
Youth cornerstone of peace, security strategy
Al-Taher made the statement at the closing ceremony of the third season of the 'Young Ambassador' program, which was jointly organized by the embassies of the United Kingdom and Canada, along with the United Nations Office in Kuwait. A total of 39 high school students participated in the seven-month-long program. Present at the event were Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Organizations and Minister Plenipotentiary Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah, representatives of the Public Authority for Youth and Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, and a large number of individuals from the diplomatic community and international organizations operating in Kuwait. Al-Taher affirmed that the United Nations puts the youth at the heart of its strategies to achieve peace and security. She stressed the importance of investing in the young generation, considering them 'a generation that carries vision, values, and an influential voice.' She pointed out that the program would not have been successful without the cooperation and partnership of all concerned parties. She thanked the embassies, schools, and families for their support.
Meanwhile, Canadian Ambassador to Kuwait Aliya Mawani praised the participants, indicating they proved that their level of commitment and curiosity is truly intellectual. 'I am proud of this distinguished group of young ambassadors. Many of them told me that this experience is a turning point in their lives. I am excited to see their future impact on their communities,' she asserted. British Ambassador to Kuwait Belinda Lewis said the British Embassy is keen on supporting and organizing this program, expressing her admiration for the energy and fresh ideas presented by the participants. She added, 'These young people have inspired us with their curiosity and ambition. We look forward to their promising future.' The closing ceremony featured short documentaries produced by the participants, depicting their visions for building a more just and peaceful world and signifying their deep understanding of international issues and their commitment to be effective in bringing about change.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Legal Loopholes Undermine Fathers' Access To Children In Post-Divorce Kuwait
KUWAIT CITY, July 31: In light of the recent announcement by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) that divorce cases among Kuwaitis have surpassed 80,000 by mid-2025, and amid growing concern over the emotional toll on children, several legal and psychological experts have called for closing the loopholes that hinder justice in visitation centers established to facilitate meetings between divorced fathers and their children in maternal custody. Lawyer Jamal Al-Khatib explained that many fathers face several problems at these centers for visiting their children. It is important to deal with these problems, such as by training staff on legal procedures to prevent bias or emotional favoritism toward one parent. Employees at these centers play a major role, similar to that of prosecutors and judges in ensuring justice. Overcrowding in some visitation centers has become a serious issue, with children often forced to stand in line, as if at school, waiting for their turn. This situation sometimes leads custodial mothers to leave the center with their children before the scheduled visitation takes place. Lawyer Al-Khatib called for better management of visitation appointments and an increase in the number of centers to accommodate the rising demand. He stressed the importance of clear regulations governing fathers' visitation rights and the strict enforcement of laws against violations. Lawyer Al-Khatib proposed forming a committee that includes lawyers, judges, sociologists, psychologists, selected representatives from the divorced community, and relevant authorities to develop new mechanisms that address existing gaps and ensure a fair and efficient visitation system. Meanwhile, Court of Cassation and Constitutional Court Lawyer Khaled Al-Dalmani emphasized that the law governing visitation rights for divorced fathers prioritizes the best interests of the child while seeking to balance the visitation rights of both parents. He expressed concern over the presence of loopholes in the practical application of the law, which can sometimes result in one party gaining an unfair advantage over the other. Lawyer Al-Dalmani explained that while the law is sound in principle, it requires stronger regulatory enforcement and amendments to close implementation gaps. These include more flexible visitation schedules, the possibility of extending visitation time, and allowing children to stay overnight with their fathers in cases where such rights exist but are not upheld. He stressed the need to increase the number of visitation centers and to develop them under both psychological and legal supervision. Lawyer Al-Dalmani also highlighted the importance of expanding judicial authority in setting visitation schedules, as well as strengthening the role of the family in resolving marital disputes to help prevent divorce. Furthermore, Lawyer Athbi Al-Tahnoon said that while young children often require greater care from their mothers, the father's right to see his children must not be overlooked, insisting that the current visitation periods granted to fathers are insufficient. He expressed regret that the current law does not incorporate the concept of joint custody once children reach the age at which they can choose to live with either parent, indicating that many countries have adopted joint custody models. Lawyer Al-Tahnoon highlighted a serious issue, which is that some custodial mothers make false accusations against the father to hinder his access to the children, leading the children to assume that she alone is their legal guardian. Similarly, some custodial fathers may incite the children against their mother when they are in his care. As a result, when children reach the age where they are legally allowed to choose, they may naturally gravitate toward the parent who either emotionally supported them, or manipulated them against the other parent. In addition, Psychology professor Dr. Ahmed Salama stressed the importance of divorced couples reaching clear, detailed agreements regarding the fate of their children, particularly concerning custody and visitation. He explained that several children suffer from psychological and neurological disorders due to being deprived of seeing one parent, or as a result of ongoing incitement by one parent against the other. This applies to both mothers and fathers. Persistent conflicts between parents over custody, alimony, and visitation contribute significantly to children's psychological distress. These issues can negatively impact academic performance and, in some cases, may lead children down dangerous paths such as criminal behavior or drug abuse. It is worth highlighting that, according to PACI, divorce cases among Kuwaitis reached 83,320 by mid-2025. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice's annual statistical report showed an increase in divorce cases from 7,865 in 2023 to 8,168 in 2024.


Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait rolls out relief drive for Gaza people
KUWAIT CITY, July 31: The Ministry of Social Affairs has launched an urgent relief campaign to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. This campaign is in line with the directives of Kuwait's political leadership and reflects the country's firm and ongoing support for the Palestinian cause. The campaign is being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and involves the participation of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) along with several charitable organizations. Iman Al-Enezi, the acting Director of the Charitable Associations and Foundations Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs, announced that the collection of financial donations has been approved for three days, starting Sunday, August 3, through the official online platforms of the participating relief organizations. She explained that the ministry has authorized the collection of in-kind food donations beginning Thursday, July 31, for the remaining charities, under established guidelines and regulations. The participating charities and foundations are required to purchase food supplies exclusively from the Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company, under Cabinet Resolution No. 1461. Approved charities are permitted to place their official labels on the aid packages, and all in-kind donations must be delivered to the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), which will coordinate their transfer to the appropriate relief agencies in Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine. The ministry does not allow the launch of new financial donation campaigns outside the designated framework. Funding is limited to existing relief project balances or personal contributions from the participating charities. Al-Enezi affirmed that Kuwaiti charitable work represents a core pillar of the state's foreign policy and conveys a consistent message that reflects the values of Kuwaiti society and its long-standing tradition of humanitarian support.

Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Trump issues new ultimatum to Russia
Deadline shortened to '10 or 12 days' • Ukraine welcomes Trump's stance on Russia TURNBERRY, Scotland: US President Donald Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 3-1/2-year-old conflict. Trump has threatened both sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless progress is made. The fresh deadline suggests the US president is prepared to move forward on those threats after previous hesitation to do so. Speaking in Scotland, where he is holding meetings with European leaders and playing golf, Trump said he was disappointed in Putin and shortening a 50-day deadline he had set on the issue earlier this month. 'I'm going to make a new deadline of about ... 10 or 12 days from today,' Trump told reporters during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 'There's no reason in waiting... We just don't see any progress being made.' There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. Ukraine welcomed the statement. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, thanked Trump in a social media post for 'standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength.' Trump, who has expressed annoyance also with Zelensky, has not always followed tough talk about Putin with action, citing what he deems a good relationship that the two men have had previously. On Monday, Trump indicated he was not interested in more talks with Putin. He said sanctions and tariffs would be used as penalties for Moscow if it did not meet Trump's demands. 'There's no reason to wait. If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait? And it would be sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs,' Trump said. 'I don't want to do that to Russia. I love the Russian people.' Ukraine had proposed a summit between Putin and Zelensky before the end of August, but the Kremlin has said that timeline was unlikely and that a meeting could only happen as a final step to clinch peace. Russia's foreign ministry said on Saturday that if the West wanted real peace with Ukraine, it would stop supplying Kyiv with weapons. Trump has repeatedly voiced exasperation with Putin for pursuing attacks on Ukraine despite US efforts to end the war. Trump has played up successes in other parts of the world where the United States has helped to broker peace agreements and has been flattered by some leaders who suggest he should be given the Nobel Peace Prize. 'I'm disappointed in President Putin,' Trump said on Monday. 'I'm going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number because I think I already know the answer what's going to happen.' Trump, who is also struggling to achieve a peace deal in Gaza, has touted his role in ending conflicts between India and Pakistan as well as Rwanda and Congo. Before returning to the White House in January, Trump campaigned on a promise to end Russia's conflict with Ukraine in a day. 'We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever,' Trump said. 'And I say that's not the way to do it.' — Reuters