ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Family Development Foundation (FDF) launched the first edition of the ‘Little Inspirers Forum’ recently, and it will continue until September 14, with the participation of over 50 children.
The key objective of this forum is to attain a comprehensive vision of meeting the needs of women and children, ensuring the sustainable development of families, and highlighting the significant role of families in promoting social development. Furthermore, it seeks to ensure a competitive society driven by science and knowledge and values the capabilities of children as the fuel for a prosperous future.
The forum, organised under the theme ‘Young Ages, Big Dreams,’ is aligned with FDF’s efforts to support and empower children and youth with vital social skills and foster their active participation in society.
The first day of the forum was held in the presence of H.E. Abdulrahman Al Balushi, Director of the Department of Strategic Planning and Institutional Development at FDF; Wafa Al Ali, Acting Director of the Family Development Department at FDF; and several directors from the Foundation’s centres. Additionally, representatives of FDF’s strategic partners, the Foundation's staff, school students, and family members attended the forum.
During the inaugural day, H.E. Mariam Al Rumaithi, Director General of FDF, reaffirmed that the ‘Little Inspirers Forum’ stands as a testament to the wise leadership and commitment of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, ‘Mother of the Nation,’ Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Supreme Chairwoman of FDF, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, to families in general and children in particular.
H.E Al Rumaithi, said: “The forum aims to enhance children's skills in expressing themselves positively and constructively and to position children as key contributors to the development of their communities. It also focuses on nurturing children's creative and innovative skills in using artificial intelligence (AI) to express their ideas.”
Furthermore, H.E. Al Rumaithi shed light on the importance of developing children's talents and skills to efficiently leverage technology, digital spaces, social media sites, events, meetings, and social initiatives to convey innovative messages in a creative and smart manner.
H.E. Al Rumaithi added: “Aligning with our belief in the significant role of developing an individual’s personality, psychology, and thought during childhood, as well as preparing them to play key roles in shaping the future and stabilising society, we aim to ensure the active engagement of children in our events, initiatives, and services. Through these efforts, we seek to include them in the sustainable development of society while emphasising key teaching strategies and competencies that build children’s positive traits and foster their social and creative abilities. The forum also focuses on assessing children’s abilities and talents, further motivating them to pursue and develop them to benefit themselves, their families, communities, and homes.”
She also appreciated the support from all the entities involved in the forum. Additionally, she expressed her gratitude to the families that supported their children and ensured their active participation in the forum, contributing to its success and achieving its objectives of fostering a supportive social environment for children and their families.
Wafa Al Ali said: “The Little Inspirers Forum focuses on young people aged between 10 and 18 years who possess distinctive talents and skills that have helped shape their personalities and diverse abilities in a range of fields, such as innovation, talent, sustainability, social intelligence, reading, and writing, as well as presentation, speech, and media skills through theatrical activities managed by our ‘Future Media Personality’ initiative members.”
The Family Development Foundation, through the Zayed Humanitarian Library, aims to foster the systematic development of families and empower its members to ensure family cohesion and spend quality time together. Meanwhile, the forum helps young people express themselves while discovering and demonstrating their abilities, which are vital in shaping their personalities. It also provides an opportunity to highlight the role of children in sustainable development by showcasing their achievements across a range of fields through discussions and interactive exercises that offer them inspiring opportunities and boost their self-esteem.
The forum aims to attract talented individuals from the UAE from diverse fields such as literature, media, art, science, and technology and provide them with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to share their experiences and ideas while advancing creative and innovative skills.