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91Èȱ¬ Arabic seeks young people's view of the future
91Èȱ¬
Arabic radio and online
today launched an interactive roadshow of events in five locations
across the Arabic-speaking world.
Ìý
The roadshow is designed to
involve young people and encourage them to debate the key issues
which affect their daily lives and their long-term future.
Ìý
Your future, who decides
it? launches in the Egyptian
capital Cairo, with interactive booths and conversation-promoting
materials at places young people meet and mingle, such as universities,
shopping malls, gyms and coffee shops. Ìý
On Monday 20 February 2006, Cairo University hosts
a 91Èȱ¬ debate on marriage which is broadcast live on 91Èȱ¬ Arabic radio
and webcast live on bbcarabic.com.
Ìý
The debate features speakers Dr
Abdel Baset Abdel Mutee, Sociology Professor at Ein Shams
University, Dr Ali Mohamed Mekawi, Head of the
Sociology, Faculty of Arts at Cairo University, and renowned writer
and analyst, Fareeda
Al Nakkash.
Ìý
The debate is informed by an opinion poll commissioned
by the 91Èȱ¬, seeking young people's views. It will include
commentsÌýemailed
toÌýbbcarabic.comÌýand hand-written on posters around Cairo.
Ìý
Your future, who decides it? then tours Amman in Jordan,
Khartoum in Sudan, the West Bank and Damascus in Syria.
Ìý
The roadshow is aimed at
encouraging responses and debate around a range of nationalÌýand
social issues relevant in the lives of young people, ranging
from what life is like between borders and crossing points, to
the search for identity. Ìý
Jerry
Timmins, Regional Head of 91Èȱ¬
Middle East says: "We
have made several changes to the Arabic service over the past
two years which make the output more accessible and appealing
to younger people in the Middle East and North Africa.Ìý
Ìý
"It
is obviously right that we include amongst our long established
audience the generation who will be setting the pace for
social and economic development in the years ahead.
Ìý
"After all,
this is the generation who will increasingly expect their news
provision to be multimedia, accessible and relevant on a variety
of platforms 24 hours a day - something the 91Èȱ¬ is well positioned
to provide."
Ìý
Hosam El Sokkari, Head of 91Èȱ¬ Arabic service, adds:
"Across the Arabic-speaking world, young people are in the majority
in terms of numbers but usually have a minority voice.
Ìý
"Your future,
who decides it? ensures we hear that voice. We are taking
91Èȱ¬ Arabic to them - to the universities, sports clubs, shopping
mallsÌýand coffee
shopsÌýÌý- so we can access their views
directly.
Ìý
"I am confident we are going to generate great
content for our radio programmes and for our online site, bbcarabic.com,
building relationships which will inform our output in
the years ahead."
Ìý
A special micro-site on bbcarabic.com
ensures Your future, who decides it? is followed by Arabic
speakers across the world.Ìý
Ìý
The site features the debate themes, research results,
images and audio from the interactive events and includes
comments from those wishing to express their views.
Ìý
It also promotes
a newsletter registration site, from which the debate event
audiences will be invited: bbcarabic.com/future
Ìý
Your future, who
decides it? debates are broadcast live on 91Èȱ¬ Arabic and webcast
live on bbcarabic.com at 1500 GMT:
Ìý
Cairo University
Monday 20 February 2006
Traditional marriage,
obstacles and alternatives. 91Èȱ¬ presenter Karem Awad
Ìý
Jordan University,
Amman
Monday 27 February 2006
The job market and unemployment. Panellists
include Marwan Jumaa, Chief Executive Officer of the country's
leading data communications provider, Batelco, andÌýProfessor
Abdel Rahim Hunaiti; the President of Jordan
University. 91Èȱ¬ presenter Nouran Sallam Ìý
Khartoum University
Monday 6 March 2006
Sudanese youth and the
search for identity. ÌýGuest
speakers include Sudan media
specialists, Ali Shamou and Ammar
Ahmed Adam. 91Èȱ¬ presenter Safaa
Faisal Ìý
Birzeit University, West Bank
Monday 13 March 2006
Life between
borders and crossing points with Dr Mustafa Barghouthi,
politician Sami Al Kilani, a professor at Al
Najah University in Nablus, and Ali Jarbawi,
the Dean of Beir Zeit University's Faculty of Law and Public
Administration. 91Èȱ¬ presenter Aliaa
Gad Ìý
Ìý
Damascus University
Monday
20 March 2006 Openness to the world
through economic and technological means. Guest speakers include
Abdullah Al Dardari, Deputy Prime Minister
for economic affairs and one of the architects of the Syrian
economic reform programme, and Emad Al Rifae,
a business figure and member of the Chamber of Industry. 91Èȱ¬
presenter Nur Zorgui Ìý
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ Arabic has over 12 million listeners while bbcarabic.com
attracts around 17 million page impressions a month.
Ìý
Broadcasting 24 hours a
day, 91Èȱ¬
Arabic is a respected voice in the region, widely acknowledged for
its independent and unbiased coverage of regional, national and international
news. Ìý
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ Arabic transmits on an expanding network of FM
frequencies including: Ìý
Ìý
Bahrain: 103.8FM
Djibouti: 99.2FM
Iraq: Baghdad 89.0FM, Al Kut 98.0FM,
Al Nasiriya 100 FM, Alamara 89.0FM, Basra 90.0 FM, Kirkuk 92.9FM,
Mosul & Erbil 96.0 FM
Jordan: Amman 103.1 FM and
Ajloun 89.1 FM (which can also be heard in
parts of Jerusalem and the West Bank)
Kuwait: 90.1 FM
Qatar: Doha
107.4 FM
Somalia: Hargaisa 89FM
Mogadishu:
Radio HornAfrik 99.9FM
Sudan:
Khartoum 91.0 FM, Al Ubayyid 91.0 FM, Port Sudan 91.0 FM and
Wad Madani 91.5FM
UAE: Abu Dhabi 90.3 FM and Dubai 87.9 FM
West Bank:
Bethlehem 89.6 FM
ENDS Ìý
Ìý
Notes to Editors
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ Arabic is the
leading international radio news service in Arabic, and bbcarabic.com
is the leading Arabic online news site.Ìý
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ Arabic
broadcasts 24 hours a day, every day, with news on the hour, every
hour.Ìý 91Èȱ¬
Arabic broadcasts to the whole Arab world on short wave and through
digital audio channels on the principal satellites covering the Arab
world.Ìý
Ìý
In
most of the eastern Arab world, 91Èȱ¬ broadcasts are heard on medium
wave, and in key cities the 91Èȱ¬ is available on FM.Ìý The
award-winning site bbcarabic.com also carries a live audio feed of
91Èȱ¬ Arabic radio.Ìý
Ìý
91Èȱ¬
Arabic is one of 33 language
services broadcast
by 91Èȱ¬ World Service, the international
radio and online broadcaster which
has a global
audience of 149 million listeners. Its international
websites receive
over 330 million page impressions a month. Ìý
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