SHARJAH, 1st February / WAM / Today, in the Palm Garden in Sharjah, the activities of the eighth session of the Al-Warraqin Festival for Used Books, organized by the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, were launched until the 4th of February, with the participation of public benefit associations, government and private agencies and schools, universities and diplomatic missions, and institutions Society.
The festival grounds were crowded with school students, and lovers of reading and books, who began searching for what they wanted from the valuable titles offered by the city..at symbolic prices ranging between one dirham and twenty dirhams.
Her Excellency Mona Abdul Karim Al Yafei, Director of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, welcomed the guests and visitors of the festival and said that one of the most important goals of the festival is to enhance the value and importance of books, to promote the spirit of volunteer work among members of society, to pay attention to the creations of persons with disabilities and their peers, non-disabled children and youth, and to provide revenues. financially for the city in an innovative way.
She added: The organization of the eighth edition of the Al-Warraqin Festival for Used Books coincides with the “Year of Sustainability” in the United Arab Emirates, as the city attaches great importance to sustainability and its principles in all its services and activities.
She pointed to the great role of the festival from an environmental point of view, as it reduces the circulation of used books by cutting down trees that are used to make paper, in addition to encouraging the sharing of reading between friends and family. The festival also contributes to meeting the need of community members to support the services provided by the city to people with disabilities by donating books. or by purchasing it.
The director of the city thanked the city’s partners in organizing the festival: Sharjah Municipality, Sharjah Police General Command, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Islamic Bank, the main sponsors, Sharjah National Oil Corporation, Fast Building Contracting Company, and the media sponsor, Ramal International archyde news Company. archyde news and Site Global, and to all contributors and volunteers, individuals and institutions.
She also thanked the Sharjah Driving Institute for donating 150,000 dirhams in support of the festival.
The festival witnesses many artistic and cultural activities, including, according to Muhammad Bakr, the supervisor of the Art for All Center “Falaj” affiliated to Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services. Artistic workshops offered by the center, an exhibition of paintings created by Art for All affiliates, and art workshops offered by participating institutions in the festival, including:
(Sharjah Government Media Office – Sharjah Art Foundation – Fann Foundation – Japanese-Emirati Cultural Center – Sharjah Youth -).
Among the events are the artistic participations presented by public and private schools, in addition to theatrical performances by the “Sharjah Mayem” and “Falaj Theater” troupes, Al-Hakawati Theater and Al-Nashia Theater, and musical performances presented by the Art Center for All – Falaj.
Khadija Ahmed Bamakhrama, head of the Committee for Attracting Governmental Agencies, Institutions, Centers, Associations of Public Benefit and Communities, indicated that the committee is in charge of organizing purposeful competitions that are consistent with the objectives of the festival to encourage the love of reading, including: the Young Writer’s Competition in order to urge children from festival-goers of different ages to participate in writing a story Short stories inspired by their imagination with the aim of discovering the latent abilities and talents of students in the field of writing, motivating them and encouraging them to continue to be writers in the future, God willing. The competition continues throughout the days of the festival during the morning and evening periods.
One of the events is the most beautiful comment competition, where a picture is chosen daily from the pictures taken for visitors, and the audience is asked to comment on this picture from the site and choose the best comment.
The festival is witnessing the activity of simplified reading, which is a methodology that targets children with disabilities and learning difficulties from the audience present on the festival grounds, in addition to the event of hosting communities in coordination with embassies and interested parties that wish to participate.
