Tribune News Network
Doha
The need to continue supporting the enhancement of the Arabic language in various fields, specifically Arabic scientific content on the internet, has taken on greater significance over the past few years.
A prominent youth initiative to promote Arabic scientific content is ‘Nutripedia’, which was founded by Maha Ghassan Hommos, one of the three candidates to win the fifth edition of the Akhlaquna Award by Qatar Foundation in 2022.
“When I started creating the Nutripedia platform, I was thinking about the impact that this platform might have, but today, after knowing that the TEDinArabic Summit [March 18-19] will focus on the theme of the butterfly effect, I realized the value of my initiative in establishing this platform,” Hommos said.
The butterfly effect is known as a metaphor that indicates that small differences may result in long-term large differences in the actions and behaviours.
Qatar Foundation supports the upliftment of the Arabic language through many initiatives, including TEDinArabic which is a joint initiative between TED and Qatar Foundation. This initiative aims to provide a global platform to support thinkers, researchers, artists and changemakers in the Arabic-speaking world.
Hommos believes that TEDinArabic is an important initiative that adds a lot of value to the efforts exerted to support and promote the Arabic language. “Efforts must be combined in all fields and at all levels to support the Arabic language, whether through youth initiatives or those on which international organizations and institutions are based,” she said.
Hommos indicated that big changes always start with small events that evolve over time to make a difference, and stressed that any initiative – regardless of its size – can create positive changes that strengthens the status of the Arabic language, and develops awareness among the youth of its importance.
She said: “I believe that every initiative to support the Arabic language, regardless of its size, will have an impact on the course of events in the future, and will be an important factor in supporting our Arabic language. However, promoting scientific content requires great efforts that may require sponsorship from scientific institutions in Arab countries, and employing people specialized in writing, editing and issuing accurate scientific content.”
Hommos explained that many topics related to Arab culture, such as poetry, literature and history, lose much of their value and beauty when presented in non-Arabic languages, noting that many international platforms offer their content in different languages.
She added: “There must be competitive Arab platforms that provide what suits our people and our culture in a decent manner. And this increases the importance of the TedinArabic initiative.”
Through a partnership between QF and TED, the flagship TEDinArabic Summit will take place in Doha on March 18 and 19, 2023 welcoming TED speakers from across the Arabic-speaking world to share their stories and ideas in the Arabic language. Keep checking tedinarabic.ted.com/en/ for more details on the summit and how to register to attend.
