QYP Conference 2022

The QYP Conference 2022 was a full-day, in-person event held at the Qatar National Library and involved 10 partners, 10 sponsors, 12 guest speakers, and over 100 attendees. 

We are grateful to our sponsors for their generosity, enabling us to host our event at such a beautiful venue. We would like to thank Qatar Islamic Bank, Decathlon Qatar, Rayyan Water, Paul Qatar, Padel Qommunity, SIGNMAX, Chocola Paris, Curia Business Group, and Halo Catering for the amazing conference lunch. Furthermore, we are grateful to our partners: I Love Qatar, World Innovation Summit for Education, Save the Dream, Doha Environmental Actions Project, THIMUN Qatar, Maker Majlis, Bedaya, Students Qatar, Greener Future, and Arab Youth Climate Movement.

We were fortunate to have with us many high-profile guest speakers including Mr. Hamad Al Amari, comedian and entrepreneur; Miss Fatima El Mahdi, Head of THIMUN Qatar; Mr. Neeshad Shafi, climate advocate and Executive Director of the Arab Youth Climate Movement, and speakers from the World Innovation Summit for Education. 

Following the conference, one of our sponsors, Curia Business Group, invited the QYP team to an exclusive branding and marketing workshop. We also received many positive reviews from all our stakeholders, prompting us to want to host a third conference, building on our previous success and experience. 

My skill sets are.. by Fatima El Mahdi

As young people navigating an information age of streamlined pathways of data, the distinction between knowledge and skills becomes ever more urgently defined. With the gates of knowledge broken down, the well informed are less impressive and competitive than the highly skilled. An Art History graduate with an encyclopaedic knowledge of African artifacts from 1500-1700 AD may end up being less likely to be promoted than a communications graduate with the ability to lead teams, identify the talents of others, and work flexibly with people of all different backgrounds, even if they are both working within a museum in Accra. Which brings with it another level of troubling times ahead; how can we define our skill set? How can we build our skill set? And what can we do to ensure that we do not lose the baby with the bathwater and strike the careful balance between knowledge and skills? Join this one hour talk to discover how to identify the skill sets that you currently have, and the skills sets that you have yet to achieve.

Sustainable Development Goals and Social Entrepreneurship by Dr Mohd. Evren Tok

This session will provide a historical case study of how social entrepreneurship can be a catalyst for social change and transformation. The presentation will be built around the case of a librarian in the 1940s, who managed to influence his community and sparked a drive for reading. This case is an example of how SDGs need a historical context to relate to our contemporary experiences. More specifically, the presentation will focus on the use of libraries in fostering social and entrepreneurial initiatives which can shed light in today's world. where "empowering youth" is a key objective in building more cohesive and resilient societies.

The Human Side of Being Different by Mr Hamad Al Amari

What does it mean to be human? How can we come together in a world that is so unlike ourselves?

In this workshop I will talk about what it means to be human in its core, and how can we become better at understanding and appreciating each other simply seeing different from a space of curiosity.

I will share some of my stories and what I’ve learned along the way in my journey, sharing some of the skills that helped me become more patient, appreciate humanity more and, connect more meaningfully with people

With a unique nomadic upbringing, which at the time I didn’t think it was fun, I have now realised that I was exposed to so many different cultures and people from all over the world that my view on humanity was different from that of most people I knew. 

Through this I learned to build connections on common grounds with anyone - whether it was sport, art, culture or just simply being human - which showed me that in the end, we have more in common than we realise. And now, when, even in my own country, I’m still in a minority I recognise that the journey that I have allows me to relate with anyone, sharing some life lessons and, hopefully, making them laugh. 

Mindful way to Sustainability by Mrs EK Cameron

This workshop is a thought provoking and interactive session. We will explore the importance and relevance of what sustainability mean to individuals as well as organisations and beyond. 

As human beings, we have been evolving with our eco system that not only gave us a foundation to continue living but also to thrive. What we inherited may not have been our choice yet we have the power to choose how the future will play out in present moment. 

In this workshop, we can decide how we want the sustainability will look like, sound like and feel like to embody our own contribution. 

Achieving Peace through Online Communities by Ms Bayan Khaled

The purpose of this workshop is to make attendees more aware of the way they use social media and

how they can use it to make a positive and powerful contribution to their communities. The workshop

will begin with a few thought-provoking questions about how youth are utilizing social media and how

they are contributing to world peace. Later, examples and case studies about how social media plays a major role in activism and sparking change will be discussed. During the workshop, the attendees will

also cover the benefits and pitfalls of social media especially with regards to activism with the aim of

having more social media literacy and responsibility. The main Global Goals that this workshop will address are SDGs 16 and 17, peace, justice and strong institutions as well as partnership for the goals.

Spreading young wings by Miss Anam Fatima

Women are often denied the equal opportunities to be able to reach for higher education and establish themselves. Education has thus become a privilege for countless young girls. This workshop will aim at highlighting the stories of many such young women who have been unable to access higher education while also focusing on the possible future paths for aspiring young girls to look into. It will also briefly touch upon the effects of patriarchal societies on young minds and highlight the importance of breaking the norm. This workshop honors the core values of the Future is Female association and will hopefully be a stepping stone of information for the younger generation. Information opens up a path towards education which leads to opportunities, in turn allowing for better education; a circle of knowledge. 

Survivor: The Entrepreneurs Reality Show by Mr Ahmad Al-Saygh

Being an entrepreneur is all about taking the risks and facing competitions along your journey. Simply, an entrepreneur is bearing all the financial risks, but also can acquire new knowledge that can be utilized to stay afloat in the market. In this workshop we will learn about some entrepreneurs and well-known companies that failed after a lengthy battle in the market or survived from learning from their mistakes. However, we will focus mostly on the Survivors, how they countered the attacks, and how they were certain that they will survive the technological advancements that happened so quickly in the last few decades. Following the history lesson, we will have a team exercise called Survivor: The Entrepreneurs Edition, where teams must come up with counter strategies against the unexpected turbulent market scenarios. So, hold your torches and survive!

Leveraging FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ to foster student engagement in decision-making by Ms Shahd Dauleh

In 2022, WISE, in partnership with VISA, Qatar Foundation's Pre-University Education and Communications Divisions, organized a competition to involve students from QF schools in the design of educational and cultural activities taking place around the Education City stadium during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. In this session, we will explain how students developed their ideas and discuss the process of incorporating those ideas into the planning. We will also discuss the expected impact of student participation in real-life learning opportunities; and invite the audience to share how their educational experiences encouraged social engagement.

As UN Climate Summit Returns to MENA region, How have the Arab youths Strived by Mr. Neeshad Shafi 

Arabs region's high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change has been well established with the latest IPCC report echoing the clarion call for climate action now. Arab youth currently have been underdeveloped with few opportunities available, and now the impacts of climate change compound these existing challenges. As such, many young Arab youths are taking action and striving to influence policies to help fight against climate change on the local and global levels. The participation of Arab youth when it comes to the annual Conference of Youth (COY) and Conference of Parties (COP) has not been proportional compared to global north. This has mainly been due to limited financial support for many Arab youth to travel for these conferences and Support to visas and also lack of Capacity Building, especially when these conferences have been hosted outside the region like Europe and other developed countries. It is therefore important that young Arab mobilize themselves to overcome these key challenges and ensure participation in these key conferences.

The role of young volunteers in sport by Mr Massimiliano Montanari 

Sport is a powerful tool to empower, educate, and uplift young people. It breaks down barriers of culture and language, reveals our similarities, and unites us in healthy competition and common goals. However, another dimension of sport that is less frequently highlighted but equally as important as engaging in the sport itself is volunteerism in sport. This session titled, The Role of Young Volunteers in Sport, will explore the many benefits of volunteering at sports organisations and events, to both the players and the volunteer, as well as how we can pay this forward and continue the chain reaction of empowerment through sport. From enhancing the volunteer's soft skills such as teamworking and communication to providing them an opportunity to interact with other students in a positive and safe environment, the reasons for volunteering in sports do not end there. Join our session to learn more about how you can get involved!

The Road Not Taken, The Path(s) Less Traveled by Miss Iman Ismail 

Inspired by Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," this workshop is an interactive session designed to inspire young audience members to define and design their own paths forward. In the same witty style that Frost wrote this poem, the workshop is meant to show the joy and humor in taking the paths less traveled, being willing to define and redefine our identity as often as it takes for us to grow comfortable with who we are and what we hope to become. Together, we will understand that this means embracing the inner child that you were told to grow out of, overcoming peer pressure, becoming self-confident but not haughty, finding mentors and friends in every space and place, and diving head-first into strange and wonderful opportunities. And all of this is done by putting kindness, generosity, and compassion at the forefront, in order to receive what you put out. 

The global and local impact of plastic pollution in Qatar. A call for action.  by Mr Jose Saucedo 

Plastic pollution is a major global issue that the whole world is trying to figure out, and it is not an exception in Qatar. During this presentation the participants will learn about the global and local impact of plastic pollution. In addition to that, they will discover simple and practical things that we can do on a daily basis to help mitigate the problem. Are you part of the pollution or are you part of the solution? The time for action is now!