TEDxYouth@Doha (TEDxYD) and Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP) have launched Laysh: To read or not to read, a bilingual online reading initiative which is the first of its kind in Qatar.
The campaign was aimed at Qatar’s youth but open to the greater community through the Laysh website (www.laysh.org) which will run until June 1.
The goal of the campaign is to get young people talking about reading, and provide them with a virtual arena to do so.
Participants aged 13 and up will upload an English or Arabic-language video of themselves on the Laysh website in which they share their perspectives on reading. To encourage creative participation, the most imaginative video will be rewarded.
Laysh is part of BQFP’s larger dedication to enriching the reading and writing environment of Qatar, in both, Arabic and English. The campaign has invited mentors to submit their own videos as “Friends of Laysh.”
Lana Shamma, Acting Director of Reading and Writing Development at BQFP, said “Laysh is a great opportunity for us to interact with avid readers across Qatar in a less formal manner than book clubs and workshops.
“We are excited to see the amazing ideas that the community will come up with.”
For TEDxYouth@Doha, Laysh is an opportunity to interact with youth online in a manner as yet unseen in Qatar. The programme is one of three projects being launched by the volunteer collective in 2013.
Uzair Mohammad, Chief Curator at TEDxYouth@Doha, said: “Laysh aims to kickstart a conversation in the community in which everyone can get involved.
“We want to hear people’s perspectives: whether they are unsure about reading, whether they love it or dislike it. I personally am quite excited to see how youth meld the art of modern videomaking with their passion for reading.”
Although Laysh is a collaborative effort between TEDxYD and BQFP, the campaign has been developed entirely by local youth who have volunteered to develop the programme, its brand, website, and its youth engagement strategy.
Updates and information about Laysh can be found on TEDxYouth@Doha and BQFP’s Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as on the Laysh website – http://www.laysh.org.
Source:
The Peninsula
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