I personally felt as if I were living at the speed of a Concorde; I am not sure that 2008 gave the world a chance to breathe, or even to sigh: it has been a year of such dramatic incidents. If asked, how would you sum up 2008? I have attempted to summarise it in a few words – but have successfully failed the attempt.
Newspapers and television channels around the world have attempted to keep their audiences amused around the clock for the last 12 months. On a quick reflection of this year, the historic opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic games in Beijing, with their superb displays of Chinese talent and the lavish fireworks spectacle will always remain memorable.
The last many weeks, however have kept everyone on their toes and destroyed the usual consumer mood to shop for the year end celebrations. First there was the massacre in Mumbai, and then the horrifying Israeli bombardment of Gaza, with hundreds killed and thousands injured. And all this while, around the globe, hundreds of thousands of people have been made redundant.
Yes, 2008 has brought tears in abundance, but we must not forget there was also laughter as well as anger, and there was also hope.
Speaking of hope, the US elections could not have been more interesting; especially the Democratic choice between a white woman and a black American, and the world awaited the final result with patience and curiosity for America’s choice. Barack Obama’s victory over John McCain stirred a lot of emotions of hope and regenerated faith in humanity again.
The world witnessed something that many people would not have even dared to dream. It is only four decades ago that black Americans struggled to obtain their basic rights, such as a decent education. It is encouraging to realise that 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, his dream has been fulfilled.I don’t think anyone would dare to envy Obama in 2009 as he has more than a challenging year ahead of him. Not only will he have to fulfil the bold promises he made to his people, but he will also have to clean and clear the pollution created by the former administration while leading his nation through the worst economic downturn since the great depression. Most importantly, he will also have to restore the world’s faith in America. Obama is under test, and the world will be watching him very closely; many will be waiting for a single mistake so as to discredit him.
In 2008, we also had to say goodbye with regret to many people who had made a real difference to the world: Hua Guofeng, who as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party developed the economy and the education system, restoring calm in the most challenging times after Mao’s death; Paul Newman who lived a charmed life; Suharto, who did good and bad to the Indonesian economy; Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Indian guru; and Yves Saint Laurent, the French fashion designer who introduced trousers for women and redefined fashion forever.
In mid 2008, the world was hit by a financial tsunami. As I write it is affecting both multibillion dollar industries and individuals. What is scary about this crisis is that its parameter is undefined, its depth is unknown and its course unpredictable. It is only a few months since Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11. I still can’t digest the fact that such an institution could collapse so spectacularly. Hundreds of questions have been raised, but as yet there are very few answers.
More recently, I was alarmed by the revelations that the entire $50 billion business of the Wall Street “wizard”, Bernard Madoff, was a criminal scam. There is obviously a huge flaw in the system if he could get away with it for so long. What concerns me more is that so far only Madoff has been discovered. How many more are there as yet undiscovered?As 2008 comes to an end, with Gaza again in ruins, it is also very sad to experience the tensions between India and Pakistan. I often wish that Muhammad Ali Jinnah had listened to Mahatma Gandhi and not insisted on the partition of the subcontinent. I view India and Pakistan as one soul in two different bodies.
None of us may have a quick solution for many of the problems ahead of us, but today is a time to reflect on our actions and question why the world is where it is. It is time for us all to stand in unity and work collectively to resolve the problems ahead. We should appreciate that we live in a global village and are part of each other, therefore any kind of negative or positive impact in a country at one end of the globe will have an impact on other countries. The large scale of the planet’s problems, whether from global warming or financial crisis, can’t be resolved by individual persons or nations. It is time for us to share knowledge and expertise globally, and aim to live in harmony and peace. The world – and humankind – are under test. I wonder how we will act and react in 2009?
As published in The National on 1 Jan 2009. http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090101/OPINION/973437092&SearchID=73341864715490
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Our leaders had a vision: today it is our reality
As the UAE celebrates its 37th National Day, let us sit back and reflect on the last 37 years, appreciate our today and eagerly await our promising tomorrow. What is so special about our country? The UAE means opportunities, it means business. It is a place for forward thinking opportunists, and a place where you can dare to make your dream a reality. I say this with humility and a pinch of pride but definitely without any bias. I personally have not witnessed, and neither have I read in history books, of a nation that has achieved so much in just 37 years – a nation with world class infrastructure and a literacy rate above 90 per cent today.
It is impossible to list here the endless achievements of the UAE, its leaders and its people. What this country has accomplished since 1971 is more than impressive, it has much to teach the world – about growth, being an innovative model for the region and the world at large, and about how to construct a vibrant multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural society.Everyone wonders how a small country with a population of 6 million people can achieve so much. The credit for its success of course goes to the founding fathers: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, the first president, and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai, the first vice-president, and all the other leaders of the UAE who united to create a nation built on vision and trust.
One cannot thank or appreciate enough, either, the admirable leadership under the current regime of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai. They have wisely and strategically brought us to the centre stage of the world, enabling the country to stand tall in the eyes of the international community.
The UAE’s success story is now relatively well known, despite the regular knocks it receives from some elements of the Western media. But because many of these knocks have been globally transmitted, there are those in the world beyond the Gulf who do not understand that behind the success lies an even more interesting story of innovative social and economic solutions. These solutions may be worth studying for those striving to bridge the growing divides of an increasingly troubled planet.
Societies should be judged ultimately on their ability to deliver to their people most of their human needs: food, shelter, health, education, security, a clean environment, a sense of community, and a sense of purpose in life. It is on these dimensions that the UAE could act as a role model for a crowded planet. What’s more, it does not provide these excellent facilities to its citizens only, but it also extends its generosity to the large expatriate community in the country.
UAE society emphasises the importance of the family. Government policies are skewed in favour of encouraging extended families to live comfortably. These policies also encourage families to care for their own elderly. The traditional Arab Islamic emphasis on clan and kinship still provides a valuable social glue, even as society modernises and develops.An equally strong emphasis is placed on multi-racial and multi-cultural harmony. The UAE welcomes everyone warmly and is host to about 185 nationalities – almost as many as can be found in the United Nations – who live together in harmony. We have media houses which publish newspapers in five different languages to cater for the needs of different communities. We also have German, Indian, Japanese, French, British, American and Filipino schools with their own academic syllabuses to cater for the educational needs of their communities. These are just a few examples of what the world can learn from how the UAE creates a bridge between Arab society and elsewhere.
I have many friends who have moved to the UAE, and they usually sum up their reasons for doing so by saying: “This is great, we love it here. It’s a place where East is fused with West – you have best of both worlds here.”The UAE is generous and has given us all a platform on which to flourish and grow. As UAE nationals we should continue to build on the dreams of our leaders: for our leaders rely on the nation’s youth and its talent. They have invested in us and provided us with facilities that no other country offers so generously, and therefore we have a duty to make the most of what they have offered us and continue to build this great nation.
As Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum once said: “We believe that our youth are the backbone of the nation and the foundation on which to develop this noble civilisation, unaffected by the wind of change, no matter how hard it blows.” The greatest tool that our youth has been given is education. The UAE is putting all its efforts into creating a knowledge-based economy, so I would urge all my brothers and sisters – who are our promise of tomorrow – to study and to learn. It will be your education that will set you apart from your friends, not your wealth or social status.
And in realising your aspirations and your dreams, remember the wise words of our belated father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan: “He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn.”
As published on 2 December 2008 in The National.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081202/OPINION/584035837&SearchID=73341864715490
It is impossible to list here the endless achievements of the UAE, its leaders and its people. What this country has accomplished since 1971 is more than impressive, it has much to teach the world – about growth, being an innovative model for the region and the world at large, and about how to construct a vibrant multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural society.Everyone wonders how a small country with a population of 6 million people can achieve so much. The credit for its success of course goes to the founding fathers: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, the first president, and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai, the first vice-president, and all the other leaders of the UAE who united to create a nation built on vision and trust.
One cannot thank or appreciate enough, either, the admirable leadership under the current regime of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai. They have wisely and strategically brought us to the centre stage of the world, enabling the country to stand tall in the eyes of the international community.
The UAE’s success story is now relatively well known, despite the regular knocks it receives from some elements of the Western media. But because many of these knocks have been globally transmitted, there are those in the world beyond the Gulf who do not understand that behind the success lies an even more interesting story of innovative social and economic solutions. These solutions may be worth studying for those striving to bridge the growing divides of an increasingly troubled planet.
Societies should be judged ultimately on their ability to deliver to their people most of their human needs: food, shelter, health, education, security, a clean environment, a sense of community, and a sense of purpose in life. It is on these dimensions that the UAE could act as a role model for a crowded planet. What’s more, it does not provide these excellent facilities to its citizens only, but it also extends its generosity to the large expatriate community in the country.
UAE society emphasises the importance of the family. Government policies are skewed in favour of encouraging extended families to live comfortably. These policies also encourage families to care for their own elderly. The traditional Arab Islamic emphasis on clan and kinship still provides a valuable social glue, even as society modernises and develops.An equally strong emphasis is placed on multi-racial and multi-cultural harmony. The UAE welcomes everyone warmly and is host to about 185 nationalities – almost as many as can be found in the United Nations – who live together in harmony. We have media houses which publish newspapers in five different languages to cater for the needs of different communities. We also have German, Indian, Japanese, French, British, American and Filipino schools with their own academic syllabuses to cater for the educational needs of their communities. These are just a few examples of what the world can learn from how the UAE creates a bridge between Arab society and elsewhere.
I have many friends who have moved to the UAE, and they usually sum up their reasons for doing so by saying: “This is great, we love it here. It’s a place where East is fused with West – you have best of both worlds here.”The UAE is generous and has given us all a platform on which to flourish and grow. As UAE nationals we should continue to build on the dreams of our leaders: for our leaders rely on the nation’s youth and its talent. They have invested in us and provided us with facilities that no other country offers so generously, and therefore we have a duty to make the most of what they have offered us and continue to build this great nation.
As Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum once said: “We believe that our youth are the backbone of the nation and the foundation on which to develop this noble civilisation, unaffected by the wind of change, no matter how hard it blows.” The greatest tool that our youth has been given is education. The UAE is putting all its efforts into creating a knowledge-based economy, so I would urge all my brothers and sisters – who are our promise of tomorrow – to study and to learn. It will be your education that will set you apart from your friends, not your wealth or social status.
And in realising your aspirations and your dreams, remember the wise words of our belated father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan: “He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn.”
As published on 2 December 2008 in The National.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081202/OPINION/584035837&SearchID=73341864715490
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