CAIRO: The Arab League confirmed on Monday its ongoing commitment to preparing Arab youth for new developments and challenges, emphasizing the importance of understanding and tackling regional issues. This statement was delivered by the Director of the Youth and Sports Department at the League and the official of the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Youth and Sports Ministers, Faisal Ghassal, during the opening of the Arab Youth Parliament mock session at the League headquarters, the League said.
The practice parliament session mimics the process and discussions of a parliamentary body as it aims to raise awareness among the youth, instill loyalty and belonging, and develop leadership skills for future regional leadership, the League explained. On his side, Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports and Chairman of the Executive Office of Arab Youth Ministers Ashraf Sobhy, in a speech, underscored the importance of fostering loyalty, citizenship, and a culture of tolerance and acceptance among young Arabs as key elements of soft power.
Sobhy noted that the young people have their own perspectives, enabling them to engage with various Arab issues, pointing out the session seeks to unite the youth under common values. He emphasized the need for stakeholders to rely on the youth’s vision in a rapidly changing world and stressed the importance of Arab cooperation for sustainable development. Sobhy underlined the importance of training programs to enhance young people’s skills and awareness, particularly regarding the challenges facing the Arab world.
The support from governments and organizations for such initiatives positively impacts young Arabs, encouraging them to continue their mission, he mentioned. Earlier, the 2024 Arab Youth Parliament took place, themed "Towards Sustainable Community Participation,” which serves as a youth dialogue platform, organized by the General Secretariat of the Arab League (Social Affairs Sector, Youth and Sports Administration) and the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Youth and Sports Ministers.
It aims to prepare a responsible and politically engaged youth generation capable of addressing reality’s challenges and planning a sustainable future. The event saw participation from 100 young men and women from 15 Arab countries, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Somalia, Tunisia, Oman, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Mauritania, Yemen, Libya, Jordan, Qatar, and the host country, Egypt. Kuwait’s delegation was led by Superintendent of Administrative and Legal Affairs at the Youth Public Authority Khalaf Al-Habashi and included Vice President of the Youth Assembly of Kuwait, Engineer Dalal Thani, and Youth Assembly member Abdulrahman Al-Qasba. — KUNA