UN Alliance of Civilizations and Qatar Take a Step Forward

Doha, November 16 (QNA) - As Qatar prepares to host the Doha Forum, due to begin here next month, to promote global intercultural dialogue the North American and European candidates of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations fellowship programme visited Doha, showing the AOC and Qatar are well into setting up concrete actions to shape the future, organisers said here Wednesday. Developed in partnership with the British Council, the League of Arab States, ISESCO, the Institute for International Education, and the Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilization, the fellowship programme s aim is to enhance mutual knowledge and understanding between peoples and societies from Muslim-majority countries in the Arab World, Europe and North America. It provides fellows the opportunity to travel throughout three countries in Europe and three states in the US, and emerging leaders from the US and Europe to three countries throughout the Arab world. On the US- European side, the programme was held in New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Paris, Brussels and London for a period of two weeks and offered young leaders some meetings and visits in the host country with decision makers, media leaders, local communities, grassroots, religious groups for in depth discussions. The programme was held from September 10 to 26 and featured 12 fellows men and women of ages between 26 to 38 years from Syria, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Kuwait, Qatar and Lebanon. On the North Africa/Middle East side, the programme was held in Morocco, Egypt and Qatar for a period of two weeks as well, and offered young leaders some meetings and visits in the host country with decision makers, media leaders, local communities, grassroots, religious groups for in depth discussions. The programme was held from September 24 October to 5 November and featured 12 fellows (men and women) from 26 to 38 years old from: Germany, France, UK, Turkey, Denmark, Greece, Spain and several parts of the USA (Illinois, California, New York and D.C.) The recent events of the Arab Spring and the current events have highlighted the emergence of a new generation of leaders, their aspiration for exchanges with the rest of the world and the need to develop exchange programs among emerging leaders from different parts of the world. The Doha Forum will be held here from December 11 to 13. (QNA)