Princess Dana Firas, Unesco global ambassador and president of the Petra National Trust, will shed light on the relationship between cultural heritage and human rights in a special lecture at Qatar National Library on April 16 from 5pm to 6.10pm.

HE Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz al-Kawari, State Minister, will also give a speech during the event.

The lecture, 'Cultural Heritage and its Role in Preserving History, Identity and Cultural Legacy', marks the occasion of the Library’s first anniversary, and will highlight the role that heritage plays in maintaining the identity, history, and cultural legacy of communities in the Arab region.

A panel discussion will follow, moderated by Dr Susan Karamanian, dean of the College of Law and Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and will feature Princess Dana Firas; Dr Julia Gonnella, director of the Museum of Islamic Art; and Dr Sohair Wastawy, executive director of QNL. The panelists will explore the measures being taken to preserve heritage in the region and what is needed to maintain a focus on tradition and culture.

“The preservation of cultural heritage in the Arab region is an important element in the Library’s ongoing efforts to protect the region’s history, identity and knowledge. Our work with institutions in the region through the IFLA’s Regional Preservation and Conservation Centre at the Library, and our collaboration with Unesco are testament to this very fact. We are proud to welcome pioneers in the preservation of cultural heritage in the Arab region to discuss this important topic on the auspicious occasion of our first anniversary, and we are welcoming the public to attend this special event.” said Dr Wastawy.

The panel discussion will take place at QNL’s Special Events Area and is open to public attendance.

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