PUBLISHING PARTNERS

As the UAE honours and celebrates the spirit of youth on International Youth Day marked annually on August 12, the Sharjah-based cultural initiative, Knowledge without Borders (KwB), has launched a literary initiative to enrich youth councils nationwide.

This key initiative supports the UAE’s National Literacy Strategy and will entail KwB sourcing knowledge-rich and diverse libraries to youth councils across the seven emirates in order to instil a lifelong love of intellectual pursuits in the nation’s youth and boost the culture of reading and learning in the UAE.

KwB announced the book drive at a youth seminar titled ‘Youth’s cultural aspirations’, the entity organised in cooperation with the Federal Youth Authority yesterday (Wednesday, August 11), at the Dubai Youth Hub. Moderated by TV presenter Yousif Al Hammad and presided over by Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of KwB; and Dr. Abdullatif Alaz’azi, human development researcher and author, the session stressed the importance of promoting the habit of as a way of life among the youth.

Reading and a thirst for knowledge, the session’s guests asserted, was the most effective way to stimulate young minds with new ideas and creativity and shape them as future leaders and key players in national development.
The highly interactive session highlighted the country’s strategies to empower youth, promote a culture of innovation, and keep pace with the latest developments in all fields. Guests also discussed the role of youth councils in providing the young generations a platform for exchanging knowledge and gaining expertise in various fields.

Participants lauded KwB’s new initiative to supply libraries to youth councils across the nation. They stressed that this generous contribution was a practical step towards allowing future generations easy access to latest sources of learning.

Mariam Al Hammadi said: “We mark International Youth Day by enriching youth councils across the nation with latest, high-quality sources of knowledge through an initiative that embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to popularise the culture of reading among all age groups in our communities.”

“The initiative furthers KwB’s goals to enrich people’s lives, particularly the youth, by enabling them stronger and wider access to the knowledge contained in books and empower them to utilise this knowledge to overcome the challenges they may face as they progress in their lives and their careers. We have great faith in our nation’s youth and their ambitions. We are here to assist them with forging bright futures and staying ahead of the latest developments and advancements of the 21st century,” she added.

The KwB libraries distributed to the youth councils will feature a unique collection of the original works of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and other valuable titles designed for the youth covering a diversity of genres like science, literature, culture, religion, administration, education, family, children, and health, among others.