On April 29-30, 2024, UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen in collaboration with Qatar National Committee for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Qatar and Al Jazeera Media Institute organized a national consultation on media and information literacy in Doha. The consultation gathered around 75 participants from diverse sectors, including governmental, non-governmental, education, higher education, media, and private organizations, to collaborate toward a more integrated approach to disseminate media and information literacy in Qatar.
Participants engaged in two-day discussions, sharing insights, experiences, and best practices to better understand the media and information literacy (MIL) framework in the country, identify areas where support is needed, and build a plan of action for the Ministry of Education to support MIL development and dissemination in Qatar. The discussions covered various themes including the critical importance of fostering MIL competencies across sectors, the role of media in promoting MIL, key role of MIL in combatting online disinformation and hate speech, its contribution to fostering a safe digital environment, the significance of MIL education in Qatar, and extending MIL initiatives to non-formal education settings.
UNESCO IITE was represented at the event by Ms Tatiana Murovana, who delivered a presentation and took part in discussions within the session on media and information literacy and digital citizenship education.
Following groups discussions, the consultation concluded with the formulation of a comprehensive plan of action, which serves as the foundation for ongoing discussions and the development of projects through a series of follow-up meetings. This plan outlines concrete steps and initiatives to be undertaken by relevant stakeholders to strengthen MIL education and awareness in Qatar.
