From Middle East Times
SHUNEH, Jordan -- United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Saturday announced the creation of a $10 billion fund to promote education in Arab countries, at a World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan.
"I have decided to establish the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to focus on human development, and I have pledged an endowment of $10 billion to finance its projects," he told participants of the gathering on the shores of the Dead Sea.
"[This] personal initiative aims at contributing to the development of a knowledge-based society, by supporting and empowering young minds and focusing on research, education, and investment in the infrastructure of knowledge," said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also ruler of the booming emirate of Dubai.
The foundation will launch a fund for research and set up research centers in the region, and in 2008 will begin providing scholarships to send students to world-reputed universities and institutes.
"There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and in Asia. Our only choice is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, because our age is defined by knowledge," he added.
Jordan's King Abdullah II opened the three-day forum Friday with an appeal to politicians and business leaders to help end Middle East violence and prepare for the "day after peace" in the region, where more than half the population is young.
Of the 325 million people living in the Arab world, more than 200 million are under 24, the king said.
"These young men and women deserve to be part of a prospering region that is playing its rightful role on the world stage," the king added.
More than 1,000 participants from 50 countries are attending the annual forum which aims to advance economic diversification and promote peace in the troubled Middle East.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
UAE announces $10bn education fund
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11 comments:
If it's the type of education they used to promote at the Shiekh Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow Up, it will be $10 billion down the drain.
So good luck with that.
On the one hand, I want to applaud and say "Good for you for wanting to modernize."
But my inner cynic wonders if the "day after peace" is the day after all the non-Muslims have been exterminated, and he's just realizing they need somebody who knows how to work stuff.
Anyway, I'll hope for the best. Modernity to Islam!
I was wondering how long it would take roy or some other zionut to find something hateful to say, even about the establishment of an education fund...
I must say, I am normally critical to your biased posts, but Dubai is an awesome city, a beautiful place to vist, and is western friendly. As long as there are no non-elective religion courses or terror plotting classes, this is fantastic. The mid-east population needs to be brought up to speed because they have been oppressed by religion and their own leaders for so long. His Highness also had more to say:
http://www.ameinfo.com/120610.html
In his speech, His Highness acknowledged the need to bridge the knowledge gap between the region and the developed world.
His Highness said 'the illiteracy that is still rampant in the region's communities limits the region's growth and advancement. He said that the most alarming indicators are the 18% illiteracy in the under-15 age group and the 43% illiteracy amongst females in the region.
His Highness also said that if the goal of creating a knowledge-based society is to be achieved, the levels of knowledge creation need to be increased in the Arab world. According to human development reports, literary and intellectual books published in the Arab world represent only 0.08% of the world's output, less than those published in Turkey alone. For every 100,000 books published in North America there are 42,000 published in South America and only 6,500 books published in the Arab world.
In terms of spending on scientific research, His Highness said, the Arab world spends only 0.02% of its GDP while the developed countries spend between 2.5% and 5%. In the Arab world, for every 10,000 people in the workforce we have 3.3 academic scholars, while the developed world has 110 for every 10,000.
His Highness said that unemployment in the region is 14% and that 15 million jobs are needed right now in the Arab world and 74 million to 85 million new jobs will be needed over the next 20 years. His Highness said that the business environment in the Arab world would need to be improved if these jobs were to be created but there are challenges that will need to be overcome. 'On average, Arab countries ranked 107 out of 175 in terms of the amount of red tape involved in setting up a business and this situation cannot be allowed to continue,' His Highness said.
His Highness stressed that the Foundation will undertake concrete initiatives to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the region, thus creating significant new employment opportunities and provide hope for the region's youth.
His Highness said that 'We have a population where half its members are under the age of 20, and it is our responsibility to develop this human capital to the best of our ability. We have the vision and the will to set the stage for the benefit of future generations through the development of this Foundation, which will provide the prerequisites for moving our region forward.'
Well-known role models will also support the initiative, helping to build and sustain positive momentum for development of the Foundation.
The Foundation will be based in the United Arab Emirates and will commence program implementation later this year.
Hateful?
I'm not the one who chants "Death to..."
Hamas' bid for peace was successful. Congratulations to Hamas for their peace gambit: attacking Israeli civilians to draw them into Gaza has given the Palestinians someone outside themselves to turn their murderous hatred on.
I mean righteous hatred. The kind of hatred that Fayyad endorses.
Good hatred:
Other recent cease-fires between the factions have been short-lived but Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said he expected this one to stick because of Israel's military action.
"No one would accept to fight one another while the Israelis are shelling Gaza," he said.
"No one would accept to fight one another while the Israelis are shelling Gaza"
No one accept the ones who will start back up again next week.
There's "revenge" to be had.
guess where Islamic fascist militants hide out in Lebanon? Palestinian refugee camps, of course: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/world/middleeast/20cnd-lebanon.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
I know, we need to shut these camps down and let these people finally go home...
America.
The United States. The USA. The States. The West.
The BEST place to be.
No war, no bombs. The right to believe in Allah. The right to believe in God. The right to be atheist. The right to be Satanist. The right to be free in thought.
This is the simple reason that religion, or religious ideologies will NEVER, EVER, NEVER rule the USA. We will kill you if you even attmpt to take these simple freedoms away from us.
Keep in mind, drunk killers (even accidental) get life. Terrorists get life in living hell USA. You can eat when you want. You can drink when you want. You can have sex with consenting adult women ( violators go to jail 7 years)
You are protected if you exercise your rights, you need to be educated or it doesn't work. If people don't understand because they are lied to or don't understand our language, they can learn. Education is the key. Teach people the truth and make sure they understan both sides of a disagreement. Just because Israelis block Palestinian participation doesn't mean they HATE them. Just because Palestinians act like they hate Jews doesn't mean they do. THEY MUST! This hate is not developed eventual hate. This is hate that is taught by parents and Media. I can't speak for the schools. Hate is useless for large campaigns. It may be resonable and effective in personal affairs of exclusion, it does not work for countries in 2007. (14??)
Wake up, learn languages, read, ponder, and understand. Ponder. See facts.
Don't be emotional, be thoghtful.
Peace and Love.
Ruby Tuesday (Stones)
She would never say where she came from
Yesterday dont matter if its gone
While the sun is bright
Or in the darkest night
No one knows
She comes and goes
Goodbye, ruby tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still Im gonna miss you...
Dont question why she needs to be so free
Shell tell you its the only way to be
She just cant be chained
To a life where nothings gained
And nothings lost
At such a cost
Theres no time to lose, I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams
And you will lose your mind.
Aint life unkind?
Goodbye, ruby tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still Im gonna miss you...
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