Children from 18 countries are participating in the International Conference of Future Generations, which began at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday.
Launched by the Childhood Culture Centre (CCC), the two-day conference aims to provide children with a platform to voice their views and aspirations for a better future.
“We came to this conference to hear from you, not to talk to you. It is an international event away from political calculations that reinstate the victory of humanity. Your presence here indicates that you are luckier than your peers who suffer from disease, death, hunger and fear in different parts of the world,” Mansur al-Saadi, general manager of CCC, said while opening the conference.
The event is part of global celebrations to mark Universal Children’s Day, which falls on November 20.
He assured the children that their ideas and views would be communicated to the ambassadors of their countries as far as possible for consideration.
Further, al-Saadi said the event could act as a viable platform for exchanging opinions as a considerable portion of the world’s population is made up of youngsters.
He hoped that children, with their curious minds, would achieve what adults have failed to do in terms of achieving world peace, stability and welfare.
A large number of children from local, international and private schools across the country are taking part in the conference alongside representatives from countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, the US among others.
The conference is “headed” by a Qatari youngster, and children from different places are being given the opportunity to present their views on the situation in their countries.
The conference is expected to come up with some recommendations today, which will be discussed by the attendants as possible solutions for the issues raised by them.

Ministry showcases initiatives at conference
The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) is taking part in the ongoing International Conference of Future Generation organised by the Childhood Cultural Center (CCC) at the Qatar National Convention Centre.
The Digital Society Department and the Qatar Assistive Technology Centre (Mada) represent the ministry at the event with two booths on the sidelines of the exhibition, which features 28 articles of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Qatar is one of the convention’s signatory countries.
The Digital Society Department displays some of the ministry’s initiatives that aim at raising Internet safety awareness. One of them is the SafeSpace website that helps protect children online and educate users about Internet safety topics, in addition to providing information, sources and tips for parents, educators and young people on how to use and benefit from the Internet safely and without giving up the values and best practices that guarantee safe online navigation.
The booth also features the Haseen programme – a phased Internet safety and security awareness programme for students. It educates children and youth how to use technologies safely, responsibly and ethically.
The Digital Society Department’s booth reflects the role Qatar plays to put Article 17 of the Convention into action in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2017-2022.
The Article 17 reads, “State Parties recognise the important function performed by the mass media and shall insure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.”
The Mada booth emphasises Qatar’s efforts to achieve Article 23, which reads “State Parties recognise that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child’s active participation in the community.”
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