Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Doha Forum addresses path to future
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani delivers a speech during the opening session of the Doha Forum at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in Doha, Qatar, Saturday / EPA-Yonhap
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
DOHA ― The 20th edition of Doha Forum brought the world's leaders and policy makers to a global platform to discuss changing critical challenges the world is facing today held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, from Saturday to Sunday.
Themed "Transforming for a New Era," more than 200 panelists of 142 nationalities and 2,300 participants took part in the two-day forum featuring a variety of sessions on international relations, economic development, security and climate change.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar noted how the world today has reached a pivotal stage on all levels ― political, economic, environmental and social ― and Qatar has chosen a path of rational dialogue based on balancing common values and interests and a path of mediation to resolve disputes by peaceful means in the opening remarks, Saturday.
"I emphasize the current position of the State of Qatar on the renunciation of violence, intimidating civilians and assaulting state sovereignty and all other acts that may constitute a violation of human values and international law. We stand in solidarity with the millions of innocent people and refugees who have been victimized by this unjust war and geopolitical calculations," the emir said.
“The new age that we dream of, and that I personally work for, is the era of peace, security and coexistence for all, the era of social justice, the era in which all people can access their basic needs in education, health, water resources and living with dignity and where they can fulfill themselves and exercise their lifestyle and cultures," he added.
Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova attends the opening day of the Doha Forum at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in Doha, Qatar, Saturday / EPA-Yonhap
Unity for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise appearance at the opening of the forum via a video, urging Qatar and other energy-rich countries to increase energy supply to pressure Russia.
"Responsible states like the state of Qatar are reliable and solid exporters of natural resources and they can make their contribution to the stabilization in Europe," Zelenskyy said.
He continued, "The future of Europe rests with your efforts. I ask you to increase the output of energy to ensure that everyone in Russia understands that no country can use energy as a weapon to blackmail the world."
Emine Dzhaparova, first deputy minister for foreign affairs of Ukraine, flew from the war-torn country to the Gulf state to share her experience on misinformation and war.
"I believe we are entering a third world war, not a conventional conflict but an information war," the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister said. “There is an invisible information war front. The effort of this is greater than we think it is. It's like radiation. You don't see it, but it affects your mental health and greater health.”
Dzhaparova is a journalist-turned-politician from the Crimean Peninsula and thus, knows well about how Russia invaded and annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014.
"The way how Russians negotiate or how they're trying to make a deal is always on the cost of vital interest of Ukraine. So you have two options ― either you follow the Russian line, or nothing is there."
She emphasized the importance of the rules-based international order saying, "Territorial integrity is the very basis of the very fundamental international law."
"So if someone suggests or thinks that we can compromise this issue, it means that we have no right for existence," Dzhaparova said.
Malala Yousafzai, left, Pakistani activist for women's education and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, speaks to member of Afghan Girls Robotics Team Florance Pouya at the Doha Forum in Doha, Qatar, Saturday / AFP-Yonhap
Women's empowerment in Afghanistan
Qatar is one of the key mediators in and outside Afghanistan in recent years and contributed to evacuating many Afghans and foreigners since the Taliban took control last August. Women and girl's empowerment in Afghanistan was a key issue at the center of this year's Doha Forum.
Roya Mahboob, founder and CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF), received the Doha Forum Award in recognition of promoting women's education in Afghanistan. The award came at a critical moment as the Taliban banned girls from secondary education as of March 23.
Mahboob's DCF is behind the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, or “Afghan Dreamers,” which was initiated from the foundation's STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program. Nine of the team members are now educated in Qatar and they presented their robotic creations at the Doha Forum, highlighting the importance of education.
Mahboob said there are still millions of young people remaining in Afghanistan and urged the influential policymakers to pressure the Taliban regime to allow girls to continue secondary education.
“I think STEM education is an engine for rapid regional development. STEM education is the future. We have to invest in STEM education," Mahboob said.
"It's all about giving the tools and high quality education to the children. It doesn't matter where you are living. Whether they are living in the United States or in Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine or any part of the world, they can be the next inventor, designer and creator that they can change their lives and ultimately change their communities."
Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was also very vocal about the issue.
“What is really needed right now is a strong statement from Muslim countries that defend girls' rights to education in the Islamic context. Seeking education is the duty of every Muslim. If we want to actually address these issues, we have to talk about human rights, through dedicated dialogues, and inclusivity in these dialogues,” Yousafzai said.
"The objectification of women needs to stop. The politicization (and) the weaponization of women's issues need to stop as well. I think we need to recognize women's liberty, their voices and their presence. Women can make decisions for ourselves. We don't need to be told what is more freeing for us and what it means to be liberated. We can make those decisions for ourselves,” she added.
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry speaks during a Newsmaker Interview session of the Doha Forum at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in Doha, Qatar, Saturday. EPA-Yonhap
Fighting climate change
Aiming to be a global policy-making platform, climate change was another pillar of the Doha Forum.
John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and former Secretary of State, reaffirmed that humankind must do everything to reduce carbon emissions as the best scientists in the world have been stating unequivocally and repeatedly for over 30 years that we have but a number of years ― now down to just eight ― “to make critical decisions and implement them to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.”
Kerry stressed that investing in this transition is going to be the key.
"The only way we get to where we have to go to prevent trillions of dollars of damage that far exceeds the money we need to invest ... is by getting the private sector fully invested in that transition, which means we need to be more creative," Kerry said.
He said it is important to make sure the emissions from the burning of gas and oil employ carbon capture technology in order for energy-exporting countries like Qatar to assist in tackling climate change.
"It's not the gas per se that is the problem. The oil, per se, isn't the problem. It's the byproduct of the way we choose to use it. So if you can come up with a way to use them and capture those emissions and do something with them, you may have a virtuous future. So that's the transition."
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatari minister of state for energy affairs and president and CEO of QatarEnergy, mentioned the Gulf country's effort in carbon capture and sequestration since 2008.
"In 2015 we started the largest CO2 capture and sequestration in the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region. As we speak, we can visit our carbon capture and sequestration site where we are currently capturing 2.5 million tons per annum of CO2 and sequestering it underground. By the time we have all our expansion in place by 2035, we have a plan to reach 11 million tons of CO2 sequestration," Al-Kaabi said.
“Before the World Cup, hopefully in October, we will be inaugurating the largest single solar power plant in the center of country in Al Kharsaah which will power up to 10 percent of the country's national grid," the minister added, showcasing Qatar's seriousness, as a large gas producer, to tackle climate issues.
During the Doha Forum, the Qatar Fund for Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a new partnership called “Nanmo,” which means "growing together" in Arabic, to improve the livelihoods of low-income farmers.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani shared the country's experience with multilateralism when the international community responded to the conflict in the Balkans at the closing of the two-day event.
"With history constantly being made and new alliances being formed … multilateralism has never been more important. If we want to transform for a new era, we need to do it hand in hand," Osmani said.