UNICEF Morocco Appoints Achraf Hakimi ‘Champion for Children’ – May 2021

The UNICEF office in Morocco announced the appointment of Moroccan international football star Achraf Hakimi as children’s rights champion.

Hakimi, 22, is triumphing not only in his humanitarian works but also in his football career.

The football player is a key element in both his international club Inter Milan and Morocco’s national team.

UNICEF launched the initiative to appoint public figures from all fields, including arts, academics, and sports among others to engage in its efforts to help raise awareness of children’s rights.

Champions for Children are prominent individuals from arts, music, academics, ICT, sports, community-based organizations, or other fields who help to raise awareness of children’s rights.

The initiative is in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the “most widely ratified human rights treaty in history,” UNICEF said.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: Moroccan football player Achraf Hakimi. Photo: UNICEF

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MOROCCO

Majeda Khoury : Chef & Founder – Syrian Sunflower

Majeda Khoury. Chef. Syrian Human rights and Feminist activist.

Syrian migrant, one of her early decisions in London was to join a refugee cooking group run by social enterprise Migrateful. It brings together Londoners and refugees to learn recipes and share a meal.

She gives one or two classes a week, teaching simple but beautiful meals that can be reproduced at home

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pix: anqacollective.org

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UNITED KINGDOM / SYRIAN-BRITISH

Saudi Girl Ritaj Al-Hazmi, 12, World’s Youngest Novel Series Author by Guinness : May 2021

A young girl from Saudi Arabia has broken the Guinness World Record to become the globe’s youngest writer of a novel series.

Ritaj Alhazmi, 12, has published a series of three English-language novels, two of which came out before her last birthday.

She has been awarded for her Treasure of the Lost Sea series, which includes the novels Treasure of the Lost SeaPortal of the Hidden World and Beyond the Future World.

In the third book, she explored the genre of science-fiction. “I introduce new creatures and robots. I also include travelling through worlds,’ she explains.

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Ritaj Alhazmi has become the world’s youngest book series author after she published three books before her teen years. Courtesy Ritaj Alhazmi / pix: thenationalnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Waleed Al-Ibrahim, Awarded King Abdulaziz Order of Merit Medal : May 2021

Waleed Al-Ibrahim. Businessman. Media.

Founder and Chairman of MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center).

He received the King Abdulaziz Order of Merit for his success in the media and broadcasting world.

The King Abdulaziz Order of Merit is a medal awarded to citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to Saudi Arabia. It is considered the highest civilian honor in the Kingdom.

MBC is one of the biggest media broadcasting stations in the Arab world. It includes several movie, TV show, and children channels such as MBC 2, MBC 3, MBC 4 and MBC Action. Al Ibrahim launched Al Arabiya in 2003, a free-to-air television news channel based in Dubai.

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pix: arabnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Nourie Flayan – Lebanese Artist-Illustrator. Global Brand Collaborator

Nourie Flayan. Artist. Illustrator. Story teller. Influencer.

First Middle Eastern Artist to collaborate with Gucci – Gucci Beauty

  • Collaborated with Italian Luxury Label Gucci -, Gucci Beauty for artworks (2020)
  • Collaborted with US Luxury Fashion House Carolina Herrera on a set of Eid Al-Fitr illustrations (2021)
  • Collaborated with LA based fashion label ‘House of Aama’ on a tote bag that honours women
  • Collaborated with Native Threads Collective to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021
  • Collaborated with Emirati Jewellery brand MKS Jewellery for their Here To Listen series

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pix: abouther.com /

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LEBANON

Farida Zahran: US based, Award-Winning Egyptian Filmmaker

Farida Zahran. Writer. Director

Festivals & Awards:

  • SXSW 2019 (World Premiere), Palm Springs ShortFest 2019, HollyShorts 2019, Hamptons 2019, Ajyal Film Festival 2019
  • Winner of Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under at Palm Springs International ShortFest (Oscar-qualifying), IFP Student Film Showcase
  • NYU 2021 Purple List for her screenplay The Leftover Ladies
  • Vimeo Staff Pick for Youth, she is no stranger to the film and TV industry.

Education:

  • Bachelors Degree – NorthWestern University, Doha, Qatar
  • MFA – Film. NYU Tisch School of Arts

www.faridazahran.com

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Zahran receives the 2019 Best Live-Action Short Award at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. / pix: egyptianstreets.com

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EGYPT

Dawit L Petros : Visual Artist , Educator

Dawit Petros. Visual Artist. Solo and Group Exhibitions. Researcher and Artist Lectures.

Dawit L. Petros – Assistant Professor, Department of Photography at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

He is represented by Tiwani Contemporary in London, UK and Bradley Ertaskiran in Montreal, Canada.

Awards :

  • Scotiabank Photography Award, Nominee
  • 2019 Scotiabank Photography Award, Nominee

www.dawitlpetros.com

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pix; twitter.com/dawitlpetros

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CANADIAN / ERITREAN

Global Village Dubai Breaks its 25th Guinness World Record – ‘Highest Altitude Fireworks’ : May 2021

Global Village teamed up with Skydive Dubai to break a new Guinness World Record title, with 20 skydivers jumping from an altitude of more than 4,570 metres, lighting the skies with 78 fireworks, representative of the 78 cultures that were present at Global Village during its 25th season.

 Visitors were treated to a rare and spectacular showcase, as the venue celebrated its silver jubilee season finale.

The initiative was in line with Global Village’s aim to break 25 Guinness World Records over the course of its 25th season, which ran from October 25 to May 2.

The stunt broke the Guinness World Record title for “highest altitude fireworks display”.

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pix: uaenews4u.com

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Arab Designer, Libyan Ibrahim Shebani

Ibrahim Shebani (Alshebani) . Fashion Designer

Founder of the ready-to-wear fashion label : ‘Born In Exile’ .

Ibrahim Shebani has set up an atelier near Bologna (Italy) and set up in Tunisia for manufacturing.

Awarded Designer of the Year ‘DOTM’ – by MAFT magazine.

Born in German, grew up mostly between Cairo and Libya. Lived in Paris for a year.

www.born-in-exile.com

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pix: twitter.com/ibrahimshebani

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LIBYA

Sheikh Zayed Book Award – Winners,15th Edition: April 2021

The list of prize winners, organised by the Abu Dhabi Centre for the Arabic Language of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, included seven authors and researchers from Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and the US, in addition to a Lebanese publishing house.

Egyptian writer, Iman Mersal, won the Literature category for her book Fee Athar Enayat Al Zayyat (In the Footsteps of Enayat Al-Zayyat) that was published in 2019 by Al Kotob Khan Library.

Tunisian author, Mizouni Bannani, won the Children’s Literature award for his book Rehlat Fannan (An Artist’s Journey), published by Dar Al Mua’nasa Publishing in 2020.

The Translation award went to Impostures by Al-Hariri, translated from Arabic to English by Michael Cooperson from the USA, and published by Library of Arabic Literature in 2020.

The Literary and Art Criticism award went to Tunisian researcher, Khelil Gouia, for his book Masar Al Tahdeeth fe Al Fonoon Al Tashkelyah, men Al Orsomah ella Al Lawha (The Path of Modernisation in the Visual Arts, From Drawing to Painting), published by Med Ali Éditions in 2020.

The Contribution to the Development of Nations was awarded to Dr. Saeed El-masry from Egypt, for his book Turath Al Iste’ela’a bayn Al Folklor wa Al Majal Al Deeny (Legacy of Supremacy between Folklore and Religion), published by Batana Publishing & Distribution in 2019, .

Tahera Qutbuddin from the USA won the Arab Culture in Other Languages award for her book Arabic Oration: Art and Function, published by Brill Publishers in 2019.

The Young Author category was won by Dr. Asma Muqbil Awad Alahmadi from Saudi Arabia for the study Eshkalyat Al Thaat Al Saredah Fee Al Rwayah Al Nesaayah Al Saudiah (The Problems of the Narrated Self in the Saudi Feminist Novel (1999 – 2012) (Critical Study), published by Arab Scientific Publishers Inc. in 2020.

Dar Al Jadeed from Lebanon won the Publishing and Technology award, in recognition of its role in shedding light on long-forgotten topics in Arab publishing, as well as its contributions to the Arabic library with science books and linguistic and intellectual studies.

source/content : wam.ae

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pix: wam.ae

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)