Nama, UN Population Fund Organize Workshop on Qatari Youth Role in Comprehensive Development

Doha, July 10 (QNA) - The Social Development Center "Nama" organized Tuesday an extensive workshop on the Qatari youth and its role in comprehensive development, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). A number of experts and researchers interested in issues of development and empowerment, as well as specialists in youth studies and their roles at various levels, especially those related to their participation in comprehensive community development plans, attended the workshop. The workshop discussed the results of a study prepared by Nama in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under the title "Youth in Qatar: Situation Analysis and Response Assessment" as part of a project in which the two sides will cooperate for a year and a half on the same issue. The workshop also discussed a number of concrete recommendations on how to improve the working methods with young people in Qatar, in order to achieve progress and advancement of the State. The workshop, which aims at building a comprehensive national youth policy, responding to the needs of young people in Qatar and developing capacities in the field of evidence-based planning and youth policy-building, focused on analyzing the behavioral characteristics of young people in Qatar as well as the policies, plans, programs and services implemented. The workshop also analyzed national practices in addressing youth issues in relation to international standards. CEO of Qatar Foundation for Social Work Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai said that the workshop comes in the context of a joint project between the Nama Center and the UNFPA, which was signed in October 2017 in order to provide technical support to the Center and achieve its objectives in building the capacities of the Qatari youth, activating their positive contributions and promoting constructive participation in the knowledge-based community and the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030. She added that this joint project, which was the result of the cooperation protocol signed by the Qatar Foundation for Social Work with the UNFPA in 2015, takes 18 months and this workshop aims to discuss the outputs of the first phase, which lasted four months. Al Mannai expressed the hope that the results of the study discussed by the workshop will outline a roadmap for the development of the "Nama" plans and youth centers operating in the country, which also participated in the event. She underlined that Qatar Foundation for Social Work operates according to a methodology based on research, studies and knowledge of the needs and the impact of the centers on the target groups. Therefore, it cooperates with internationally accredited research centers that have great experience both inside and outside the country. For her part, Director of Community Services Department at Nama Mariam Al Mannai said that the workshop is part of the efforts made by Qatar Foundation for Social Work in support of the development process in the State of Qatar under the directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and in the framework of achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. She noted that the study of the reality of young people in Qatar came in response to the results showed by the comprehensive development indicators in the country, stressing the importance of the workshop in two aspects, the first is that Qatar topped the countries of the region in all indicators except youth development, which the study sought to deal with scientifically. The second aspect is the relatively large proportion of young people in the society, accounting for 48.4% of the total population aged between 15 and o 35, according to recent statistics. She added that the study was based on various methods of verification, analysis, interpretation, looking ahead, solutions and alternatives, noting that participants in the workshop will review the results achieved, thereby increasing the opportunities for national use, and enhancing the course of the long-term project which Qatar Foundation for Social Work hopes to achieve its goal, which is supporting Qatar National Vision 2030. Meanwhile, Representative of the UNFPA Regional Office for Arab States Samir Anouti praised the great efforts exerted by Nama in the implementation of the joint project with the UNFPA and the achievement of its objectives represented in building the capacities of Qatari youth and activating their positive contributions through promoting their constructive participation in achieving the goals of sustainable development of the State of Qatar in accordance with its National Vision 2030. He noted that that this workshop is not only a completion of the first phase of the project, but an additional distinguished achievement to a continuous process that has made the interest of youth, their empowerment and the realization of their aspirations a national priority. He added that the study focuses on presenting and discussing the results of the situation analysis and response assessment on the youth in Qatar, which enhances the planning and implementation of various youth initiatives, programs and services in the State, and ensures synergy and complementarity through a unified and effective vision and approach. (QNA)