Doha, Qatar: The second National Consultation on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) concluded with broader discussions on the MIL framework in Qatar, existing initiatives, and challenges as well as recommendations to embed MIL in the country’s education system.
Held from April 29 to 30, the session builds on the first National Consultation in 2019 as it gathered experts and change makers from multiple stakeholders including media, technology, and education.
The National Consultation in Qatar on Media and Information Literacy was conducted by UNESCO, in collaboration with the Qatar National Committee for UNESCO and Al Jazeera Media Institute, to develop a multistakeholder plan to develop and disseminate MIL in the country.
The first day of the session focused on highlighting MIL initiatives and programmes currently implemented in Qatar, emphasizing MIL as a necessity in the Arab world especially for age groups 14-29 which predominantly spend five to six hours online.
The media’s role in promoting MIL was also underlined with a focus on journalism education, collaboration among entities, and how MIL initiatives can contribute to reinstating trust between media organizations with their audiences.
Media and Information Literacy in education was at the forefront of the discussions on the second day of the consultation. The session explored ways to integrate and understand the landscape of MIL in the education system of Qatar. The discussion also stressed the role of entities outside of classrooms, including public libraries and museums, in disseminating MIL development and dissemination in the country.
Speaking during a presentation, Maha Mousa Abuhelaiqa, an e-learning expert and representative from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, gave an overview of recommendations and actionable steps to include MIL in the country’s education system such as embedding MIL concepts into the curriculum, providing hands-on experience in media production, and encouraging dialogue among learners.
This topic was further expanded in focused group discussions where participants laid out recommendations to adopt MIL in formal and non-formal education, as well as encourage synergy among government bodies to promote the same among students, teachers, parents, and guardians.
At the end of the session, recommendations were collated and relayed to stakeholders present in the consultation as a plan of action which will be used for future discussions.
