August 13, 2011 by buzfairy
We were invited last Thursday to the United Nation’s Development Program’s 1st celebration of International Youth Day, which featured a youth inspired Pecha Kucka night in addition to an art gallery.
When we first got there, we were greeted by a soulful jazz band, playing really smooth music. We then went into the main stage hall, where the three keynote speakers were. One was the head of Kuwait’s UNDP office, and the other two were Dr. Yousef Al-Ibrahim and Major General Faisal Al-Jazzaf. Dr. Yousef is the Emir’s advisor on youth issues, while Major General Al-Jazzaf is the Chairman of Kuwait Youth & Sport Authority.
The night wasn’t all bore, proper, and boring. It included fun and entertaining segments, like the youth Pecha Kucha presentations and the comedic hosting of Huda Ma3rafi. The celebration attracted a nice crowd collection, and shows that Kuwait does have people whom are educated and sophisticated, and more than able to appreciate an internationally-flavored night like this.
This is a part of the celebration’s press release:
In a bid to further expand its youth programme, UNDP Kuwait organized the world-renowned PechaKucha night for youth. Comedienne Hoda Marafie was the hostess for the evening. International Youth Day is an opportunity to highlight and raise awareness of development issues facing Kuwaiti youth.
The night included participation by government officials, civil societies and private entities and an exhibition. Furthermore, the auditorium showcased PechaKucha 20×20, a simple presentation format where 20 images are shown, each for 20 seconds. The images forward automatically as the presenter talks about them. Each speaker featured a sample of active, dedicated and inspirational young people who have significantly contributed to their community’s development. The occasion was utilized to celebrate their achievements.
We had to leave early, to attend another function, and so missed out on the Pecha Kucha and huda Ma3rafi segments, which in my opinion would’ve been the most entertaining parts. I also missed out on the opportunity to know who the Pecha Kucha stars were.
All in all, this was a nice night, and I really wished we could’ve stayed for the whole of it. Thank you Nasser Al-Qitami, UNDP’s Communications Specialist, for inviting us.
Personal Note: As much as I liked the night and the civil air about the celebration, I must admit that I disliked the attitude of one of the organizers. When we were leaving, we had vale parking issues. She was like “oh, I don’t know about that, we got to park inside, not like you guys. You guys have to walk like all the way to the parking lot, or try figuring something out with the valet guy. Oh, and the best part was when she suggested that we drive the wrong way, INSIDE THE UN COMPOUND. I just wish people would be nice and civil, just because you work for the UN, it doesn’t really mean that you’re sophisticated and classy by default. We can spot fakes a mile away, but we pretend not to.
