During the month of April, visitors to Qatar National Library will be able to engage in activities that highlight topics relating to human rights around the world. The full schedule of events will provide many opportunities for community members to learn about international humanitarian and human rights laws, and the refugee crisis.
On 4 April, a lecture, “It Is My Right,” will highlight the rights of young adults. Also, in a lecture to be held on 10 April, Jawad Nachet, a scholar in pedagogy and psychology, will explore the meaning of solidarity and coexistence from a human rights perspective, and provide participants with advice on how to live peacefully.
In the lecture, “International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law”, taking place on April 6, Dr. Sama AlShawi, from the National Commission on International Humanitarian Law at Qatar’s Ministry of Justice, will discuss existing humanitarian laws and their applications.
On 22 April, His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al-Meraikhi, the UN Secretary General's Humanitarian Envoy, will discuss the regional and international dimensions, and the consequences of the refugee crisis in the Arab world. At the lecture, “Refugee Crisis in the Arab World: Dimensions, Implications, and Solutions,” he will explore the possibility of turning the crisis into a positive opportunity for the region.
“The subject of human rights is of great interest and importance to everyone, and for this reason we have chosen this as the dedicated theme this month. Our events throughout April will provide everyone with a chance to learn more about the different facets of human rights” said Najlaa Alshahwani, Senior Information Services Librarian of Humanities at the Library. “The activities are complemented by the Library’s collection including books and online publications about human rights and the refugee crisis, and we encourage everyone to visit us, register as a member, and benefit from these resources.”
At the April meeting of the Library’s Readers and Opinions group, visitors will have the chance to discuss the book, My Name is Faraj: Love and Slavery in the Gulf, by Mohammed Ali Abdullah. The book tells the story of Faraj, a young boy abducted from his home in Zanzibar and forced into slavery as a pearl diver, who later uses his talents to seek freedom.
A packed schedule of other events marking World Book Day, including lectures and a book discussion, will also be hosted by the Library this month. For example, on 23 April, visitors will be encouraged to engage in a fun exploration of the Library’s children books, and pick their favorite titles.
Palestinian historian, Suhad Kulaibo, author of several books about Jerusalem, will take visitors on a journey through the history of the ancient city in a lecture on 1 April at the Library’s Special Events Area. Also to mark World Book Day, the Library, in cooperation with the Qatar Literacy Initiative, will host a lecture, “Textual Threshold Discourse in Qatari Novels,” where participants will be able to discuss the concept of text thresholds in novels − considered to be one of the most important critical research tools in literature.
On 23 April, reading fans can join a book discussion at the Library, “World Book Day: Blind Date with a Book is Just around the Corner,” will give participants the chance to blindly select a book and read, together with other participants.
Visitors to the Library can attend the fifth meeting of the English Fiction Book Club on 24 April, where the epic novel, Moloka’i, by Alan Brennert, will be discussed.
The monthly Science Book Forum will hold its monthly session on 28 April. The lecture, “How We Capture and Create Solar Energy?,” will explore the creation and usage of renewable energy.
Other events at the Library include: “Introduction to 3D Modeling”; a workshop on helping autistic children, entitled “Amazingly Different”; a lecture entitled, “A read into the Law of Protection of Arabic Language”; “Portable Library and Storytelling at Qatar University Reading Week”; and “Philharmonic at the Library: String Quartets of Haydn and Mendelssohn.”
