Fikr 5 to be hosted in Beirut, the cultural capital of the region
Al Riyadh 7 November 2006, The Arab Thought Foundation announced today the topic of "Lebanon stronger with Arab solidarity” for its fifth annual conference, Fikr 5, to be held in Beirut on December 2 and 3 2006. This year’s topic has been specifically chosen in response to the dramatic events that have occurred in Lebanon. Board members believe the change of topic reflects the Arab Thought Foundation’s aim of helping to rebuild Lebanon following the massive destruction caused by the recent conflict. The goal of the foundation is to keep Lebanon on the international agenda as a center of a rich Arabic culture and to ensure international recognition of Beirut as a unique and exceptional Arab capital.
The Arab Thought Foundation has specifically created a new logo to coincide with this topic, with red and green - the colours of the Lebanese flag - added to the logo. Fikr 5 will focus on key issues for re-building Lebanon, such as the transparency, inter-communal dialogue, economic, and cultural infrastructures as well as on issues relating to development and investment promotion in Lebanon.
The original topic of the conference – “Arab Strategies for the Global Era” – will now be presented at next year’s conference, Fikr 6, to be held in Manama, Bahrain in 2007.
"Lebanon is an integral part of Arab culture and society and we are duty-bound to help and support our brothers and sisters. We must ensure that Lebanon remains a beacon of Arab thought and acknowledge its role as a regional political and social leader,” said Dr Ali Moussa, the Assistant Secretary General of ATF.
”This year’s topic reflects the Arab Thought Foundation’s commitment to sensitive and delicate issues in the region, in addition to the role provided to various non-government and civil institutions to rebuild this great cultural beacon,” he added. “We hope to assist in re-establishing Beirut as a bridge, linking all political, economical and cultural aspects in Arab society.”
Leading Arab thinkers, eminent politicians and influential businesspeople will attend the conference. Their goal is to help facilitate the revival of Lebanon. It is the intention of the organizers that this conference will deliver the necessary resources to allow Lebanon to maintain its cultural role in the region.
About The Arab Thought Foundation
The Arab Thought Foundation is a wholly independent, non-governmental international organization that pursues an agenda of free, non-partisan, and inclusive dialogue across the world. The goal of the ATF is the preservation and development of the essential values, morals, and social principles underpinning a unified Arab identity. Its activities are broad, and encompass the fields of the natural sciences and medicine, the social sciences, humanities and the arts.
Some of the ATF Board of Trustees, arranged alphabetically, includes:
Abdallah Zainal Abdulaziz Al Babtain Abdulaziz Kanoo
Bahia Al-Hariri Hamzah Al Khawli Juma’aa Al Majed
Khalid Al Turki Lubna Olayan Mani’ Al Otaiba
Mohammed Al Shayi’ Naguib Sawiris Nasser Al Rushaid
Saleh Kamel Souad Al Jaffali Yousef Al Ghani
