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
Boasting an attendance of 16,000 people, including Nobel laureates in literature, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture concluded its ninth annual Iqra competition on Saturday.
Amin Nasser, Saudi Aramco’s president and CEO, and other senior officials attended the two-day event in Dhahran.
Nobel literature laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Olga Tokarczuk were also present and offered insights during speaking sessions.
Visitors experienced a series of activities, culminating in the announcement of the competition’s winners.
Moroccan Meryem Bououd was awarded Reader of the Year, while 10-year-old Moroccan Fatima Kettani won the Promising Reader prize.
Iraqi Hira Karkhi secured the Text of the Year prize, while the Reading School award went to Tarbiyat Al-Ajial of the Private International School, Hafr Al-Batin, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Safia Al-Ghubari claimed the People’s Reader award, while teacher Najla Ghazi Al-Suhaimi took home the Reading Ambassador prize.
Noura Al-Zamil, Ithra’s program director, spoke of the competition’s significant milestones since its inception in 2013.
Over nine editions Iqra has attracted more than 225,000 applicants and offered 48,000 hours of educational programming.
It has also engaged more than 600 speakers from 30 countries, bringing three Nobel Prize-winning authors to its stage.
Al-Zamil stressed Ithra’s continued efforts to innovate, introducing new elements like the Iqra Travels, Iqra Marathon, and Kitabiya Exhibit, to foster a reading culture among Arab youngsters.
The closing event featured cultural sessions, including a talk by Tokarczuk, who discussed literature as a tool for bridging languages and cultures.
Discussing the future, Tokarczuk expressed both optimism and caution, adding: “I embrace modern tools like ChatGPT but remain concerned about their potential misuse.”
Gurnah, reflecting on his roots, said: “Zanzibar will always be my true homeland, despite my long absence.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
_____________
Boasting an attendance of 16,000 people, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture concluded its ninth annual Iqra competition on Saturday. (Supplied)
Egypt bids farewell to the guard of Semsemya, Zakaria Ibrahim.
For the past 44 years, Zakaria Ibrahim or “El-Rayes” (meaning the chief) had played and safeguarded the heritage music of his hometown Port Said through the Port Said Folk Heritage Troupe, which he established in 1980.
In an interview with Ahram Online, Ibrahim previously said that his initial approach relied on the sounds of the Semsemya musical instrument. Five years later, he reintroduced the ancient Tanboura instrument, a larger predecessor and origin of the Semsemya, dating back to ancient Egyptians. Consequently, he rebranded his ensemble as Al-Tanboura.
“We the Bamboteya, no one is like us, merchant boatmen in the canal” the troupe sang about the Semsemya’s affiliation with the history of trade on the Port Said marina. Small boats, called ManBoats, moored offshore, and sold goods to passing vessels, using sign language in trading. This language is the foundation of the heritage dance affiliated with Semsemya.
To safeguard and revive heritage music, beyond Semsemya, Ibrahim co-founded the Mastaba Centre for Egyptian Folk Music in 2000. Documenting and archiving traditional Egyptian songs, music, and musical instruments, as well as the voices and history of Egyptian music were among the centre’s main goals.
He also established El-Damma theatre in Abdeen district, Cairo, where heritage troupes played for years on a weekly basis. El Damma means coming closer, and it was a social ritual in Port Said where people would come together and sing their heritage songs and play the Semsemya.
University students from Tunis Business School in El Mourouj, Tunisia are the 2024 Enactus World Cup Champions with their social enterprise BOVITA. The team won the competition from a field of 29 challengers comprised of National Champions from the Enactus country network around the world.
The Enactus team from Mohammad V University in Morocco clinched second place at Kongress-Tsentr in Astana. Rounding out the Final Four teams were Karlsruhe Institute of Technology of Germany and Konkuk University of Korea.
The Enactus World Cup 2024 brought together over 700 of the world’s brightest young social entrepreneurs from over 30 countries with a joint mission to solve critical global challenges. At Enactus World Cup, students compete, collaborate, make intercultural connections, and are inspired to further develop skills that drive impact through social entrepreneurship.
BOVITA provides a range of 100% natural phytotherapy-based products designed to replace antibiotics and chemical treatments in the prevention and treatment of Bovine Mastitis. Their product line includes an extramammary cream for mild cases, an oil-based gel for prevention, and a natural intramammary injection for severe cases, all aimed at effectively healing infected areas, reducing inflammation, and eliminating bacteria.
The event was graced by several notable attendees, including ecologist and philanthropist, Aselle Tasmagambetova; Director of UN Global Compact Kazakhstan, Dinara Seijaparova; Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Tourism, Kairat Sadvakasson; and Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, who delivered a special welcome message on behalf of the President of The Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In his message, President Tokayev emphasized the importance of the event, stating:
“In Kazakhstan we have created the very best environment for young people to access quality education and engage in entrepreneurship. Hosting this prestigious event in our country and within the commonwealth of independent states is a testament to this progress. The Enactus World Cup 2024 will inspire the growth of youth entrepreneurship and help cultivate the next generation of business leaders.”
As Enactus Global navigates a period of transition, the organization’s commitment to inspiring and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders continues to grow. This dedication is evident in the success of the Enactus World Cup in Astana and the announcement that Bangkok, Thailand will host the 2025 Enactus World Cup. Furthermore, Enactus Colombia has officially joined the network, and Enactus Thailand has rejoined, expanding the Enactus presence to 35 countries worldwide.
Supporting this vital mission and global expansion, Resolution Project has committed over $2 million to Enactus Global, ensuring the continuation of its nearly 50-year legacy of educating and equipping young social entrepreneurs.
“The Enactus World Cup truly showcases the incredible potential of youth innovation,” said Lauren Horn, Interim CEO of Enactus Global & United States. “Over the past few days, we’ve seen firsthand how the innovation and passion of these young entrepreneurs can create real change. The spirit and impact of Enactus remain as strong as ever, thanks to the dedication of our students, partners, and supporters worldwide. With Resolution Project’s commitment and our expanding global network, we can ensure that the Enactus World Cup will continue to be a platform where young changemakers collaborate, innovate, and turn their ideas into real-world solutions that shape our future.
The event would not have been possible without the host country Enactus Kazakhstan, and support from sponsors and partners such as Kazakh Tourism, The Sunshine Charitable Foundation, BIC, John Dobson Foundation, Harmony Gold, Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, and more. “I’m really happy to see everyone here in my beautiful country,” said Albina Yerzhanova, President & CEO of Enactus Kazakhstan. “Hosting the Enactus World Cup in Astana shows how much Kazakhstan values innovation and young entrepreneurs. It’s exciting to bring together these brilliant students and showcase their ideas for making the world better.”
Enactus Global and Resolution Project’s combined impact includes engaging over 40,000 young social entrepreneurs annually, with a presence in nearly 100 countries. These young leaders have cumulatively impacted almost 20 million lives.
Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has won five major category awards from the Financial Times’ fDi World’s Best Free Zones 2024, including being ranked number one in the comprehensive global list of free zones.
Jafza said that winning these awards underscores its global standing in the field of trade and logistics, noting that it was ranked number one, in addition to the titles of “Best Industrial Zone” and “Best Sustainable Zone” for this year, in the global and Middle East categories.
Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, DP World, GCC, said: “As we approach our 40th anniversary, we are proud of our achievements in the fields of global trade and industry. Jafza has evolved over these four decades to meet the changes in the global trade arena and has maintained its leadership in promoting innovation and sustainable growth.
For his part, Abdulla Al Hashimi, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Free Zones, DP World, GCC, said that these prestigious awards confirm the effectiveness of the investment approach in infrastructure and sustainability, after Jafza was able to establish the foundations of a vital infrastructure that benefits customers, and maintained the clarity of its goal of driving innovation and sustainable growth, by keeping pace with the latest developments in the sector, and responding to customer needs, while continuing to focus on efficiency.
Dr. Suleiman Al-Theeb presents research at Riyadh International Book Fair
Kingdom’s literature commission organized the event from Sept. 26-Oct. 5
Only a group of tribes later described as Arabs inhabited the area now known as the Arabian Peninsula in antiquity and modern times, and other ethnicities lived there temporarily, a leading Saudi Arabia historian has said.
Dr. Suleiman Al-Theeb, who is a professor of ancient Arabic inscriptions at King Saud University, presented some of his research during a panel discussion titled “Ancient Arabic Writings” at the Riyadh International Book Fair.
The panelists focused on the deep-rooted cultural heritage of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The fair was organized by the Kingdom’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission between Sept. 26 and Oct. 5.
During the discussions, Al-Theeb talked about the meanings of ancient Arab inscriptions, and writings in the Arabic script.
He said the term “Arab” was first used to describe a group of tribes during the Assyrian era, in the 8th and 9th centuries B.C.E.
He added that migrations from the Arabian Peninsula began from the central region, moving northward to Mesopotamia, Greater Syria, and Egypt, where immigrants settled and established kingdoms.
Al-Theeb said the oldest known Arab inscription, found in the city of Lachish in Palestine, is Thamudic and dates to 1300 B.C.E.
“Initially, it was believed to be Phoenician and dated to 1509 B.C.E., but it was later confirmed to combine South Arabian script and Thamudic letters,” he said.
Al-Theeb has written extensively about civilizations dating back thousands of years in the Arabian Peninsula.
He is a writer, historian, researcher and an expert in archaeology and ancient languages of the region, and spoke extensively about his work at the fair.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
______________
Prof. Suleiman Al-Theeb said the term “Arab” was first used to describe a group of tribes during the Assyrian era, in the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. (SPA)
On January 21, Ambassador Larry André hosted a lunch in honor of, Fatimata M’baye, the 2016 Mauritanian Woman of Courage Award winner, and a nominee for the United States Department of State International Woman of Courage Award.
M’baye was Mauritania’s first ever female attorney and she is the president of local human rights NGO Association Mauritanienne des Droits de l’Homme. She has spent her career courageously for advocating and defending human rights, equality, and justice in Mauritania.
The lunch was attended by notable leaders from Mauritanian civil society, especially women and human rights leaders, and is a part of the American Embassy’s on-going efforts to engage in a dialogue with government and civil-society on shared priorities.
source/content: mr.usembassy.gov / US Embassy in Mauritania (headline edited)
“I believe in the power of women. The seaweed farm is run by women, and women represent 80 to 90 percent of all staff in administration, the labs and research.”
For most people, the word ‘engineer’ doesn’t immediately bring up images of food, and even fewer will think of seaweed. And yet, that’s exactly the niche where Nadia Selmi is pioneering new uses for an oft-overlooked marine resource.
Today, she is the commercial director of SELT Marine, a Tunisian seaweed company that employs more than 100 women in producing nutritious seaweed powder that can be made into vegetable gelatin for dairy, sweets and vegan products
“I believe in the power of women,” says Nadia. “The seaweed farm is run by women, and women represent 80 to 90 percent of all staff in our administration, the labs and research.”
Many of the women working on the seaweed farm come from vulnerable rural communities and have found a new kind of job in the growing sector.
And the potential that the sector holds for food security and food system transformation is significant. Using just 0.03 percent of our oceans’ surface, seaweed could add up to 10 percent to the world’s food supply. Importantly, seaweed tends to be rich in vitamins and fibres and low in calories, making it a great addition to a healthy diet.
Beyond the food industry, seaweed powder is already used in many pharmaceutical and cosmetics products. And more recently, it is being transformed into biodegradable bottles and bags.
But that’s not the only way seaweed can contribute to a better environment.
Increasingly, scientists and policy makers are also seeing its potential as a “nature-based solution” to mitigate climate change and support ecosystem services. For example, if seaweed production keeps growing at the current rate, it could absorb 135 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2050, and 30 percent of all the nitrogen entering the oceans from land-based pollution.
Nadia, who started out as a researcher in the company’s lab, is now championing the uptake of Tunisian seaweed by building partnerships with businesses around the world and working with research institutions to get even more goodness out of the aquatic greens.
FAO supports innovators like Nadia through its General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, which promotes seaweed aquaculture as a way to boost sustainable growth, marine conservation, and livelihoods in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Ashwag Mukhtar is working as a visiting researcher at the National Cancer Research Centre thanks to the Ellas Investigan programme organised by Fundación Mujeres por África
“It will be the most important experience of my life, I am now part of CNIO,” says Sudanese scientist Ashwag Mukhtar, assistant professor with the Department of Histopathology and Cytology at the University of Alneelain (Khartoum), referring to her time at the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), where she has been a visiting researcher linked to the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group of this centre since last December.
Ashwag Mohammed Mukhtar is one of the African scientists selected by Fundación Mujeres por África to take part in its Ellas Investigan programme, which promotes stays in Spain for senior African women researchers from affiliated scientific institutes. The stays are for six months and allow these researchers to carry out, in collaboration with these institutes, projects previously selected by the programme’s Scientific Committee. In this case, funding was provided by Exolum.
The Sudanese scientist aims to compare bladder cancer in Spain and North African countries. She will compare and contrast the environmental factors causing this cancer and genetic diversities in order to provide important findings and data regarding this type of cancer and its treatments.
Holder of a PhD from the University of Alneelain, Ashwag Mohammed Mukhtar explains what her work will entail during her time in Spain: “On the one hand, I am conducting a meta-analysis, focusing on reanalysing the treatment of bladder cancer, genetic mutation, and mortality, and comparing it with data from the Spanish Bladder Cancer Foundation. On the other hand, I intend to determine the expression of certain genes that can predict the type of chemotherapy. We are doing this on Sudanese tissue samples and comparing our findings with Spanish tissue samples.”
As well as science, her other passions are music, meditation, and nature walks, as she explains in this video. In it, she gives recommendations about the Sudanese music she likes most, including the band AGD Aljalad.“Having the opportunity to work in another country is a very enriching experience, both professionally and personally,” says the scientist.
About Ellas Investigan
Ellas Investigan (Women Researching) is the most important programme promoted by Fundación Mujeres por África in the scientific field and has achieved spectacular growth. Since it was launched in 2014 with five associated research centres, it has grown to more than 20 affiliated centres and has launched seven editions.
The centres brought into this programme in the last edition are the Barcelona Institute of Material Science (ICMAB); IIS Biodonostia; and INCLIVA, Research Institute of the Clinical Hospital in Valencia. The company Abertis has also been brought on board as a sponsor, which will finance the chosen researcher’s stay at the National Biotechnology Centre on Biodiversity Issues. So far more than a hundred African women scientists have been involved in Ellas Investigan.
About CNIO
CNIO is a Spanish institution dedicated to the research, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. CNIO has obtained accreditation as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence for the third time in a row. It is ranked seventh among the world’s best cancer research centres (according to the Scimago report; Nature Index) and has been named Europe’s leading cancer research centre.
More than 450 scientists work at CNIO to transfer their results quickly and efficiently to Spain’s National Health System and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology market. In recent years, the strand of research devoted to metastasis – responsible for 90% of cancer deaths worldwide – has been strengthened with the incorporation of several fully dedicated research groups. Interdisciplinarity has also been boosted by recruiting computer experts to gain a more in-depth view of the complexity of cancer and to propose new therapeutic hypotheses.
One of the goals at CNIO is to bring science closer to society through initiatives such as CNIO Arte , a project that brings together scientists and artists to create new works of art around scientific research, and CNIO Friends, a philanthropic platform through which any person, company or association can support cancer research carried out at the Centre, and through which a CNIO Friends International Contracts Programme has been launched to attract research talent.
source/content: cnio.es (headline edited)
______________
Ashwag Mukhtar. / Laura M. Lombardía. CNIO
Ashwag Mukhtar. Visiting researcher from Sudan. Women for Africa Foundation / source: youtube.com / canalcnio
Palestinian chef Michael Rafidi has been honored with the James Beard Awards in Chicago, winning the title of Outstanding Chef 2024.
The culinary world is full of awards and accolades that honor talented chefs, and among them is the James Beard Awards. Often referred to as the “Oscars of the food world”, it is one of the highest honors in the industry. This year, Palestinian chef Michael Rafidi, the owner of Albi — a Michelin-starred restaurant in the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C. was titled winner under the category of Outstanding Chef.
Previously, Rafidi’s restaurant garnered a Michelin Star in 2022, an award that is only granted to restaurants that are able to present an exceptional dining experience using top-notch ingredients consistently. Rafidi’s food encapsulates the rich flavors of his Palestinian heritage, with each dish presenting remnants of his culture.
Chef Micheal Rafidi’s caption on his Instagram post, or speech as he called it included a poignant homage to his grandfather who was a chef in Washington for decades, and a big source of inspiration to delve into his restaurateur journey. “I accepted this award on the shoulders of my Palestinian ancestors, my grandparents and my mother. Through it all, they held onto their love of food, a taste of our lineage that told stories of love, resilience and hope,” stated Rafidi. He added, “As I grew in my career, I realized my Palestinian identity would become my purpose for the restaurants we would build, the menus we would create, and the food we would serve. Ending the caption with, “In case I wasn’t clear on stage. This award is dedicated to the people of Palestine.”
Regarding the win, Ayman, the Palestinian-Egyptian news anchor at MSNBC posted, “Now after last night’s James Beard Awards, Palestinian cuisine is not only recognized as part of the tapestry of America, it is celebrated among the very best cuisines in the world thanks to generations of Palestinians who are constantly pushing their food to new heights.”
Palestinian activist Issa Amro on Thursday accepted the Right Livelihood prize — considered by some an alternative Nobel — for his “nonviolent resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation” in the West Bank, the jury said.
Amro was born in the city of Hebron, a flashpoint West Bank city where roughly 1,000 Jewish settlers live under heavy Israeli military protection amid some 200,000 Palestinians.
He has dedicated his life to fighting against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. The 44-year-old founded the Youth Against Settlements group, which campaigns against the proliferation of Jewish settlements in the territory — communities widely regarded as illegal under international law.
The rights campaigner has been repeatedly detained and tortured by both the Palestinian Authority and by Israel, the foundation said. “It’s a miracle that I still exist,” said Amro.
When Palestine Polytechnic University, where he was studying, closed in 2003 during the Second Intifada, Amro successfully led a six-month civil disobedience campaign. “I managed to reopen the university with other students,” Amro said in a statement. “I graduated as an engineer and as an activist — it became part of my character,” he added.
The Sweden-based Right Livelihood Foundation also honored Joan Carling, a Filipino champion of indigenous rights and Anabela Lemos, a climate activist from Mozambique.
It also gave the nod to research agency Forensic Architecture for its work in uncovering human rights violations around the world.
The foundation said the four prize winners had “each made a profound impact on their communities and the global stage.”
“Their unwavering commitment to speaking out against forces of oppression and exploitation, while strictly adhering to non-violent methods, resonates far beyond their communities,” Right Livelihood said in a statement.
Carling from the Philippines was recognized for having defended the rights of indigenous communities for three decades, particularly in their fight against mining projects.
The foundation celebrated Lemos, who heads the NGO Justica Ambiental (JA!), for her role in opposing liquefied natural gas extraction projects in northern Mozambique.
Forensic Architecture, a London-based research laboratory known for 3D modelling conflict zones, won the distinction for “pioneering digital forensic methods” to ensure accountability of human rights violations around the world.
By teaming up with Ukraine’s Center for Spatial Technologies to reconstruct Mariupol’s Drama Theatre before it was destroyed in 2022, the firm highlighted Russia’s “strategies of terror” and “attempts to obscure evidence of their own crimes,” the foundation said.
Swedish-German philatelist Jakob von Uexkull sold part of his stamp collection to found the Right Livelihood award in 1980, after the foundation behind the Nobel Prizes refused to create new distinctions honoring efforts in the fields of environment and international development.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
______________
The rights campaigner has been repeatedly detained and tortured by both the Palestinian Authority and by Israel, the foundation said. (AFP)
