Forum seeks to strengthen cultural identity and promote coexistence

Salalah: The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) is holding its first regional forum on education, culture and science in the Wilayat of Salalah, Governorate of Dhofar.

The 3-day forum is organised by the Ministry of Education, represented by Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Sciences.

The event is taking place at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Compound for Culture and Entertainment, with the participation of experts and specialists from GCC states.

The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr. Ahmed Mohsen Al Ghassani, Chairman of Dhofar Municipality.

Dr. Humaid Saif Al Nofali, ALECSO’s Director of Culture, gave a speech in which he said that the forum embodies the directives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

He added that the forum highlights the organisation’s role in integrating culture and arts into the system of education, deemed a fundamental pillar for developing societies, consolidating identity and promoting the values ​​of understanding and coexistence.

For his part, Badr Suleiman Al Harthy, Assistant Secretary of Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, said in a speech that the forum seeks to strengthen the frameworks for “cultural and arts education” within the educational systems of GCC states, besides encouraging the development of innovation and talents and supporting the values ​​of cooperation and belonging.

The first day of the forum included an introduction to the “UNESCO Framework for Education in Culture and Arts”, in addition to ALECSO Framework for Education in Culture and the Arts.

The sessions also dealt with the governance of cultural policies, the role of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in this field, mechanisms for integrating cultural and artistic education into educational programmes the role of museums in expanding the scopes of education. The first day of the forum concluded with a dialogue session titled “Guides for activating the role of education in promoting culture and the arts”.

The session provided a review of reference guides for school theatre, music education and visual arts education.