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HER HIGHNESSSHEIKHA MOZABINT NASSERHer Highness Sheikha Moza bintNasser is well known as achampion for education and forsocial and cultural progress. The chairperson of QatarFoundation for Education, Scienceand Community Development, a UNESCO Special Envoy for Basicand Higher Education and amember of the High Level Group ofthe Alliance of Civilizations, in thisinterview Her Highness speaksabout the goals of the Alliance and the importance of inter-culturaldialogue for peace anddevelopment.

PHOTOS: MAHER ATTAR/HHOPL

Your Highness, The United Nations Alliance ofCivilizations (AOC) was founded in 2005 with 20members from 17 countries, primarily in theMiddle East, North Africa and Europe. Now ithas 130 members from all over the world. Whathas changed and why?At its heart, the mission of the AOC is to buildbridges between people of different cultures to fosterpeaceful co-existence and co-operation via inter-cultural dialogue. The AOC remit has broadenedconsiderably since it was founded. In 2005 we werein the shadow of 9/11 and the Madrid bombings, andinter-cultural dialogue meant building a betterunderstanding specifically between the Muslimworld and the West. Now, while this remains a keyobjective, the AOC has become the United Nations’primary platform for inter-cultural dialogueeverywhere.

In the 10 years since 11th September 2001, theworld has become a smaller place, bringing people ofdifferent races, cultures and religions ever closertogether. Nations and their governments are wakingup to the reality that, as multiculturalism becomes thenorm rather than the exception, we all have tobecome comfortable living with difference. And thatconcerted action has to be taken to help peopleovercome ethnic, religious and cultural divisions,especially where these threaten life, security, socialharmony and – as is the case in so much of thedeveloping world – sustainable development andeconomic growth. So the AOC’s core mission hasn’tchanged. What has changed is that this mission isnow truly global.

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implementation. To remind us of why we’re all here,we will be joined by a delegation of 300 youngpeople from different parts of the world, bringingrelevance, optimism and energy to our discussions.

The AOC has four pillars of action which inter-connect the values of the AOC with the measurablepathway of the MDGs: education, youth, media andmigration. I believe that these four pillars are not justrelevant to inter-cultural dialogue, but also tocreating the political, economic and social changes inthe societies that need them most. For example, poorintegration of migrants creates alienation andresentment, while well-integrated migrantsdemonstrate that diversity brings economic progressand social cohesion.

So I am convinced that strengtheningconnections between the AOC and the MDGs will bea big step forward, one that will put inter-culturaldialogue at the heart of the world’s developmentagenda. As a result, we expect the forum willachieve renewed political and financial thrust, withpractical results and positive outcomes.

If, as you say, the forum aims to put inter-cultural dialogue at the heart of the world’sdevelopment agenda, what attributes doesQatar offer that can actively contribute to thisobjective?The young people currently transforming the Arabworld, along with their peers across the globe, sensethe need for change more than anyone and therebyare best placed to make it happen. So it is entirelyappropriate that an Arab country is hosting theforum this year.

Mahatma Gandhi famously said that we mustbe the change that we want to see in the world andthat is what we are doing in the development ofQatar itself. As a small country, almost everyinitiative we take in realising our National Vision2030, which is essentially about transforming Qatarinto a knowledge economy, involves dialogue and

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Qatar is bringing a new sense of urgency andpragmatism to the Alliance of Civilizationsthrough the 4th AOC Forum this Decemberwhich will be held in Doha. What do you believewould be a good outcome for this forum?The new sense of urgency and pragmatism has beenbrought about by the tumultuous changes the worldis experiencing currently, such as the global financialcrisis and the political transformations in the Arabworld. It has also been brought about in anticipationof the tumultuous changes to come, as the worldgrapples with the demographic and environmentalchallenges of feeding its growing population, whichas we know passed the seven billion mark inOctober. We have a choice in how we face thesechallenges. We can allow ethnic, religious andcultural divisions to become the fault lines ofdisintegration and conflict. Or by overcoming thesedivisions, we can create a basis for co-operation totackle the challenges together.

Another reason for urgency and pragmatism isthat time is running out for the United Nations todeliver the promise of its Millennium Declaration. Itsobjective is to bring about a peaceful, prosperous andjust world for everyone, with a specific duty to includethe most vulnerable - especially children - to whomthe future belongs. The Declaration was distilled intoeight specific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)to be achieved by 2015. With only three years to go,now is the time for action, not words. And we mustnot make the current financial crisis an excuse forfailure.

The AOC’s emphasis on diversity, co-existence,respect for human rights and sustainabledevelopment means it is fully aligned with the coreprinciples of the Millennium Declaration. After all,they both come from the UN. My personal belief isthat the AOC can exert the ‘soft’ power of inter-cultural dialogue and reconciliation to help achievethe MDGs through joined-up thinking and joined-upaction. By the same token, I believe that progresstowards the goals of the AOC is progress towards theMDGs. This is why I am asking this year’s forum toidentify and build on synergies between these twoUN initiatives.

It has long been evident to me that theachievement of MDG 2, universal primary education,is a cornerstone or point of leverage for achieving alleight MDGs. If you educate people, they can stand ontheir own two feet. This is why so much of my workis focused on education, especially where it is underthreat, such as in conflict zones. So I am particularlykeen to develop synergies between the AOC and theachievement of MDG 2.

The Doha Forum brings together governmentbodies, the private sector and civil societyorganisations to forge new partnerships, come upwith new ideas and make new plans for swift

“Qatar has the opportunityto continuously try andprovide a variety of forumsfor dialogue and thus createan atmosphere of culturalexchange which willultimately pave the way forpolitical reconciliation, too.”

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young people from all over the world arrived here inDoha to stage a young person’s version of the UnitedNations. Playing the role of UN diplomats, theydebated resolutions on the key issues facing theworld. What made it so special – and so relevant tothis development of cross-cultural dialogue - is thateach young person had to represent a differentcountry than his or her own – and often one withwhich their own country was in a state of actualconflict or tension.

With regard to Qatar’s specific contribution tothe AOC programme this year, we are planning tolaunch a yearly Cultural and Youth Festival in Dohato celebrate diversity and we are setting up a worldobservatory of inter-cultural policies relating to thefour pillars (education, youth, media and migration).There will also be other initiatives arising from thework of the forum.

You are a great champion of education not only inyour country but universally; even moreimportantly you have recognised that educatedyoung people need jobs - thus setting upinitiatives like Silatech. Do you believe suchprogrammes will be fundamental to stem the“brain drain” in the Middle East and North Africaand thus help the region fulfil its humanpotential?Silatech, which was launched at the Madrid AOCForum in 2008, was indeed a recognition that weurgently need to tackle the challenge ofunemployment in the Arab world. According toInternational Labour Organisation figures, theregion has the highest unemployment rate in theworld, averaging 10%. Among the under-25s, thisrises to 40%. Events since 2008 across the Arabworld have confirmed that social discontent broughton largely by unemployment was one of the triggersof the upheavals across the region. The challengethat confronts us is daunting: we need to create upto 80 million jobs over the next decade. I believe thefirst step is view our young people not as part of theproblem but as part of the solution.

With this mind-set, everything becomespossible.The partnerships between the public,private and civil society sectors I mentioned earlierare critical, since to create jobs, we need to create anentrepreneurial culture, supported by appropriateinfrastructures to nurture it. We also need to bemuch cleverer about ensuring that our young peopleare receiving an education which prepares them forthe job market. Here the private sector has a majorrole to play as ultimate beneficiaries. Since 2008Silatech has been endeavouring to build local,regional and global partnerships to achieve thisentrepreneurial culture and shape education insupport.

But there is another point that I need to makewhich is more fundamental than the ‘brain drain’issue and that is the large number of children whoare unable to obtain an education because it is toodangerous. Of the 70 million or so children who areout of school, more than half are in conflict zones.The attacks on schools and teachers that are carriedout with impunity to international law must bestopped. As UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic andHigher Education I have and will continue tocampaign to ensure that schools and places ofeducation are protected together with teachers andstudents, and that in times of war and conflict,education is seen as a humanitarian necessity andnot a luxury.

partnerships with people outside Qatar. We activelyand happily engage with people of differentnationalities, races and religions. Qatar is becomingknown in the world as a place that thrives ondiversity in almost every field: culture, education, thearts, economy and enterprise, healthcare, sport andso on. The Qatar way is to find the best the world hasto offer and to bring it to our region, while findingthe best our region has to offer and taking it to theworld. Al Jazeera, Education City, Mathaf: The ArabMuseum of Modern Art and Qatar Philharmonic arejust four examples of hundreds of such initiatives.

A small example - but one which embodies somuch of what we are trying to achieve with ouryouth in terms of early development of cross-culturaldialogue, leadership and critical thinking skills – isthat of an event held by Qatar Foundation inassociation with THIMUN (The Hague InternationalModel United Nations) in November. Over 1,000

As young, modern rulers you and His Highnessthe Emir have opened the doors of Qatar tocontemporary art, cutting edge technology andmedia, and embraced many cultures in your ownsoil. How have you tempered that openness withthe preservation of your own heritage?Culture is not just what you do, but who you are. It isas much an expression of identity as it is of art. I donot believe that openness and preservation arenecessarily in conflict. The key is to instil in ouryoung people a strong sense of self-confidence inwho they are, by allowing them to take pride in theirheritage and culture. And, of course, take pride intheir language, as Arabic is the key to both ourculture and religion. Once again education is theessential element. An educated person is able toappreciate and enjoy other cultures while alwaysbeing centred on his or her own. Qatar is an Arab andMuslim country and is proud of its identity andculture, which form the links between our past andour future. It is this pride and confidence whichallows our young people to participate in globalcultural activities while preserving their rich andunique heritage.

But let me add another point here. When wespeak about culture we need to be precise. On theone hand we should be aware of the need to createwhat I may call a ‘culture of culture’ and here Qatar –and I must mention Katara – is creating theappropriate atmosphere through the manymuseums, musical events, literary and artisticopportunities which flourish here. But on the otherhand there is another type of culture of which we areequally aware and that is the culture that is relevantto the local Qatari. I mentioned before that culture isnot just what you do but who you are. In this sensethe local cultures of Qatar, the traditions that makeQatar what it is and not something else, need to bepreserved and nourished. By preserved I do not meanin a quaint folkloric way but in an applicable andrelevant manner which can strengthen and givedepth to Qataris and affirm their sense of identityand confidence.

“Qatar has the opportunity to continuously tryand provide a variety of forums for dialogue andthus create an atmosphere of cultural exchangewhich will ultimately pave the way for politicalreconciliation, too.”