Jordan Times
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Arab Children Congress
to open today
By Sara Asad and Tala Al-Husry
AMMAN — It is a milestone year for the Noor Al
Hussein Foundation's Performing Arts Centre, as it celebrates the 25th year of
convening the Arab Children Congress (ACC).
On the playbill starting with today's opening ceremony at Al Hussein Sports City
are names such as Amr Musa, secretary general of the Arab League, pop singer
Ricky Martin who is the director of the Ricky Martin Foundation, as well as
Tunisian singer Latifa Al Tunisia.
These newsmakers and celebrities will all gather to spend a week with the ACC's
participating children, ages 14 to 16, for inspirational dialogue, workshops and
other activities, to emphasise the importance of allowing children to unleash
their creativity.
According to Abla Al Shaar, a 1991 ACC participant, this creative focus
demonstrates that the “ACC doesn't underestimate students, but rather allows
them to achieve as much as adults do.”
The ACC, which has expanded in size through the years, is key in sparking
self-confidence in the children, according to Ali Malkawi, a participant of the
first Arab Children Congress in 1980. Malkawi is a 1989 graduate of the Jordan
University for Science and Technology. He continued his education in the US and
obtained a masters and Ph.D. in architecture. Today he is an associate professor
of environmental technology and computation at the University of Pennsylvania.
The ACC programme, which includes visits to historic sites around Jordan, will
mainly include activities in the performing arts department, such as dance,
music, and acting workshops and classes.
Dina Dajani, one of the organisers said, “We are aiming to teach and foster ties
through art.”
The aim of the conference includes instilling pride in the children of Arab
heritage, as well as understanding the differences between different Arab
countries. With last year's introduction of non-Arab countries to the programme,
the ACC is also seeking to introduce these children to the facets that make up
Arab heritage, and to advocate cross-cultural understanding.
When asked what she considered the greatest achievement of the conference,
director of both the ACC and the NHF Performing Arts Centre Lina Al Tal,
recalled Maryam Alawi, a participant from the rural and underprivileged area of
Mafraq. Alwai, Tal said, was inspired and motivated by the theatrical aspect of
the ACC. She wrote a play and used personal expenses to bring her performers to
Amman. She later studied drama in Syria, and will be graduating next year.
The ACC continues throughout the week and will feature a musical performance by
the Jordan Armed Forces Orchestra, dressage of horses by the Public Security
Cavalry and songs performed by Rose Al Werr and Bashar Ghazzawi on Wednesday
evening.