I participated in the seventh edition of the Estoril Conference
Bodour Al Qasimi: Diversity enriches the publishing sector
Bodour Al Qasimi reviewed her own experiences during her speech at the conference.
From the source
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the International Federation of Publishers, stressed that diversity and gender equality in publishing is a topic that requires vigilance and continuous attention at the sector level in order to achieve success for all partners, noting that she has strived over the past decade to empower women of all backgrounds and support Their right to reach the highest levels of professional success.
She reviewed the challenges she faced during her work in the publishing sector, and her desire to stop at times, but her determination and patience in the face of discrimination played a major role in her path to reach the position of president of the International Publishers Association, to be the second woman to occupy this position during the union's march for 126 years. years.
This came during Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi's speech on cultural diversity and the multiplicity of voices in the publishing sector, as part of her participation in the activities of the seventh edition of the Estoril Conference, which was held recently in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
The Estoril Conference, which was organized over two days, represents a platform for building an open dialogue between generations with the aim of preparing for a more inclusive and sustainable future.
The conference brought together participants from all over the world who seek joint cooperation to create effective alliances based on practical solutions with the aim of bringing about positive change in many sectors.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi talked about her own experiences, being an Arab Muslim woman working in the publishing sector, to emphasize the vital and effective role that diversity and polyphony play in enriching humanity.
It is the subject of the conference session.
She cited the case of the famous American poet Yi-Fen Zhou, whose inclusion in the 2015 American Poetry Anthology created a sensation against the backdrop of the public's discovery that this poet is an unreal person, as a poet and librarian named Michael Hudson used a pseudonym for a Chinese woman to publish his works, after His participation in poetry competitions was rejected several times until he adopted a name from another culture and another gender, and his works became accepted.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said that the controversy surrounding the bias in accepting poems and favoritism according to gender and race away from merit, entitlement and efficiency calls for reflection and reconsideration by the publishing community, in order to bring about effective positive change within this industry to prevent the phenomenon of systematic marginalization of authors and publishers of all backgrounds.
She added that these dialogues will contribute to allowing readers to access content that better reflects their image of the world around them.
The President of the International Federation of Publishers reviewed her experience and struggle with prejudice and discrimination based on race, nationality, religion, and gender, noting that she has strived over the past decade to empower women of all backgrounds and support their right to reach the highest levels of professional success, pointing to the challenges she faced during her work in The publishing sector, and her desire to stop sometimes, but her determination and patience in the face of discrimination played a major role in her path to reach the position of president of the International Publishers Association, to be the second woman to occupy this position during the union’s 126-year career.
On human values and the difficulty of accepting different points of view, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi explained that the challenge facing us all as a society is to fight ignorance by promoting the values of respect and tolerance, be patient and learn from each other, and make an effort to understand and accept diverse viewpoints with loving hearts.
She cited verse 22 of Surat Al-Rum: “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and your colors.
She added, “We can achieve success and prosperity when we have a spirit of love, patience and unity, and when the publishing sector plays a vital role in creating an environment that encourages listening to diverse voices and providing a unique platform that includes different perspectives.”
President of the International Federation of Publishers:
• “I faced challenges during my publishing career, but my resolve in the face of discrimination played a major role in my path to reach the position of president of the International Publishers Association.”
• “The challenge facing us as a society is to fight ignorance by promoting the values of respect and tolerance, and making an effort to understand and accept diverse viewpoints with loving hearts.”
new vision
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association, addressed the participants in the Estoril Conference, as readers, praising their role in shaping the cultural landscape as those who read this content, and urging them to read any book by any author whose works they do not usually read to hear a new voice, and perhaps gain a new voice. A new vision of themselves.
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