Forty young men and women from 20 youth councils across the Emirates participated in the “Youth Debates” event recently held at the Sharjah Academy for Education. The forum featured meaningful discussions and rich dialogues where participants presented youthful perspectives on sustainability, identity, innovation, and the future of the nation, reflecting the councils’ commitment to empowering youth and involving them in policy-making and opinion shaping, affirming that the youth voice is a cornerstone in the sustainable development journey.

The debates covered strategic topics aligned with the country’s directions, such as artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and the economy, through three consecutive rounds, enhancing intellectual competitiveness and allowing participants to present in-depth visions reflecting the aspirations of the next generation before a judging panel of experts and academics.

The event witnessed competition among eight youth teams named after inspirations from Emirati identity and culture, adding a distinctive national character and strengthening belonging to the country’s values and traditions.

Dr. Mariam Sultan bin Hadda, Chairwoman of the Sharjah Youth Council, told “Emarat Al Youm” that this initiative coincides with the “International Youth Day,” observed annually on August 12, and primarily aims to enhance communication, dialogue, public speaking, delivery, and argument-building skills among youth.

Nasser Khalid Al Harmozi, Secretary-General of the Ajman Youth Council, noted the strong youth turnout, with over 100 young men and women expressing their desire to experience debates. He added that participants were selected based on the councils they represent and their previous experience in this field.

Issa Al Manaei, an artificial intelligence researcher at Trends Research Center and a member of the debate judging panel, pointed out that the debates created a rich environment to empower youth from various sectors, gathering participants from different regions of the country, which contributed to enriching discussions, exchanging viewpoints and specialized knowledge, alongside developing negotiation skills considered important future skills needed by youth.

Media personality, writer, and human development trainer Dr. Amani Al Matrooshi, also a member of the judging panel, praised the quality of ideas and arguments presented by the youth teams, reflecting their awareness and interest in the discussed issues.

Adhari Al Sarkal, a member of the Sharjah Youth Council, confirmed that the experience is unique and provides a real opportunity for youth to gain experience in debates, qualifying them to undertake similar experiences at the Arab and international levels. She pointed out that the presence of a specialized judging panel enhanced the knowledge value of the experience and contributed to expanding participants’ understanding of debate management mechanisms from both supporters and opponents of the raised issues.

Shamma Al Rahoumi, a member of the Dubai Youth Council, said that youth debates reflect that the thinking of Emirati youth is the compass that shapes the future of the nation.

Engineer Mani Al Naqbi, Chairman of the Hamriyah Municipality Youth Council, said: “As part of our participation in the youth debates event, we discussed essential topics that keep pace with current developments, confirming the importance of supporting youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to the innovation and future development journey.”

Noura Al Naqbi, a member of the Sharjah Private Education Authority Youth Council, confirmed that attending the debates was a rich experience as the supporting and opposing teams engaged in constructive discussions characterized by diverse and differing ideas but directed towards a common and clear goal. She added: “The initiative supports the country’s direction in supporting youth issues and constitutes an actual platform to qualify them for leadership positions.”