Rotary International conference brings the spotlight on youth
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
The three-day Rotary International conference, which kick-started on Thursday virtually under the patronage of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, concludes today.
The inaugural session witnessed the participation of several top participants from all over the world. The 8th District 2452 Conference 2021 began with a speech by Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Minister of Finance and National Economy, on behalf of HRH Prince Salman.
The conference spotlighted several current and pressing issues, including clean energy and a green environment and the active and effective engagement of youth in societies around the globe.
In his opening remarks, Shaikh Salman highlighted the proactive steps taken by the Kingdom to protect the health and safety of citizens and residents from the outbreak.
Bahrain, the minister said, follows a “trace, test and treat” strategy and is offering it free of charge to citizens and residents, making the nation one of the world leaders in test to vaccination ratio.
The minister also touched upon the measures taken to confront the repercussion of the outbreak, which includes the launch of a financial package exceeding 4.5 billion dinars or US$ 12 billion - equivalent to a third of Bahrain’s GDP.
The package supported private sector establishments, citizens and economic sectors badly affected by the closures. The minister also revealed that the Kingdom is keen on boosting the digital transformation of government services and has adopted a work-at-home strategy for 70% of the government employees.
The minister recalled the pioneering role of the Rotary Foundation in 1979 and its efforts in providing vaccinations against polio to about 6 million children in the Philippines. “This led to the adoption of this initiative by the World Health Organisation to eradicate polio in 1988,” the minister said.
Al-Amal Fund for youth
In yesterday’s session, the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, Ayman bin Tawfeeq AlMoayed, took part. The minister shed light on the goals, values and principles of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs and its initiatives to develop the youth sector in Bahrain.
He said: “The initiative of HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, to hold the Youth Summit in 2018 brought together ministers and youngsters to discuss the needs of the youth in Bahrain.”
The summit, the minister said, established an ideal environment for working out solutions. “Strong cooperation between the public and private sectors contributed to the success of many pioneering youth-oriented initiatives aimed at increasing training opportunities and honing skills,” the minister said.
The minister also discussed the Al-Amal (Hope) Fund to explore, invest and hone the skills of Bahraini youth. It is worth noting that Bahrain has the first Rotary Club branch in the Gulf since 1965 with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. The club currently has about 1.2 million members from 200 countries around the world.
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