They might come at the end of the alphabet, but this year’s Muscat Youth Summit participants will soon be tackling some of the most complex problems our world has ever faced. That is Generation Z, born from 1995 onwards, young people that have never known life without computers, mobile phones or the Internet and this year, road safety sits on the agenda as a key global issue facing young people.
“This is a generation that will be more educated, more socially aware and more technically savvy than any previous generation. And as we’re discovering through our recently launched Youth Survey the lives of 15 – 24 year-olds are being shaped by technology and social networks,” says HH Sayyid Faisal Al Said, COO, Brand Oman Management Unit (BOMU) and organizer of the annual Muscat Youth Summit (MYS).
Scheduled to be held at the Millennium Resort in Al Musannah, 4 – 7 December this year’s Muscat Youth Summit (MYS) has attracted participants from across Oman and over 25 countries.
“MYS provides 15 – 24 year-olds with an extraordinary opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs, artists, broadcasters, architects, academics, journalists, photographers, social media specialists and leading business people. It’s an outstanding learning and networking event,” said HH Sayyid Faisal.
The four-day residential Summit will host 240 students, 26 presenters and run 18 workshops on social entrepreneurship, urban development, social media, art and culture. It is supported by the Diwan of the Royal Court – the Sultan Qaboos Centre for Islamic Culture; Oman’s Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The 2011 Summit has also drawn significant support from Oman’s business community including: Sohar Aluminum; OMIFCO; Nawras; Khimji Ramdas; Oman Air; Bank Muscat; Omantel; Zubair Corporation; Oman LNG; Qalhat LNG; Omran; Al Wisal FM; Merge 104.8; City Cinema; Times of Oman; Oman; and the Millennium Resort Musannah.
“Without this outstanding support MYS wouldn’t be the success it is. We’re deeply grateful to everyone that’s backing the initiative. Indeed, our supporters clearly recognize the Summit’s value in helping empower young people to shape the society they live in by being active citizens and making a positive contribution,” said BOMU’s Maymuna Al Adawi.
This year’s Summit is placing a stronger emphasis on art, culture and media. “Getting youth involved with arts, culture and media is a win-win scenario,” says His Highness Sayyid Faisal. Adding, “Young people benefit from self-expression and confidence-building, community connections and career skills development. Artists, cultural and media organizations benefit from youth perspectives, talent and energy.”
Social entrepreneurship is also on the four-day agenda and presenters from the Commonwealth Secretariat; The Young Foundation; Maslaha; Sharakah; Knowledge Horizon; and Injaz will be looking at the power social entrepreneurship gives young people over the way things are produced and services delivered.
“MYS sees youth as a national resource, key partners in the development process. Their active participation in solving problems could have a profound impact on our social and economic progress. On the one hand, many young people are already engaged in community activities, have a high level of commitment and are well connected through technology. But given the right skills, mentoring, recognition and support they could become successful social entrepreneurs. Their engagement and collective action could have a really positive impact,” says Al Adawi
Abdullah Al Jufaili, General Manager, Sharakah and a two-time MYS presenter said, “Entrepreneurship is at the heart of Oman’s economy. Helping young people get to grips with what it means to be a social entrepreneur is vital and will help enormously in taking the sultanate’s ambitions forward. The Summit is a wonderful initiative which I’m delighted to support and proud to be part of.”
According to Al Adawi there is a strong urban theme running through the entire Summit. “Given that half the world’s population now lives in cities it’s a topic we want to explore. In fact, there’s been an explosion of interest in cities,” says the MYS Program Co-ordinator.
Led by experts from London’s global award winning architects, Aedas; built environment experts Hilson Moran; BBC Radio; GUTech; Oman’s Ministry of Housing; and 23° North – Summit participants will analyze and discuss what makes cities more equitable, efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly.
HH Sayyid Faisal suggests there is a powerful and compelling argument that the ability of Oman to compete globally and meet the challenges of the twenty-first century rest largely on the health, vitality and prosperity of the sultanate’s cities and the contribution young people make to their communities.
“Just like other countries, we’re experiencing shifts that are rewriting the rules of how Oman creates jobs, trains people, builds wealth, attracts talent and investment and conserves its natural resources. What’s so exciting about the Summit is that through workshops on social entrepreneurship, architecture, urban development, social media, photography, print and radio journalism, graffiti art and design we’re encouraging young people to explore and be a part of their communities. In fact, a growing number of cities around the globe are involving youth in planning processes as local officials discover the capacity of young people to participate and the value of their insight,” HH Sayyid Faisal added.
Road Safety at the Muscat Youth Summit
This year, YOURS will attend the summit in Oman to facilitate a day long workshop for young people, which will enable them to grasp the international significance of road safety. Earlier this year, Muscat was the location for the First Regional Youth Assembly for the Middle Eastern Region illustrating that Omani youth are stepping up initiatives for road safety with increasingly fervent national buy in.
At the summit, YOURS’ workshop will focus on key road safety information as well as offering hands on exploration of running road safety campaigns and projects.