Assistant CEO of Programs and Community Development Sector at Qatar Charity, Faisal Rashid Al Fahida, delivered a speech, affirming that education in conflict areas is of utmost importance, highlighting QC's efforts to ensure that children in conflict zones receive their right to quality education in safe environments. These efforts extend to working in crisis-affected regions and supporting both international and Qatar's national initiatives in this regard.
He stated that QC believes that education helps children avoid the risks associated with dropping out and ignorance, contributes to improving the conditions of displaced and refugee children and helps them acquire the necessary skills to contribute to the reconstruction of their countries.
Al Fahida also mentioned that in line with this commitment, QC provides effective support for delivering education to children in emergency and protracted crisis situations. They implement educational projects in various countries, including Turkiye, Syria, Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Yemen, and Indonesia. Their interventions in the field of education during emergencies encompass maintenance and reconstruction of educational institutions that have been damaged due to conflicts, printing and distribution of school textbooks, provision of school bags, and scholarships.
QC has worked on adopting digital solutions to serve humanitarian causes, including providing education to millions of refugee children and youth. They have contributed to launching the Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health initiative in partnership with its founding partners, aiming to provide the best digital solutions for delivering quality education to refugees and displaced individuals worldwide.
Furthermore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba emphasized in her video statement that education is not a privilege but a fundamental right that enables young people and children to build a brighter future. She called for not underestimating the role of education even in conflict situations and stressed the importance of protecting children, schools, and teachers to ensure their rights and prevent violations. She also highlighted the significance of endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration, which was launched in 2015.
Gamba, the keynote speaker at this event, also called for preventing attacks on schools, and their military use, and criminalizing all such actions. She emphasized the importance of adhering to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and developing necessary plans to enhance the protection and well-being of children while globally addressing their protection standards. She noted that the legal framework for this, whether in peacetime or during armed conflicts, is robust but requires effective implementation.
The panel discussion, which included officials from the UNESCO Gulf States and Yemen in Doha, QC schools, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and Regional Director of UNICEF Office in Doha Anthony MacDonald covered topics related to the importance of international cooperation and partnerships in protecting education from attacks, as well as the role of youth in this endeavor. They expressed appreciation for the pivotal and leading role played by Qatar, HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, and the EAA in this context.
Anasse Bouhlal, from the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha and the coordinator of the panel discussion, stated that the issues raised are of utmost importance. He emphasized the vital nature of the Qatari initiative presented to the UN for the protection of education from attacks, which was adopted in 2020.
The UN official, in a statement to Qatar News Agency , explained that the panel discussion was interactive, involving young people themselves and various stakeholders. During the discussion, there was an exchange of views and experiences on how to overcome the challenges of protecting education from attacks, with a specific focus on the role of youth and amplifying their voices in this regard.
Source: Qatar News Agency
