19,100 Youths In UAE Responded To Ministry Of State For Federal National Council Affairs Initiatives

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 03rd Jul, 2021) The initiatives launched by the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA) drew an impressive turnout of youth with more than 19,100 young Emiratis from around the country taking part.

The MFNCA is working on several initiatives specifically directed at young people and designed to enhance their political awareness and create effective channels of communication to listen to their ideas and use that insight to develop and improve parliamentary procedures in the country. One example of these initiatives is the Political Awareness Forum for University Students, which the ministry has been organising in collaboration with United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) every year since 2012.

The ministry’s initiatives and plans will also provide the youth with interactive content through its website and social media, in addition to organising a series of Youth Circles – held in collaboration with the Federal Youth Authority, to mould a generation that is knowledgeable and capable in the parliamentary sector. Young people are also periodically invited to attend sessions of the Federal National Council (FNC), as well as seminars, lectures, and virtual panel discussions that introduce them to parliamentary activity.

Tariq Hilal Lootah, the MFNCA Under-Secretary, said, "The youth is at the heart of our wise leadership’s vision for the next 50 years and we count on them to shape a bright future. And with that vision in mind, the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs is committed to playing its part in strengthening political awareness among Emirati youths, developing their personality, and empowering them to be role models and contribute to progress and prosperity of their country."

"We are pleased with the enthusiasm young people show for the ministry’s initiatives, which ultimately enhance direct communication with the youth and the larger community," Lootah noted. "We want to listen to their views and engage them in the political development process the country is going through, which adheres to the gradual approach outlined in the Political Empowerment Programme, launched in 2005 by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to mark the 34th anniversary of the establishment of the UAE.

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More than 7,800 young men and women from all around the country took part in the Youth Circles organised by the ministry to explore topics, such as integration between the government and the FNC, political development, youth and the FNC, and the FNC elections. The sessions featured high-profile officials, including Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President; Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth; Dr. Saeed Mohammed Al Ghufli, MFNCA’s Assistant Under-Secretary for FNC Affairs, and Lootah.

Furthermore, young people from major academic institutions in the UAE joined the Political Awareness Forum for University Students. These include the Higher Colleges of Technology, Ajman University, University of Sharjah, Rabdan Academy, Abu Dhabi Police College, Dubai Police Academy, and the Police Science academy in Sharjah, in addition to the UAEU. The Forum has hosted nine sessions with the most recent one being held virtually, to enhance political awareness among the students.

The MFNCA signed partnership agreements with international academic institutions and the General Women’s Union, among other institutions, and is committed to collaborating with federal and local government entities.

In 2020, the ministry announced the formation of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs Youth Council, in collaboration with the Federal Youth Authority, to create a nurturing environment for creative youths and develop initiatives that meet aspirations and enhance political awareness, empowering them to serve the community and play a part in the UAE’s progress and prosperity.