Doha, 14 October 2012
After eight successful seasons of The Doha Debates, a new, innovative and lively debating programme is being planned by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. With a specific remit to engage with the region's increasingly politicised youth, the new TV series will explore the ongoing repercussions of the Arab Spring, particularly from the perspective of younger generations.
Through The Doha Debates, Qatar Foundation has already gained an enviable reputation as a promoter of reasoned dialogue between often disparate groups. The programme acted as a catalyst for discussion on topics that had previously been off-limits to the regional audience.
Qatar Foundation will now seek to build on this strong track record by re-energising the TV debating format with a new presenter and fresh content, in the belief that intelligent dialogue can deliver tangible benefits to society.
"The Doha Debates broke new ground in fostering discussion and dialogue among our Arab constituency and beyond," said Haya Al Nassr, Director of Qatar Foundation's Communication Directorate. "We continue to embrace the idea of debate as an engine of change, and we are currently exploring a variety of new concepts as we seek to make the debating format ever more interactive and relevant. In particular, we look forward to reflecting the concerns of an increasingly vocal, knowledgeable and nuanced regional audience, whose appetite for informed debate has only been heightened by the ever-changing events born out of the Arab Spring."
-Ends-
Qatar Foundation - Unlocking Human Potential
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development is a private, non-profit organization that is supporting Qatar on its journey from carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world. Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of Qatar, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
QF carries out its mission through three strategic pillars: education, science and research, and community development. QF's education pillar brings world-class universities to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. Meanwhile, its science and research pillar builds Qatar's innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercializing solutions through key sciences. Finally, its community development pillar helps foster a progressive society while also enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar's heritage and addressing immediate social needs in the community.
For a complete list of QF's initiatives and projects, visit: http://www.qf.org.qa
For further information about this release, please contact:
Basil Mahfouz
Tel: +974 44541730
Email: bmahfouz@qf.org.qa
Grace Wittenberg
Tel: +974 44541727
Email: gwittenberg@qf.org.qa
For more information about Qatar Foundation please contact:
Tariq Al Sada
Press Office Unit Head
Qatar Foundation
Tel: +974 4454 0991
Email: talsada@qf.org.qa
Anwar El-Shamy
Press Office Coordinator
Qatar Foundation
Tel: +974 55904407
Email: aelshamy@qf.org.qa
© Press Release 2012
