Tag: UNITY

Categories
-Top News Arab News UAE News

Gulf Media To Cement Unity

Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office (NMO) and Chairman of the UAE Media Council,  highlights urgency of consolidating Gulf media unity and integration…reports Asian Lite News

Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office (NMO) and Chairman of the UAE Media Council, participated in the 27th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Information Ministers Meeting in Doha.

The meeting included the participation of GCC information ministers and was attended by GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.

Sheikh Abdullah Al Hamed, while leading the UAE delegation, emphasised the urgency of consolidating Gulf media unity and integration amidst regional and global challenges. He was accompanied by Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, Secretary-General of the UAE Media Council, and Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Director-General of the NMO.

He stated, “There is an urgent need to unify the Gulf media discourse and coordinate among various media outlets, guided by necessary professionalism, agreed-upon principles, and a shared code of honour.”

He added, “We believe in our ability to provide a roadmap for a modern, enlightened Gulf media that confidently faces all challenges, comprehends the rapid changes in the world, keeps pace with the comprehensive and sustainable development achieved by the GCC countries, expresses this honestly and professionally, and conveys a realistic picture of the GCC countries’ achievements to the world.”

Sheikh Abdullah Al Hamed stressed the importance of developing joint Gulf media strategies that keep pace with rapid media developments and contribute to strengthening the position of the GCC countries on the international scene, calling for building an integrated and advanced media system.

He stated that confronting the challenges surrounding the media sector in the GCC countries requires a clear Gulf vision, joint coordination, and a multi-stage strategy.

He called for continuing to build on the progress made in developing an awareness strategy for managing electronic communication networks, with the aim of maximising their benefits while minimising risks to new generations and the traditional Gulf value system. Additionally, he emphasised the importance of fostering constructive and innovative interaction between the media and artificial intelligence.

During the meeting, the UAE delegation presented several proposals for joint work. One key proposal was to establish a unified information database for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This database would facilitate the flow and exchange of information and media content between member states, serving as a central repository for sharing media data and visual and audio materials in an immediate and reliable manner. This initiative aims to enhance media transparency and help unify media messages across different countries.

The UAE delegation also proposed conducting a comprehensive study on the future of artificial intelligence and its increasing impact on the media sector. This study aims to anticipate future trends and identify the opportunities and challenges facing this vital sector.

The meeting deliberated on various agenda items, with a focus on enhancing joint cooperation in the field of electronic media. Key discussions included establishing regulatory controls for commercial advertising mechanisms across social media sites and platforms, initiating the “Child Digital Safety” in the GCC countries, and formulating a collaborative awareness plan to safeguard morals, foster socialisation, and promote Gulf values and identity.

The GCC Ministers of Information also discussed the recommendations put forth by various media committees that convened recently under the auspices of the GCC. These recommendations encompass initiatives aligned with implementing the directives of the wise leadership of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

They reviewed the enhancement of joint cooperation in the realms of radio, television, and news agencies, as well as strategies for developing Gulf media. Additionally, they discussed coordinating media efforts to bolster the positive image of the GCC countries regionally and internationally.

Furthermore, they examined the report of the GCC Joint Programme Production Foundation and the report of the Gulf Radio and Television Corporation.

ALSO READ-Houthis fired ballistic missile over Gulf of Aden: US

Categories
Events Lite Blogs London News

SRMD London Youth Festival celebrates unity, collective community energy

Youth with Mr Dean Russell MP for Watford

The event brought together young minds from various backgrounds, fostering a sense of togetherness and empowering them to be catalysts for positive change.

The much-anticipated SRMD London Youth Festival, the first of its kind in the UK, left a lasting impression on each of the 350 Youth who travelled from all over the UK to attend. Organised by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur UK (SRMD UK), this extraordinary event brought together young minds from various backgrounds, fostering a sense of togetherness and empowering them to be catalysts for positive change.

Cultural Dance to commence the SRMD London Youth Festival

Through an action packed schedule of 25 curated events, across Wisdom, Wellness, Service, Culture and Sport, the SRMD London Youth Festival brought about a transformative experience that ignited creativity, instilled empathy, and motivated the youth to embrace their potential as changemakers. Moreover, the organisers took steps to minimise the environmental impact by decorating the entire venue and creating feature walls using upcycled materials such as wooden crates and milk cartons.

Youth interacting

Embodying the tagline ‘Meet the Real You’, the Festival commenced with a session led by Global Youth Speaker and Head of SRMD Yoga, Atmarpit Shraddhaji on the topic ‘Unmasking Yourself’. The session inspired participants to take a moment to truly reflect on their authentic selves and reminded all present that they do not need to fit in by changing who they are, but instead instilled a sense of belonging by being exactly who they are!

Manthan Taswala, Trustee of SRMD UK and organiser of the SRMD London Youth Festival shared, ‘Drawing from the guidance we have received from Pujya Gurudevshi Rakeshji, the Founder of SRMD and His powerful vision for the youth, our aim was to create a dynamic and safe space where the youth could connect, collaborate, and draw inspiration from one another. Through this Festival and future events, we aspire to nurture a community of compassionate and empathetic leaders who actively contribute to a better world.’

Atmarpit Shraddhaji, Global Youth Speaker and Head of SRMD Yoga, leading a session on _Unmasking Yourself_

A highlight of the Festival was the Changemakers Panel, composed of powerful women who have challenged the status quo. The panel included Philanthropist and Trustee of the Serendipity Foundation, Varsha Sehgal, Assistant Head of Coaching at QPR F.C. Manisha Tailor MBE and Head of ESG Strategy, Wholesale Lending at Barclays, Heeral Shah. The interactive discussion captivated the audience and opened their eyes to the various ways they could contribute to making a change in society, ranging from helping those whose voices are not heard, using sports as a medium to connect, and by encouraging conversations about diversity to empower people from all walks of life.

Changemakers Panel – L to R, Trishal Ghelani (host), Varsha Sehgal, Manisha Tailor MBE, Heeral Shah

To foster the notion of team spirit and promote physical and mental well-being, the Festival included a lively sports tournament consisting of over 40 teams playing football, cricket, badminton and netball. Moreover, the youth were energised and found their zen with a specially curated ‘Techno Yoga’ session and ‘Glowstick Meditation’. Who said Yoga and Mindfulness was boring?

The wet weather also did not dampen the energy of the youth that flowed through the weekend with over 200 participants overcoming their fears and focusing on mind over matter, by walking on fire!

Firewalk

One such participant from Leicester, found out about the Festival through social media and travelled 90 miles each day to attend, ‘I didn’t know anybody prior to the start of the Festival and was greeted with a bunch of warm, friendly, vibrant and welcoming people. It was so refreshing to meet not only like-minded people but also people from different backgrounds. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment and glad I put myself out there now. The events were incredibly well planned with so much thought and organisation that went behind this to make this such a magical experience for us all.’

Mr Dean Russell MP addressing the audience at the SRMD London Youth Festival

Participants were also mesmerised by the exciting ‘ImmerseVerse’ – an immersive collection of unique experiences and stalls including blind drawing and doodling, an affirmation wall, ‘jamming’ corner, board game bazaar, ‘readers’ retreat and opportunity to engage in experience booths such as ‘The Art of Smart Living – Life Hacks to Take Home’, and ‘Flex Your Mental Muscle, Unlock Your Brain’s Potential’.

Power Networking Session at the SRMD London Youth Festival

The two day event culminated with the Social Impact Hackathon, a unique concept to turn challenges into opportunities, opportunities into ideas and ideas into innovation. The Social Impact Hackathon included 45 participants, divided into 8 teams who worked together to create solutions to 3 key challenges the youth face today;

1)      Breaking Down Barriers – improving access to mental health services within the South Asian community.

2)      Opening Doors – bridging the housing accessibility gap for young professionals

3)      Less Waste, More Taste – minimizing food waste and combat the impact of climate change

Sanjay Kumarji – HCI with Mr Dean Russell MP for Watford, Mayur Mehta President of SRMD UK and Ashwin Mehta, Trustee SRMD UK

With a combination of brainstorming, problem-solving and mentor guidance, participants managed to define their challenge, refine their ideas and design a comprehensive solution; all in 36 hours! Of the teams, 3 were selected to pitch their solutions in front of a panel of 6 esteemed judges including Executive Coach and Host of globally renowned podcast ‘A Millenial Mind’, Shivani Pau, highly distinguished Psychiatrist and former Chairman of BAPIO, Professor JS Bamrah CBE, Lead social worker at Kent and Medway Perinatal Mental Health Service, Priti Joshi, self-made Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Founder of Redsky Homes Group, Tejinder Sekhon, Co-founder of RefillAbell!, Sameer Kassam and Chief of Staff at Olio, Rohan Sheth. Sharing her thoughts on the event Shivani Pau shared, ‘I was really blown away, there is a really wonderful energy here and I don’t think I’ve been to an event like this. If this was every year or regular, I am sure loads of people would love to meet like-minded individuals as this provides a space for people, regardless of background, religion, or culture.’

Social Impact Hackathon – Winning Team

The winning team of the Social Impact Hackathon pitched their solution to improving access to mental health services and were invited by Mr Dean Russell, MP for Watford and Co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health, to discuss their idea further at Parliament. Leaving the youth with a motivational message, Mr Russell shared ‘Failures are stumbling blocks to learn from and opportunities to pick yourselves up, look back and understand what can be done differently. If we all look that way, we can make a difference. It is only when we work together and weave ourselves together and when we’re a community, that we can make the impossible happen. Continue planting the seed of your ideas in the ground; water it, nurture it and let it grow and you will make the world a different place.’

Social Impact Hackathon Judges – L to R – Aadit Virani (Host) Priti Joshi, Shivani Pau, Sameer Kassam, Dr JS Bamrah, Tejinder Sekhon _ Rohan Sheth

In today’s interconnected world, cultivating a sense of community and understanding among the youth has become paramount. The SRMD London Youth Festival recognises this imperative and has provided a platform for young individuals to share their unique perspectives, experiences, and talents. By doing so, the Festival has successfully nurtured a generation of empathetic leaders who value diversity can harness positive community energy and spirit.

For more information and how to be a part of future youth events organised by SRMD UK, please visit london.srmd.org.

Social Impact Hackathon Judges with the Social Hackathon Winners for their innovative idea_
SRMD London Youth Festival Football Tournament
Techno Yoga at the SRMD London Youth Festival
The Affirmation Station – Fueling Positivity
Wisdom Masterclasses
Youth at the Meet the Real You upcycled feature wall
Categories
India News Politics

‘Opposition unity’ on menu at Thackeray’s Sunday lunch with KCR

Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda has also expressed support to KCR on his anti-communal agenda and the duo are slated to have a meeting shortly…reports Asian Lite News

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray invited his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrashekar Rao for lunch on Sunday with a power menu comprising national affairs and opposition unity, officials said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Thackeray called up KCR, as Rao is popularly known, and lauded his efforts to rally the country’s regional and Opposition parties and forge a united challenge to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre.

Thackeray is understood to have conveyed to KCR the need to “save the country” from BJP’s divisive political agenda for which the Shiv Sena would extend full support.

KCR is expected to fly down from Hyderabad on Sunday morning and drop in at the CM’s official residence ‘Varsha’ at Malabar Hill for the ‘lunch pe charcha’, an official indicated.

However, ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) other constituents – the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress – told IANS that “as of now, no meetings are scheduled between their leaders and KCR”.

Key states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu or even Delhi – where the BJP has lost elections since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls – are considered critical in its ambitions to ensure maximum leverage for the 2024 Lok Sabha or even the future Rajya Sabha polls.

Since the past few weeks, the Telangana CM has been zipping around the country, meeting top leaders of various national and regional Opposition parties to rally them for a united front against the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Among the leaders he has already met are Tejaswi Yadav, his Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin, and is likely to meet Thackeray and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee – who incidentally had come to meet Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar in December.

Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda has also expressed support to KCR on his anti-communal agenda and the duo are slated to have a meeting shortly.

Most states ruled by Opposition or regional parties have been strongly protesting at the BJP’s continuing “destabilising” efforts or “toppling attempts”.

They have also been accusing the BJP of misusing power and government machinery by letting loose various Central investigating agencies against their top leaders and even family members to make them “bend” or “break”.

Among the parties that are considered the prime targets include Shiv Sena, the NCP, the Trinamool Congress, and certain other parties, too.

A MVA leader said that similar issues had come up during Banerjee’s confabulations with Thackeray and Sharad Pawar last December, and the upcoming discussions with KCR are likely to move these even further.

On Tuesday, Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on the state BJP functionaries, Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies, on how they have been harassing people on flimsy reasons to target the top leaders.

He also charged the Central agencies of going all out against the Opposition leaders, but not displaying the same vigour when BJP leaders are accused of graft charges despite providing evidence repeatedly.

A senior state Congress leader said while the Opposition unity plans are necessary to dare the BJP’s communal and disruptive politics, “no such exercise can be complete or practical without Congress” – a sentiment voiced even by Pawar several times in the past.

ALSO READ-Jailed lawmaker Mukhtar not to contest, hands over baton to son

Categories
-Top News India News World News

PM says unity and centrality of ASEAN an important priority for India

The ASEAN leaders appreciated India’s role as a trusted partner in the region especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic with its supply of vaccines…reports Asian Lite News.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday underlined the centrality of ASEAN in India’s Act East Policy and in India’s vision for the wider Indo-Pacific vision. He said this while participating in the 18th India-ASEAN Summit at the invitation of King of Brunei, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Chair of ASEAN.

“The unity and centrality of ASEAN has always been an important priority for India. This special role of ASEAN, India’s Act East Policy which is contained in our Security and Growth for All in the Region i.e. “SAGAR” policy. India’s Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative and ASEAN’s outlook for the Indo-Pacific–are the framework for our shared vision and mutual cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Modi also maintained that history is witness that India and ASEAN have had vibrant relations for thousands of years. “This is also reflected in our shared values, traditions, languages, texts, architecture, culture and cuisine,” the Prime Minister said.

He also said that the year 2022 will mark the completion of 30 years of India-ASEAN partnership and India will also complete seventy-five years of its independence.

“I am very happy that we will celebrate this important milestone as the ‘Year of ASEAN-India Friendship’. India is committed to further strengthen ties under the forthcoming Presidency of Cambodia and our Country Coordinator, Singapore,” the Prime Minister said.

The Summit was held virtually and saw participation from the Leaders of ASEAN member states.

Building upon the synergies between the ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), Prime Minister Modi and ASEAN leaders welcomed the adoption of the India-ASEAN Joint Statement on cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

On COVID-19, Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic in the region and also reiterated support for ASEAN’s initiatives in this regard.

The ASEAN leaders appreciated India’s role as a trusted partner in the region especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic with its supply of vaccines.

India has contributed medical supplies worth USD 200,000 to ASEAN’s humanitarian initiative for Myanmar and USD 1 million for ASEAN’s Covid-19 Response Fund.

The leaders exchanged views on enhancing India-ASEAN connectivity in broadest terms including physical, digital and people to people.

To further strengthen India-ASEAN cultural connectivity, Prime Minister Modi announced India’s support for establishing the ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.

On trade and investment, he underlined the importance of diversification and resilience of supply chains for post-COVID economic recovery and in this regard, the need to revamp the India-ASEAN FTA.

They also welcomed India’s support to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific and looked forward to greater India-ASEAN cooperation in the region through the joint statement.

The discussions also covered regional and international issues of common interest and concern, including South China Sea and terrorism.

Both sides noted the importance of promoting a rules-based order in the region including through upholding adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS.

The leaders affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea, and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight.

India and ASEAN share a deep, robust and multifaceted relationship and the 18th India-ASEAN Summit provided an opportunity to review the various facets of this relationship and give a direction to the future of the India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership at the highest level.

ALSO READ-NIA begins probe on Jammu AFS drone attack

READ MORE-‘2022 will be India-ASEAN friendship year’