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The QatarDebate Centre concluded the activities of the Doha Forum: Youth Edition 2025, held at the Multaqa building in Education City, with the participation of a cohort of promising young leaders from 100 countries worldwide. This edition featured an interactive format that integrated intensive training with direct engagement led by experts, subsequently transitioning into roundtable sessions aimed at developing actionable outcomes. This methodology yielded a set of practical recommendations aligned with the forum’s thematic focus, “Consolidating Justice: From Promises to Tangible Reality.” Following the conclusion of the Youth Edition, participants also took part in the Doha World Negotiation Day, organised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Unitar) aimed at instilling values of peace, diplomacy, and co-operation. After several days of dialogue and drafting recommendations, the Youth Edition delegates transitioned to the international stage to participate in the main Doha Forum, where they presented their outputs to decision-makers and global experts. Building on this momentum and to further strengthen the quality and effectiveness of their contributions, the youth delegates also took part in an advanced workshop organised in collaboration with Unitar. The workshop was led by Prof Nicholas Coburn-Palo, preceptor in Public Speaking at Harvard University, and is offered under the title “The Power of Context: Managing Negotiations and Mediation.” As part of the strategic linkage between the Youth Edition and the main event, intensive dialogue sessions were held. The first session, “The Intersection of Policy and Education: Ensuring Education for All,” in partnership with Education Above All Foundation, explored strategies to formulate educational policies that promote equitable access for vulnerable populations. The second session, “Global Forums Unpacked: Purpose, Challenges and the Path Forward,” highlighted the pivotal role of international forums and summits, such as the Doha Forum and Concordia, in addressing urgent global issues. The session discussed the phenomenon of “Forum Fatigue” and proposed practical pathways to translate theoretical discussions into tangible impact. Participants included Hanne LeCount, executive director of Concordia, and Maha al-Kuwari, general manager of the Doha Forum. The discussion was moderated by Sylvie Maalouf, programme manager, Policy Hub, at Qatar Foundation. In addition, a critical session titled “The New Middle East Order: Implications for the Region’s Future,” in partnership with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, examined regional dynamics and their implications for development and stability. Moderated by Moza al-Hajri, an ambassador of QatarDebate Centre, the discussion featured Omar Rahman, fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, and Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.

The Doha Forum: Youth Edition 2025 opened Wednesday at Education City’s Student Centre, Multaqa, bringing together more than 150 emerging leaders from more than 100 countries.The two-day event is jointly organised by QatarDebate Centre and the Doha Forum, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and Media City Qatar.The opening ceremony drew high-level officials, including Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid al-Khater, Minister of Education and Higher Education, and chairperson of the Board of Directors of QatarDebate Centre; His Excellency Sheikh Dr Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani, chairman of Media City Qatar; His Excellency Yasser al-Jamal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth and vice chairman of QatarDebate; His Excellency Mubarak Ajlan al-Kuwari, executive director of the Permanent Committee for Organising Conferences; and D Hayat A Maarafi, executive director, QatarDebate, alongside a distinguished group of diplomats and international experts.**media[389612]**Al-Jamal emphasised the pivotal role of youth in shaping the future, addressing the participants by stating: “Your participation today sends a clear message that young people are not merely present on the scene, but are a force capable of transforming dialogue into initiatives, and visions into actionable steps that create real impact.”Al-Kuwari said: “Justice is not only debated within the halls of conferences but is tested in real-world contexts such as classrooms, digital spaces, workplaces, and communities.”He explained: “The Youth edition of the Doha Forum was launched specifically to ensure that your perspectives, interests, and priorities are genuinely integrated into the discussions before they reach the main stage”.Abdulrahman al-Subaie, director of Administration and Strategy at QatarDebate, said: “The relationship between the QatarDebate Centre and the Doha Forum is not a mere signed document or a partnership preserved in files, but a convergence of visions and a profound recognition that the voice of youth is not a fleeting echo, but a compass guiding the direction of the future.The event offers a global platform for youth to develop solutions and policy recommendations to be presented at the main Doha Forum. Held under the theme “Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress,” the programme tackles key issues in geopolitics, economic development, emerging technologies, cultural diplomacy, and security.**media[389613]**The ceremony also featured a dialogue with Sheikh Dr Abdulla on the role of media in empowering young people. He said: “Media is the true language of this generation. We are moving beyond simply consuming content; we are building an ecosystem where young creators lead the narrative”.The first day continued with a series of high-level panels examining global challenges. A key session, “Who Holds the Line: Rethinking Responsibility in Geopolitics,” explored shifts in global power dynamics and proposed new frameworks for accountability and international cooperation driven by young leaders.The first day of the forum also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between QatarDebate Centre and Qatar Foundation for Social Work. The three-year memorandum forms part of a partnership aimed at strengthening dialogue and communication skills within Qatari society through training programmes that foster a sound environment for constructive debate under the supervision of the QatarDebate Centre. 

The QatarDebate Centre (QDC), a member of Qatar Foundation, convened the second Debaters for Change Roundtables, in continuation of its endeavour to empower youth and engage them in deliberating some of the foremost global issues, an undertaking that marked the current session of the UN General Assembly in New York.The event came as a natural extension of the success achieved by the inaugural round held during the same period last year, which explored the trajectories of international co-operation, and the Pact for the Future adopted at the Summit of the Future.The event convened more than 150 young debaters and adjudicators from over 40 American and Canadian universities.The initiative drilled down on fostering a culture of dialogue and critical thinking through youth-led deliberations that grappled with global and regional issues tied to their collective future, contributing to a deeper understanding of the formidable challenges confronting societies.It further provided a safe space for the unfettered exchange of perspectives, shining a spotlight on the role of young people as catalysts for shaping global policies and as architects of constructive change, through effective dialogue and the building of bridges of understanding across cultures.In the spirit of nurturing constructive dialogue and broadening the aperture of strategic thinking, three roundtable sessions convened experts, decision-makers, and young intellectuals from a host of countries to probe the pressing themes of progressive education, social inclusion, and global governance.The first panel centred on progressive education and the avenues for refining educational systems to keep up with the demands of the future while enhancing students’ capacity for innovation and critical thought.Participants affirmed that investment in education represents a direct investment in a more equitable and sustainable future.The second panel, held under the theme Supporting civil society initiatives to strengthen social cohesion, revisited the precepts of social inclusion enshrined in the 1995 Copenhagen Summit, reimagining them in light of present-day transformations.Discussions confronted the challenges stemming from social, economic, and cultural disparities, and tabled proposals to bolster equality and fair opportunity, stressing the indispensable role of civil society and sound public policy in building more inclusive communities.The third panel was devoted to addressing the mounting challenges of global governance amid intensifying humanitarian and environmental crises and a widening chasm between North and South.It underscored the urgent need to flip the script from lofty pledges and cosmetic initiatives to tangible practices that deliver justice in the allocation of resources and ensure access to technology, education, and healthcare.The discussion further stressed the imperative of amplifying the representation of developing nations in global decision-making centres and of integrating youth into the design of governance systems that are more inclusive and responsive to the exigencies of the future.The deliberations distilled into a set of recommendations, chief among them: restructuring selected mechanisms of global governance to make them more pluralistic and inclusive, reinforcing North-South co-operation on a basis of fairness, and supporting youth-driven initiatives that pioneer innovative solutions to global challenges.The panellists voiced their aspiration to construct a world more just, advanced, and harmonious, affirming that young people are not merely partners in the future but leaders in the present, wielding the capacity to drive development and engineer constructive change.They emphasised that granting them the space to articulate their visions constitutes an investment in a brighter tomorrow.This initiative falls within the QDC’s broader commitment to empowering young people with the tools of expression and influence, positioning them as active stakeholders in shaping future policies both within their societies and on the global stage.