DOHA: A 20-member youth task force to give young people more voice in building ‘peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development’ across the region was formed at the conclusion of Reach Out To Asia’s (ROTA) Empower 2015 conference.
The task force convened a special session to begin identifying recommendations that support post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations, specifically the objectives related to youth, access to education and promoting peace.
The recommendations will form the basis of a Global Advocacy Campaign that will seek to create linkages with key youth forums, conferences and meetings around the world, including World Humanitarian Youth Summit Qatar is hosting this September.
Dr Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Board Member, ROTA, and Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, ROTA, named the winners of the ROTA Youth Service Club (RYSC) Awards. RYSC is a key element of ROTA’s efforts to empower, equip and invest in the youth of Qatar by establishing a network of clubs to lead citizenship initiatives in the local community.
The winners were One Society One Family (Best Project), Kadem (Best Team Work) and Count on Me (Best Achievement).
A special RYSC award was given to ROTA Youth Advisory Board member and local volunteer leader, Ibrahim Yasser.
Also on the final day, youth delegates conducted off site visits, including a cultural heritage tour of Al Shaqab.
The 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s Generation Amazing Ambassadors presented their achievements, engaging young and communities through sport at FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A short film on road safety in Qatar written and directed by Sana Al Ansari in conjunction with Doha Film Institute was screened at the closing ceremony.
“Empower is about walking the walk — providing skills, knowledge and inspiration to tackle pressing issues like peace and encouraging youth to take on a more active role in promoting peace within their societies.
“The enthusiasm, cross-border connections made, and discussions at this year’s Empower took the event to new heights and I am excited to see Empower continue to grow each year,” said Sheikha Aisha. “Though we started with only around 100 people in 2009, Empower has grown into something much greater, amplifying the voice of youth on the global stage. Empower’s legacy of imparting knowledge and inspiring community leaders to have a voice on key issues expanded significantly this year, not only in Qatar but across the region,” said Al Mannai.
Over the weekend, Empower’s official Twitter hashtag, #EMPOWER2015, became the No. 1 trending topic in Qatar, with an online conversation generating over 11,400 tweets. The hashtag also ranked among top Twitter trends worldwide.
The Peninsula
