satisfying for the first season of the series of cross-border dialogues to end with talk of books. Books give us golden opportunities, and reading literature allows us to see the world through the eyes of others, to understand alternative points of view, good literature has the ability to transcend all boundaries, take us on an exciting journey, and makes us get to know other places we are not familiar with. Rather, it makes us coexist with the feelings and emotions of personalities of other ages, entities and races with whom we live their experiences closely. ”
Abu Al-Hool continued: “Literature enhances our knowledge and contributes to our mental formation, affects our thinking, and can leave us impressions that may last for a lifetime. Reading is a vital necessity for understanding the many issues that confront us daily, on a personal, social and cultural level. The series (Literary Dialogs Across Borders) has enabled us to do a lot, by hosting impressive sessions on many pressing issues in our current reality.
"Probe of Hope"
The opening session of a series of literary dialogues across the border included Indian politician, Shashi Tharoor, and Minister of State, Zaki Nusseibeh, and discussed the impact of the events of 2020 on the course of history.
In another interview, Zaki Nusseibeh, NASA's astronomer and geologist, Dr. Farouk Al-Baz, addressed the mission of “Probe of Hope” to Mars, and the session was moderated directly from Japan, Director of the Emirates Astronaut Program at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, Salem Al-Marri.
Zaki Nusseibeh:
• "The topics of the dialogues diversified ... We quickly advanced towards the future, and we studied the effects of the (Probe of Hope) mission to Mars."
8,000 people in 63 countries so far, follow the dialogues.
• "Cross-border dialogues" launched by the Emirates Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy, to enhance international cultural understanding.
The initiative formed a digital platform to host Emirati writers and world-class experts.