Students participating in the inaugural Doha Youth Forum on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which opened yesterday, have expressed their delight at being given an opportunity to voice their opinions and beliefs.
Following the conclusion of the forum tomorrow, a number of the student delegates will present their findings to the United Nations 13th Conference on Crime and Criminal Justice, to be held in Doha next week.
With 120 student delegates of different nationalities and backgrounds taking part, the Doha Youth Forum presents a key opportunity for them to work together and develop creative solutions to global issues on crime.
“This Forum is unique as it is the first time I have seen young Qataris participating in events usually designed for VIPs,” said Mohamed Saad al-Amine, a 17-year-old Qatari student. “I think this might encourage some of us to enter the diplomatic service, as participating at this age will help us prepare to be future pioneers.”
Another Qatari student, Saqr Abdullah al-Muraikhi, said: “The youth is the future of this country, so it is important that they can express their opinions and suggest solutions to problems. A lot of crime now happens in cyberspace, and young people are well-positioned to combat it as they are very knowledgeable about the Internet. Crime can also be prevented by the Qatari youth educating others and being advocates of what is right and wrong.”
Jassem al-Kuwari, a 17-year-old Qatari student, said: “It is important to let young people take part in the fight against crime, as it is the best way to educate them on the potential outcomes. Also, it will play an important role in combating crime before it happens, and encourage people to avoid it. I hope to have more opportunities to represent my country in future international events, so that I can raise the profile of Qatar.”
Jawaher al-Khater, a Qatari student studying in an Indonesian high school, came to Qatar especially to participate in the Doha Youth Forum. “I study in Indonesia, and I came here to participate in the Youth Forum. It represents a unique opportunity for young people to take part in a UN conference and invoke change on an international level,” Jawaher explained.
“Personally, I would like to see a more effective approach to combating corruption around the world. I am still in high school, and I would like to study international relations in the future. I am interested in politics and I have attended conferences discussing democracy and the changes that are sweeping across the Arab Spring countries.”
Students attending the forum yesterday.
