Sharjah message Ahmed Mansour
Saturday, May 13, 2023 01:00 PM
The Emirate of Sharjah hosted, in the “House of Wisdom”, the first Arab regional meeting of the International Council on Books for Young People, which was organized by the “Emirati Council on Books for Young People”, with the participation of 10 Arab countries, with the aim of expanding the Arab presence in the “International Council on Books for Young People”. That is why we had this meeting with Carolina Pallister, Executive Director of the International Council on Books for Young People, about readability in the Arab world, as well as talking to her about her visit to Egypt when she was 10 years old.
In the beginning, Carolina Pallister spoke about her visit to Egypt, saying: I visited Egypt when I was 10 years old, and at that time I was very impressed by what I saw of the kindness of its people and what Egypt possesses of very important tourist sites, and this fascination still inhabits me to this day, and I want and hope to return to Egypt Especially since the Egyptians are with us in the International Council on Books for Young People, and it is an excellent team that works seriously and professionally.
And Carolina Pallister continued, in exclusive statements to “The Seventh Day”, and when I was 10 years old, the first visit was programmed towards the pyramids and the history of ancient Egypt, and I still remember to this day the pyramids and this date, and I want to return to visit Egypt again, to find out what it possesses of cultural diversity, and I want to I visit mosques in Egypt and get to know more about Islamic culture, which is a result of tracking down civilizations in Egypt. I also want to visit schools and learn about urbanization and the history of architecture in Egypt.
Of course, because the International Council on Books for Young People cares about books, I hope to be able to visit libraries in ancient and contemporary Egypt so that I can get closer to what is happening in the world of books and publishing in Egypt.
-Regarding the reading rate in the Arab world, she explained that in all countries of the world there is a decline in readability and indoctrination, even in European countries and not in the Arab world, and this is due to many reasons, and for this we aim and work within the framework of the draft plan for the Adolescent Book Council so that the book is delivered to children everywhere This is based on reports approved by the International Council on Books for Young People, which seeks to spread more by opening branches in various countries of the world so that they can be the mediator between us and the places and spaces that need books.
-The first Arab regional meeting of the International Council on Books for Young People embodies the pioneering efforts of the UAE Council on Books for Young People to enhance the Arab presence in the International Council on Books for Young People, where it cooperated with the International Council, and communicated with the ministries of culture and specialized institutions in a number of Arab countries, to coordinate the participation of their representatives in the the meeting.
The meeting was chaired by Marwa Obaid Al-Aqroubi, President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, in the presence of Carolina Pallister, Executive Director of the International Council on Books for Young People, and representatives of the Arab councils that are members of the “International Council on Books for Young People,” which included Nadia El-Khouli, representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Hadeel Miqdadi. Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Sherine Kreidieh, representative of the Lebanese Republic, and a number of participants from Arab countries looking to join the International Council, and members of the Advisory Council of the UAE Council on Books for Young People.
The meeting aims to enhance Arab representation in the International Council on Books for Young People, and to acquaint its participants, especially from countries that are not members of the International Council, with the objectives and vision of the International Council on Books for Young People, and its activities and initiatives in promoting and developing children and youth literature at the global level, and the member states.
The meeting witnessed an explanation about the advantages offered by membership of the International Council on Books for Young People, in terms of members’ participation in international awards, programs and events, and obtaining support for the development of the children’s and youth books sector in each country, in addition to introducing the mechanism for joining new members from countries to the Council, and the conditions and procedures for affiliation. .
In addition to representatives of the Arab member states, the meeting was attended by representatives of 7 Arab countries, namely: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the Sultanate of Oman, in a step that reflects the commitment of these countries to support the children and youth book industry in the Arab region, and to achieve the vision of ” The International Board on Books for Young People is committed to providing high quality books to children and young people all over the world.
