Qatar University (QU) and the Protection and Social Rehabilitation Centre (Aman) have signed an agreement to collaborate on scientific studies about the disintegration of some families as a result of the blockade, it was announced. The studies will also include violence against children and adolescents and its relationship to parenting.
The agreement was signed by QU vice president for Research and Graduate Studies Professor Mariam al-Maadeed and Aman executive director Mansour al-Saadi, in the presence of Qatar Foundation for Social Work CEO Amal al-Mannai and other officials from QU and Aman on Wednesday. Both parties had signed an agreement in June 2017 to carry out a scientific study on 'Family Rift: Its causes, effects and consequences on children victims'.
In her remarks, Professor al-Maadeed praised the role of Aman in the society saying the organisation plays an effective role in raising the community’s awareness. “Such agreements will serve to strengthen collaboration with other institutions, to invest the resources and efforts, and to exchange information,” she noted. “This leads to maintaining accuracy of the research by avoiding the duplication of topics, and to identify the causes of problems in order to solve them based on accurate scientific results.”
Al-Saadi said the blockade imposed against Qatar has caused many negative effects on family relationships. “The most important is family rupture, which is the core of Aman’s work. This agreement will serve to conduct, in co-operation with QU, a one-of-its-kind scientific study to discuss the effects of the blockade on family disintegration,” he added.
According to researches supervisor and agreement co-ordinator Dr Kaltham al-Ghanim, such agreements in the field of social studies are necessary to develop the role of community institutions and their ability to provide appropriate services and support. “The role played by these community centres such as Aman underlines the ability of society to meet the needs of different groups and to increase family cohesion, which is one of the pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the development strategies,” al-Ghanim said.
“Such agreements carried out by researchers from QU also indicate the increasing role of the university as an academic institution recognised for its competence and expertise in the preparation of studies and research in the community and its ability to meet national needs and support development plans,” al-Ghanim added.
