Media and Information Literacy Regional Conference in Qatar
The Doha Center for Media Freedom (DCMF ) with the support of the UNAOC, UNESCO and other organizations, organized an expert meeting on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in Doha, Qatar, on 11-13 June 2013.
The meeting convened governmental representatives from Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco, in addition to participants from Europe and East Asia. The 3-day conference focused on best practices and the global framework on MIL, specifically identifying challenges and opportunities for the MENA and GCC regions.
DCMF has made MIL education one of its main priorities. The organization recognizes the need to teach the next generation about the significance of becoming media literate, and absorb information as critical thinkers and informed participant citizens in their communities. The UNAOC supports these educational initiatives. The support of Qatar’s Supreme Education Council, in partnership with, among others, ictQatar, has facilitated the DCMF to implement MIL workshops in over 45 Qatari schools, in addition to providing teachers’ training with MIL relevant resources.
During the conference, Dr. Asmaa Al Mohanadi, Head of Scientific Research at Qatar’s Supreme Education Council, confirmed the organizations support towards the further implementation of MIL in Qatar’s educational system. This initiative places Qatar at the forefront of MIL education among GCC countries, generating new enthusiasm that will energize interest in MIL across educational policy makers of the region.
During the conference, representatives of the Arab League also expressed their support for the development of MIL education initiatives in the region, identifying MIL as a platform for the enhancement of cross-cultural understanding across individuals of diverse backgrounds.
Participants concluded the conference by adopting the Doha Declaration on Supporting Media and Information Literacy Education in the Middle East.
For more information, please contact Jordi Torrent, UNAOC MIL Program Manager, at jordit@unops.org