Opinion leaders and intellectuals recommend from Abu Dhabi to share experiences and expertise between countries

The 2022 Cultural Summit calls for global solidarity to support creativity

• The Minister of Culture and Youth reviewed the UAE's efforts to support culture and the arts in facing the repercussions of the pandemic.

  Photography: Najeeb Mohamed

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Opinion leaders and intellectuals stressed that success in facing the repercussions of the “Covid-19” pandemic in all fields, especially culture and the arts, requires the world to work together according to a comprehensive global perspective, and to share experiences and expertise between countries, with the need to provide documented statistics on the sectors of culture, arts and related industries. So that successful strategies can be developed to advance them.

They also called for focusing on the human element and supporting creators financially and morally.

During their participation in the sessions of the first day of the activities of the fifth session of the cultural summit organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi in Manarat Al Saadiyat, which will continue for three days, they stressed the importance of the role that the arts can play in helping communities and individuals recover from the effects of the pandemic. and improve their psychological and mental health.

Arts and Education Summit in Abu Dhabi

The Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura Al Kaabi, revealed that an arts and education summit will be held in Abu Dhabi in 2023, in partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and UNESCO.

She reviewed the efforts of the UAE to support the culture and arts sectors in facing the repercussions of the "Covid-19" pandemic, and the priority that the state attaches to supporting these sectors to achieve sustainable development.

During the session, in which she participated in the summit programme, she touched on the role of the national strategy for cultural and creative industries launched earlier by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in which more than five ministries are cooperating in its implementation. In the country, to raise the percentage of this sector’s contribution to the national product, and to support many innovators who work independently and owners of small and medium enterprises to overcome the effects of the pandemic, overcome the challenges it imposed on them, and return to doing their business again.

Al Kaabi indicated that the UAE focused on three axes: making culture and arts a part of the curricula of the early educational stages in its schools, and also worked to include the features of local culture in the educational curricula in schools, considering this culture as part of human culture as a whole, promoting the Arabic language and encouraging generations Learn new ones in innovative ways that fit the current development.

In addition, the state has recently launched a new system of residence and work visas that is very flexible and allows all creators to be in the country and work, such as golden residency and green residency that allow independents to practice their businesses.

Al-Kaabi stressed the importance of sharing efforts in the field of culture, and said: “In culture, if you do not believe in cooperation, joint action, mutual dialogue and respect for different points of view, then you have not yet understood the concept of culture. Everything we do.”

early move

While the head of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, Muhammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, addressed the UAE’s ability to deal early with the pandemic, which contributed to limiting its effects on the creative industries sector, by developing plans to maintain mobility in this area, pointing to the importance of focusing on The human side.

He added: “One of the most important things that we achieved and came out with in the wake of the pandemic, is the continuous ability to participate and stay in the forefront, because the scheme that succeeds in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, New York, or any cultural institution in the world, must be shared among everyone and benefited from it.” .

For his part, the President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities in Bahrain, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, reviewed the Kingdom's efforts to preserve historical areas and buildings, such as the project to restore and rehabilitate houses in Muharraq.

The role of culture in societies

The difference between countries in dealing with the “Covid-19” pandemic and its repercussions was clearly reflected during the discussions in the opening session of the summit, which revolved around “the role of culture in building resilient and joint societies,” and moderated by the cultural advisor to His Highness the President of the State, Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, and participated There are three former heads of state: Dalia Grybauskaiu, President of Lithuania (2009-2019), Ivo Josipovic, President of Croatia (2010-2015), and Joyce Banda, President of Malawi (2012-2014). in Malawi, on how the pandemic has severely affected communities in Africa, and the extensive toll it has resulted in.

Pointing out that the exacerbation of losses resulting from the epidemic is due to the weakness of the economies of developing countries and the weakness of health and educational services in them, and the lack of infrastructure that contributes to the availability of adequate health care for patients, or the adoption of remote work and education due to the inability of a large segment of the population to use the Internet The number of children able to access the Internet in her country does not exceed 3%.

Calling the world to support developing countries and help them overcome their losses.

in contrast,

Dalia Grybuskaitou, former President of Lithuania, and Ivo Josipovic, former President of Croatia, discussed their countries' efforts to overcome the pandemic and its effects, and the budgets that have been allocated for the transition to digital education, or to combine the digital and real systems in education, referring to the role of culture and arts in supporting society and its members to overcome psychological and mental effects. and their role in achieving communication between individuals and peoples.

Noura Al Kaabi:

• “In culture, if you do not believe in cooperation, joint action, mutual dialogue and respect for different points of view, then you have not yet understood the concept of culture.”

Muhammad Khalifa Al Mubarak:

• “One of the most important things that we have achieved and come out with in the wake of the pandemic, is the continuous ability to participate and stay in the forefront.”

Trevor Noah's tips

Emmy Award-winning host Trevor Noah stressed that education is the way to improve life. In the session in which he spoke, he reviewed aspects of his personal life and how he was able through education to transform his life for the better. He also touched on the charitable organization that He created it.

Trevor was keen to give important messages and advice to young people on how to deal with the challenges of the world, and encouraged them to follow their passion to find their purpose in life.

The activities of the 2022 Cultural Summit will continue under the slogan "Culture is a way of life", at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and bring together a number of the most prominent leaders in art, culture, politics, media and technology from more than 90 countries, including heads of state who were keen to present their experiences to the participants in the summit.

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