APC strengthens leadership in childcare, prepares future gen
One of the key goals of the Parliament is to provide training and support that helps children develop personal and leadership skills. By doing so, it encourages them to participate in their communities and learn the importance of openness, dialogue, and respect for different opinions.
Ayman Othman Al Barout, the Secretary-General of the APC, emphasized that the Parliament is working hard to ensure that children have a voice in educational and legislative matters across the Arab world. He noted that the successes of past sessions demonstrate the common commitment among Arab nations to prioritize childhood and prepare children to become the leaders and positive influences of tomorrow.
Al Barout mentioned that the Parliament acts as a space for dialogue and is part of a broader cultural project aimed at nurturing a generation capable of expressing themselves freely and responsibly. This aligns with modern educational trends and highlights the spirit of cooperation among Arab nations.
He praised the support from the Arab League, Arab countries, and the UAE for promoting childhood through laws and educational initiatives, creating a nurturing environment for this ambitious project based in Sharjah. He acknowledged the efforts made by local organizations to support the work of the Parliament.
In its ongoing mission, the APC is committed to developing a comprehensive system for the well-being of Arab children. This effort focuses on fostering creativity and preparing the next generation to be active partners in societal development, carrying the message of children's issues to larger platforms. Ultimately, the goal is to build strong nations by first building up their people.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
12 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Arab League Council rejects changes to Ibrahimi Mosque status
The Arab League Council has reaffirmed its complete rejection of any attempts to alter the current status of the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings in the Old City of Hebron, including efforts to restrict access, silence the call to prayer, desecrate the site, alter its features, or separate it from its Palestinian context. The council held Israeli forces fully responsible for these violations. The council stressed the importance of upholding full Palestinian sovereignty over the mosque and its vicinity, describing it as an Islamic endowment administered by the Palestinian Ministry of Islamic Endowments. It warned that Israeli attempts to Judaise the site are part of broader efforts to impose control, calling on the international community to uphold and implement its resolutions. This came in a statement on the Israeli government plans to revoke Hebron municipality's authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings in the Old City, issued at the conclusion of an extraordinary session of the council at the level of permanent representatives. The meeting was chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, at the request of the State of Palestine and with the support of member states. Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, and permanent ambassadors of member states were present. The council reaffirmed the 2017 UNESCO decision to include the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City of Hebron on the list of World Heritage in Danger, stating that current developments constitute a clear violation of this ruling. The council reiterated that Israel holds no sovereignty over Palestinian land and heritage sites. It warned that the illegal Israeli plan marks an unprecedented escalation aimed at altering the original identity of the site, erasing the authentic heritage of the Palestinian people, and undermining their exclusive sovereignty. It stressed that such actions would have grave consequences for all religious sanctities and regional stability. The council also called for compliance with the 1997 agreement signed between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel, which stipulates that the administration of the Ibrahimi Mosque remains under the authority of Hebron Municipality. It condemned all Israeli practices aimed at exerting full control over large parts of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, implementing colonial changes to the historical and legal reality, and preventing Palestinian residents from accessing the site. It urged the United Nations Secretary-General to take effective measures to protect civilians in Hebron. The council emphasised the need to dispatch an urgent monitoring mission to the city in line with previous decisions of the World Heritage Committee, to assess the severity of these developments. It also called for renewed diplomatic efforts to monitor and document Israeli violations in Hebron, particularly at the Ibrahimi Mosque. Furthermore, the council urged the UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion and human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories to document these violations. It also requested Arab League missions and councils of Arab ambassadors to convey the contents of the resolution to their host capitals. WAM
Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Tunisian president shows photos of starving Palestinian children to US envoy during visit
Tunisian President Kais Saied greeted the US senior adviser for Arab, Middle Eastern and African affairs at Carthage Palace in Tunis with photos of starving Palestinian children in Gaza, saying it was "time for all of humanity to wake up". In a video posted by Tunisian news network Carthage, a sombre-looking Saeid can be seen welcoming and shaking hands with a smiling Massad Boulos, declaring in Arabic' "Now my conversation is with you and directed to you about a number of issues that concern us and the whole world", in a short clip of the video translated by Middle East Monitor. "I believe you know these photos well," he said, showing the Lebanese-American Boulos a photo of a toddler holding a silver bowl of sand. "A child crying, eating sand in occupied Palestine." 'This is one image among many others,' Saied added. 'Eating sand in the 21st century. He found nothing to eat. And with sand in his hand." He then showed billionaire businessman Boulos an image of an emaciated child, whose neck and head are being supported by someone's hand. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Another image of a child on the verge of dying because he couldn't find anything to eat. And surely, you have many other images. This is absolutely unacceptable. This is a crime against humanity.' The camera then cut to a third image of a child with sunken eyes who was also emaciated. 'A child on the verge of death, also nearly dying of hunger. And he may already have passed away.' Saied continued to show more harrowing photos to Boulos - including three Palestinian men carrying children wrapped in white shrouds - while Boulos stood with his hands clasped, silently nodding. At one point Saied told Boulos that "international legitimacy was crumbling day by day". Boulos - whose son is married to US President Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany - is in the region to make his first official visit to Libya on Wednesday amid rising tensions in the capital city Tripoli and neighbouring Sudan, as reported by Middle East Eye earlier this month. More than 100 humanitarian organisations warned on Wednesday that "mass famine" was spreading in the Gaza Strip after Israel blocked humanitarian aid from entering in early March and has been providing woefully inadequate aid via the controversial US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund since the end of May. MEE reported on Tuesday that renowned expert on famine, Professor Alex de Waal, accused Israel of 'genocidal starvation' of Palestinians in Gaza with its continued deadly siege on the enclave. Over 100 humanitarian groups sound alarm on starvation of staff in Gaza Read More » At least 101 Palestinians, including 80 children, have died of starvation since Israel's blockade resumed in March, including 15 who died of malnutrition on Monday, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at distribution sites run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in place since May and manned by Israeli soldiers and US security contractors. De Waal told MEE's live show on Tuesday that the UN is not in a position to declare famine due to Israel's obstruction of access to humanitarians and investigators who could gauge the extent of hunger. However, he said, 'it is actually relatively straightforward if you are perpetrating a famine to shut out access to essential information and then say no one has declared famine'. 'Concealment of famine is an instrument of those who perpetrate it,' he added. De Waal said that famine is unfolding in Gaza in 'a wholly predicted manner'. De Waal is executive director of the World Peace Foundation, affiliated with the Fletcher School of Global Affairs at Tufts University, and the author of Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine. He explained that a healthy adult will take 60 to 80 days of total deprivation of food to die of starvation. With semi-starvation, it would take a lot longer.
The National
14 hours ago
- The National
Lebanese parliament lifts immunity from sitting MP for first time since 2000
Lebanon 's parliament has voted to lift immunity from a sitting MP for the first time in 25 years, opening the way for a former minister to face corruption charges. Georges Bouchikian is facing allegations stemming from his time as minister of industry between 2021 and 2025. Mr Bouchikian, who is from the Armenian Tashnag party and an MP for Zahle, denies the charges. Ninety-nine MPs voted to lift his parliamentary immunity, well over the simple majority required of those present. In the same session on Wednesday, MPs also voted to refer three former telecommunications ministers to a commission of inquiry amid corruption claims. It was a parliamentary session marked by repeated power cuts and technical issues. With the cooling systems not working in the middle of a scorching summer day, many MPs removed their jackets. On July 8, the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation, Jamal Hajjar, sent a request via Justice Minister Adel Nassar to parliamentary authorities to remove Mr Bouchikian's immunity so he could be questioned. He had left Lebanon the day before for a family trip, but strongly rejected claims that he was trying to flee justice, and reiterated that he would co-operate with authorities. 'At the time of my departure, no decision had been issued to pursue legal action against me, nor was there any formal request to lift my parliamentary immunity,' he said this week. 'No one is above accountability, and no one should be denied legal protection,' he added. The government that took office this year under Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has vowed to tackle corruption in Lebanon. A former economy minister, Amin Salam, was arrested last month following an investigation into alleged financial crimes.
