The 16th edition of Sharjah Children Parliament (SCP), a subsidiary of Sharjah Children (SC), will be launched on Tuesday, April 23, at the Consultative Council of Sharjah.
Themed ‘Leadership through Community Service’, this edition will be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators.
The inaugural session of SCP will convene 60 members in a discussion about how Sharjah’s children and youth can develop their social responsibility skills to effectively contribute to building healthy community life. His Excellency Thabit Salem Al Tarifi, Director General of Sharjah City Municipality, will be present at the session.
The 60 members of the edition were nominated and elected from the Sharjah Children’s branches located in the various neighbourhoods and regions in the emirate, including Sharjah City, Al Wousta and Al Sharqiyah areas.
Aysha Ali Al Kaabi, Acting Director of Sharjah Children, said: “The chosen theme for this edition of Sharjah Children Parliament reflects the core values of ‘shura’ (counsel), and its operational framework under Rubu’ Qarn Foundation. One of our key goals is to develop children’s talents and self-confidence. This edition will enable them to hone their skills, enabling them to participate in furthering the UAE’s development plans.”
“The first session of the 16th edition will focus on understanding and applying community service as a tool to strengthen the youth’s national identity, their sense of belonging to the country and enhance their social responsibility. How can citizenship be elevated through active leadership and creating a positive impact will also be discussed,” she added.
To prepare for their first session, the elected members participated in a recent brainstorming session with Sharjah Youth Parliament members held at The Flag Island in Sharjah, where they suggested themes for the new edition and proposed discussion topics.
They also participated in a training camp at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, which focused on leadership characteristics, and received training on practicing their parliamentary duties.
200 children were nominated for this edition of SCP who were evaluated by a selection committee. The final 60 members were elected by their peers to represent them and communicate their ideas to government officials and decision-makers.
Selection criteria included communication and oratory skills, the candidate’s ability to discuss and debate issues of concern and interest, their character and leadership skills. The selected members are in the 8-11 years age group.
