This article contains content that is written like an advertisement .(November 2023) |
Products | Debate and interview programs, video reports, podcasts, interactive content |
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Parent organization | Qatar Foundation |
Website | dohadebates |
Doha Debates produces and distributes solutions-focused debate and interview programs, video reports and interactive content. [1] The franchise's products include flagship debates, interview series, podcasts, the #SolvingIt series, digital video reports, Deep Dive education curriculum, and the interactive Doha Portal. [2] Doha Debates is funded by Qatar Foundation. [3]
Doha Debates' content, production and distribution partners [4] have included the United Nations, [5] TED, [6] Foreign Policy, [7] the Paris Peace Forum, [8] the Sundance Institute, [9] NowThis News, [10] Vox Media, [11] Shared Studios, [12] Fortify Rights, [13] Doha Forum, [14] Rappler [15] and eNCA. [16] Doha Debates' managing director is Amjad Atallah, who previously served as a news executive at Al Jazeera America and co-founded Women for Women International.
Re-launched in 2018, Doha Debates' initial iteration ran from 2005 to 2012, when the debate program was televised by BBC World News. [17]
Founded in 2005, the original Doha Debates programs were moderated by former BBC correspondent and interviewer Tim Sebastian, with Qatar Foundation as the sponsor. Televised eight times a year by BBC World News until 2012, the debates were based on the Oxford Union format. They focused on a single, controversial motion, with two speakers for and against. Once they outlined their arguments, each speaker was questioned by the chairman and the discussion was then opened up to the audience for argument and a final electronic vote. Topics included torture, terrorism and suicide bombings, political turmoil and human rights. Past motions questioned whether it was time to talk to Al Qaeda, whether Hezbollah had the right to fight a war on Lebanon's behalf, and whether the pro-Israel lobby was successfully stifling criticism of the country's actions. [18]
Special events featuring Q&A sessions with a single guest included figures such as Bill Clinton, Mohamed El Baradei, Shimon Peres, Amre Moussa, Ayad Allawi, and Mahmoud Zahar. [19]
Doha Debates' marquee debate series resumed in 2019 with a new host and format. Ghida Fakhry hosts and moderates the programs with contributions from correspondent Nelufar Hedayat and bridge-building "connector" Govinda Clayton. Each program features 3-4 debaters, with each debate including a constructive consensus-targeted "majlis" session. Programs include two audience votes on speaker positions, as well as feedback from viewers around the world. Most 2019 and 2020 debate programs have been hosted in Doha's Education City, with 2019 debates also held at the Paris Peace Forum, the TEDSummit in Edinburgh, Scotland and in Cape Town, South Africa. [20]
The debate programs since the 2019 re-launch of the debate series:
In 2023, it was announced that comedian and actor "Mo" Mohammed Amer would host the upcoming series of debates. [32]
In March 2022, Doha Debates launched its Town Hall series with a conversation with Malala Yousafzai, the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
In April 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 crisis, Doha Debates launched a weekly coronavirus-focused interview series called #DearWorldLive. Nelufar Hedayat hosts the virtual show, which each week examines a different aspect of the coronavirus and its impact on people and the world. Programs to date:
In January 2020, Doha Debates unveiled its Course Correction podcast series in which host Nelufar Hedayat "immerses herself in humanity's greatest challenges." [47]
The 2020 Sundance Film Festival played host to Course Correction's live audience debut, with Hedayat interviewing Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa and Ramona Diaz, whose "A Thousand Cuts" documentary on Ressa and Rappler premiered at Sundance. [48]
Other 2020 Course Correction interview subjects included Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, global strategy adviser Parag Khanna, economic anthropologist Jason Hickel, journalist Marc Lamont Hill, Jordanian diplomat Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, water rights advocate Georgie Badiel, author Anand Giridharadas, Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini and Hedayat's mother, Patuni. [49]
In October 2021, Foreign Policy and Doha Debates launched a jointly-produced podcast series called "The Negotiators." Hosted by Foreign Policy Deputy Editor Jennifer Williams, the podcast features interviews with key players in big international dealmaking. Topics include the Paris climate agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Nigerian #BringBackOurGirls campaign. [50] The podcast has won several awards, including Best Podcast in 2024 from WAN-IFRA. [51]
In November 2021, Foreign Policy and Doha Debates debuted "The Long Game," their second jointly-produced podcast series. American Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad hosts the podcast, which, according to Foreign Policy, "highlights stories of courage and conviction on and off the field. From athletes who are breaking barriers for women and girls to a Syrian refugee swimmer who overcame the odds to compete at the Paralympics, the show examines the power of sport to change the world for the better." [52]
In March 2023, Doha Debates launched its first Arabic-language podcast, Lana, in partnership with Jordanian podcast company Sowt ("lana" is the Arabic word for "ours"). The podcast is hosted by Rawaa Augé, an Al Jazeera on-air host and producer who previously served as a news presenter at Al Jazeera and France 24. Lana tackles major global issues, with Doha Debates' Japhet Weeks saying, “It’s about challenging your own viewpoints by listening to other intelligent, young voices.” [53]
In May 2023, Doha Debates launched "Doha Debates Podcast," their first podcast to include a video format. The podcast has a rotating series of hosts, including journalists Karen Given, Afia Pokua, Mariya Karimjee and Joshua Johnson.
In January 2024, Doha Debates launched "Necessary Tomorrows," a sci-fi podcast mixing fiction and nonfiction. The series was produced in collaboration with Imposter Media and Wolf at the Door Studios, and is presented by Al Jazeera Podcasts. [54] The first episode of "Necessary Tomorrows" premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival as one of their official podcast selections. [55]
Doha Debates' Instagram series "celebrates the next generation of leaders whose vision and work inspire hope and real change." Since its debut in August 2019, the #SolvingIt series has saluted trailblazers, including climate change activist Greta Thunberg, education advocate Malala Yousafzai, Black Lives Matter protesters, human rights champion Nadia Murad, water rights advocate Georgie Badiel, Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini, U.S. Climate Strike Executive Director Isra Hirsi, "Cybercode Twins" America and Penelope Lopez, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, human rights activist Mahmoud Abugrin, environmental advocates Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa, Digital Citizens Fund founder Roya Mahboob, disability rights advocate Nawaal Akram, World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés, Syrian refugee advocate Bana al-Abed, the Parkland High School students, and UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake. [56]
In September 2021, ahead of the November 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Doha Debates announced the #SolvingIt26, showcasing 26 extraordinary young climate activists around the world. Honorees were from 22 nations on six continents. The honorees were showcased in a #SolvingIt26 social media campaign in the weeks leading up to the 2021 Climate Change Conference. [57]
Doha Debates' short films include:
In 2020, Doha Debates introduced a debates-related "Deep Dive" education curriculum for high school and university teachers and students. Curriculum topics are derived from the marquee debate programs, with each topic having its own lesson plan, including active learning, collaborative learning discussions, student motivation and participation, and writing assignments. The lessons include video excerpts from related debate programs. [61]
In Doha, Doha Debates hosts a mobile Shared Studios Portal, allowing members of the public to interact in real-time with users at more than 40 locations worldwide as if they are in the same room, creating a virtual majlis to discuss debate topics. Doha Portal interactive sessions have taken place from the Qatar National Library and other sites in Doha's Education City, as well as the Doha Forum. [62]
In January 2019, the Doha Portal was featured in a Doha Debates TED Salon called "Up for Debate," a session of TED-curated talks about the importance of civic discourse and debate. [63]
In November and December 2022, the Portal was a featured attraction at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Fan Zone FIFA Unity Pavilion, bringing fans together virtually for conversations with football fans and others in Portals around the world. The Doha Portal's visitors included Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who spoke with young people in Kigali, Rwanda. [64]
In August 2021, Doha Debates launched the inaugural edition of its Ambassador Program with 36 young participants chosen from among hundreds of applicants around the world. The solutions-focused initiative is meant "to empower a new generation of changemakers with the knowledge, tools, and relationships to bring positive change to their communities." [65]
Doha Debates' honors include:
Pro-Israel US activist Charles Jacobs termed the Doha Debates as "the latest cunning public relations move by an illiberal regime that has been able to ingratiate itself to Western liberal elites with remarkable ease." He also condemned media and educational organizations such as NowThis, Vox, and TED Talks for partnering with Qatar to produce the Doha Debates and said, "For the right price, NowThis will ignore an egregious human rights record and overlook modern-day slavery; Vox Media will embrace a government whose treatment of laborers, gays, and minorities should relegate it to the darkest corners of the family of nations." [73]
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned.
Khalifa International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Al Rayyan, Qatar, around 9 kilometres west from the centre of Doha. Its ground comprises a running track and a grass pitch. Opened in 1976, the stadium was named after then Emir of Qatar Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. Under the ownership of the Qatar Football Association, it serves as the primary home ground of the Qatar men's national football team. Its current fully-roofed, 45,857-seat configuration was opened in 2017, following a previous reconfiguration in 2005 that incorporated the stadium into the Aspire Zone complex and added a roofed grandstand; boosting its capacity from 20,000 to 40,000.
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Nelufar Hedayat is a British journalist and presenter who hosts the podcast Course Correction and is the correspondent for Doha Debates. She has worked in television across the BBC, as well as on Channel 4, Netflix, Fusion and The Guardian newspaper, covering breaking news, live events and in-depth investigations in some of the world's most dangerous places. Her work often focuses on cultural upheaval experienced by women, children, and families during a conflict, especially in her native Afghanistan.
Doha Film Institute (DFI) is a nonprofit cultural organisation established in 2010 by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to support the growth of the Qatari film community and to provide funding and international networking opportunities to creators. DFI hosts two major film festivals, Ajyal Film Festival and Qumra, each year. Since its inception, DFI has financially supported more than 600 projects from development through post-production.
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Doha GOALS—Gathering of All Leaders In Sport—is an initiative designed as a "call to action" for the role that sport plays as a driver for social and economic change. The initiative, from the Aspire Zone Foundation and Richard Attias & Associates, will build a community of global influencers from all industries who believe that sport is a crucial vehicle for social and economic development. Doha Goals Forum is already a well known manifestation, where many projects can be evoked. For example, during the third edition, in November 2014, Hassan Al Thawadi repeated that Qatar "can organize the World Cup in summer".
Qatar National Library (QNL) is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The plans for the new national library were announced by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, on 19 November 2012, during a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Dar Al Kutub Library, in Doha, Qatar, one of the first public libraries in the Persian Gulf region, which had until then been regarded as the national library of Qatar.
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Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press is a publishing house based in Doha, Qatar. The press was initially managed by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC and was founded as Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP) in 2008 until its transition into HBKU Press in 2015. HBKU Press is part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University which is under the wider community of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. It publishes titles that serve both an international audience as well as the larger Arab community publishing fiction, non-fiction, young adult and children's literature, and academic titles. They highlight local Middle Eastern and Qatari narratives and also translate books from other foreign languages into Arabic.
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