Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
Saudi Arabia is set to become the first G20 country to install LED street lights to conserve energy, said a top official of the National Energy Services Co., known as Tarshid.
Speaking during a panel titled “Saudi Vision 2030 Outlook” on the first day of the Global Project Management Forum 2024 taking place in Riyadh from June 2 to 3, Mohammed Muaafa, technical services director of Tarshid, said the company has worked on a large number of projects to conserve electricity in various types of commercial and residential projects across the Kingdom.
These efforts are in line with the Kingdom’s target of producing 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
“We will be the first country in G20 that fulfills this goal of turning all the street lamps into energy-saving ones,” Muaafa said.
The top official said Tarshid’s main objective is to reduce the consumption of electricity and reduction of emissions.
He said the project provided us energy savings of 70-75 percent.
The Global Project Management Forum 2024 is designed to bring together the most influential global community of project managers and diverse stakeholders for immersive learning, networking, and collaboration.
The two-day annual aims to highlight the latest developments in the field of project management across various sectors and serve as a platform for industry experts to share creative ideas to achieve their professional goals.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
__________
Mohammed Muaafa, technical services director of Tarshid, speaks at a panel titled “Saudi Vision 2030 Outlook” on the first day of the Global Project Management Forum 2024 taking place in Riyadh from June 2 to 3. AN photo
In an exclusive interview with Morocco World News, Soufiane Choubani, a leader in the Moroccan debate community on local and international stages, shares his story and vision for his robust debate community, the first of its kind in the country.
In 2014, Soufiane Choubani established the Morocco Debate Association (MDA) – a non-profit that is the first of its kind in the country.
Today, a little over a decade, the MDA continues to make groundbreaking history both at home and abroad – with one of its teams, the Atlas Lions of Debate, set to compete in the world’s biggest debating championship in Panama this year.
Soufiane Choubani : The driving force behind the Moroccan Debate Association
Soufiane, who founded both the MDA and the Moroccan National Debate Team (MNDT), is a former professor who holds a Master’s in Higher Education from Kean University in New Jersey. The driving force behind Morocco’s inaugural national debate team’s success, Soufiane is also the author of the book, “The Magic of Motivation”, and an international debate coach.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Soufiane talked about the origin story of the debate team.
“In 2013, we Moroccans were feeling very ambitious after and with the on-going Arab Spring. I wanted to help the situation but I was just an introverted English teacher who barely went out,” he said.
“At the same time, my teams were winning local championships in Morocco back-to-back. So I got the idea (that) if I could form a national debate team and have them compete in the world championship and do well, that would inspire more people in North Africa to learn debating and feel confident to compete with the best in the world. That’s how the MNDT was born.” Soufiane Choubani told MWN.
Soufiane’s personal journey with debate began at a young age.
“I was introduced to debating in my American high school and I saw first-hand how it benefited me in my academic and personal life. So, when I had the chance to spread this in Morocco, I didn’t miss the opportunity” Soufiane told MWN
Over the years, Soufiane has acquired a wealth of competitive debate experience that deeply informs the MDA’s debating strategies. His firsthand experience with international debating competitions has provided him with a unique perspective on what it takes to be outstanding in debate.
His approach extends beyond traditional debate training, embracing a holistic development of debaters that prepares them not only for competitions, but also for skilful engagement with complex global issues.
The legendary milestones of MDA
Under the dynamic leadership of Soufiane, the MDA has flourished, achieving success in both national and international arenas.
The Moroccan National Debate Team went on to become the first North African team in history to compete in the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC); also known as the world’s oldest high school debate tournament with teams representing over 60 different countries from five different continents.
When asked by MWN to share the most remarkable team achievement, Soufiane replied that it was winning the High School Parliamentary Debate World Congress back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, as well as winning the Best English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) University Debate in Africa award in 2023.
He also added to the list of his personal accomplishments teaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 Eurasian Schools Debating Championships.
More than debate teams: a community
Since becoming president, Soufiane has come up with many strategies and initiatives all aiming to achieve the success his association has reached so far.
Among the exciting learning experiences that the Moroccan Debate Association offers is a Moroccan youth debate camp. This summer program is open to both Moroccan and international students.
During this week-long program, participants are introduced to various public speaking formats, including debating, leadership and diplomacy, and Model United Nations (MUN) .
The camp provides lectures, exercises, workshops, and social activities and a tournament on the last day in order to put to use all the learned skills. The top three speakers are awarded prizes for their performance.
The success of MDA stems from the national coaching staff’s dedication and passion to actively contribute to the Moroccan debate community, enabling individuals to harness the power of words. As a result of dedicated volunteers, the MDA has provided public speaking and debating workshops to more than 800 Moroccans between 2014 and 2017.
Soufiane welcomes successful coaches from all over the world.
One such example is Ahmad Tousif Jami, an accomplished Bangladeshi champion debater in his own right, who is the head coach of the MDNT, set to participate in the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) in Panama at the end of 2024.
Soufiane told MWN that one of his favorite MDA success stories is Alia Kafil , Morocco’s team captain for the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) 2020 to 2022. She was the first-ever North African to rank among the top 100 debaters, from a pool of over 400 international participants, at a WSDC. The skilled orator is now a student at Columbia University in New York City and is planning to compete in the WUDC in Panama.
MDA’spursuit of open social dialogueon pressing world issues
Soufiane’s debate community’s vision reaches out to even more than teaching debate, but also has initiatives that help communities in need and bring social awareness to world issues.
This Past April,the MNDT participated in an international online charity debating competition, “Free Palestine Debate Open”, that was organized by University of Ljubljana Debate Society.
The registration fees were collected for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), in an effort to increase awareness about the situation of Palestine. Additionally, the open-spaced forum at the end of the debate tournaments was meant to be a space of support for Palestinians and discussion around the challenges that this community faces.
In a note that stirred intensity, one of the debating motions in the competition was: “this house believes that the PA (Palestinian Authorities) should abolish itself, reinstating Israeli rule as the direct occupying power, until Palestinians achieve meaningful self-governance”.
Despite covering a sensitive topic involving international participants with diverse beliefs, debaters effectively succeeded in having a respectful –albeit heated – debate in which they demonstrated their skills including critical thinking and persuasive arguments.
Debaters on both sides of the motion admirably maintained personal neutrality in the face of such a challenging topic, mounting rational and robust arguments even while many hold strong personal views on the Israeli occupation.
Soufiane says that participating in such a debate promotes inclusivity, enabling debaters from diverse backgrounds to think critically about social issues, understand different points of view, and develop their ability to communicate and argue effectively in a respectful and rational way.
These skills, when shared and appreciated across the country, could help influence the development of a more thoughtful and conscientious society for all.
Due to the efforts from Soufiane, the MDA has been a beacon of personal growth for numerous Moroccans, providing an environment where all voices can be heard. Through its debates, workshops, and events, members have honed their critical thinking, public speaking, and argumentation skills.
When asked about his hopes for the future of Morocco Debating Association, Soufiane shared his vision to MWN. .
“My long-term goal for the association is to have the Moroccan National Debating Team (MNDT) officially funded by the Moroccan government so it becomes free for students to build a national institute of debating in English, Arabic, and Berber (Amazigh).”
