Doha: Qatar Foundation will host the annual Akhlaquna awards ceremony on Wednesday at its seventh season. The award ceremony will take place at Qatar National Library, honoring this year's winners whose personalities exemplify ethical traits and contribute to initiatives and projects that positively impact society. The ceremony will include the honoring of several categories and age groups. There will be one award for children aged 7-14, another for youth aged between 15-18 years. Nominees in both categories will be residing in Qatar. Additionally, for the first time, finalists from GCC countries will be recognized in a category for individual contributions. The number of applicants has significantly increased this year, with a total of 230 submissions across the three categories, reflecting growing interest and interaction with the award, expanding the reach and impact of this initiative. In this regard, Sheikha Noof Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, who is the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partn erships in Pre-University Education at Qatar Foundation, emphasized that the Akhlaquna awards aims to highlight the importance of embodying ethical virtues derived from the Prophet's approach in, as well as the manifestations of striving to enhance them within society. She added that the event also aims to promote positive and cooperative spirit in the community, build bridges of communication and understanding through related events and activities, achieving this goal by encouraging people to engage in charitable work and contribute to societal progress. She expressed her happiness with the increase in submissions for the annual award, particularly from GCC countries this year, noting that this growing engagement not only enriches society but also opens doors for further expansion and outreach. During a press conference held to announce the details of the event, Director of the award Ahmed Youssef Al Malki outlined several objectives of the award, including spreading awareness related to religious values in society and urging individuals to participate in ethical initiatives inspired by the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Moreover, Al Malki mentioned that in 2023, the institution launched several awareness campaigns, and this year it launched a campaign on humility which targeted a group of schools and collaborated with more than 20 entities, implementing over 100 activities and reaching approximately 1,000 participants. He confirmed that the competition received 230 participants this year, and 23 of them will be honored at the Akhlaquna awards ceremony, accompanied by an interactive exhibition where each entity presents its efforts in the ethical aspect, with about 15 entities participating. The day following the ceremony will feature interactive activities. The Director of the award also noted that the individual contributions category addresses citizens and residents of Qatar, with one of the main application requirements being an individual contribution project spanning two years, closely linked to ethics. He emphasized that the award focuses on all aspects of prophetic ethics and that the Gulf submissions reached 30 participants. Al Malki further noted that since its inception in 2017, the award has had approximately 65 winners, emphasizing its focus on exemplary behavior and leaving a lasting impact, representing not only the winning categories but also a societal movement, as each winner becomes an ambassador for the award and receives an honorary shield. Meanwhile Sheikha Al Zeyara, part of the Akhlaquna Awards team, that the first award category targets school students aged 7 to 14. She added that the category aims to highlight exemplary role models, with criteria based on the student's overall character, readiness to contribute, and promotion of ethics within their small environment. The second category targets high school students aged 14 to 18. She highlighted that the number of participants continues to increase each year, with over 170 applicants for the two categories this year, indicating the strong commitment from schools in preparing participants' profiles. She also said that each participating student compiles a file detailing their achievements and initiatives, demonstrating how they promote ethics in society, both at school and in the community, with all profiles reviewed by the judging committee before selecting the winners. An interactive exhibition is scheduled for Apr. 25 at Qatar National Library in Education City, involving 15 entities, including ministries and government institutions, to showcase their role in supporting societal ethical movements, in addition to presenting various interactive activities for exhibition visitors. The award ceremony will see a launch of 2024-2025 campaign on enhancing compassion among people in society and emphasize the importance of ethical values and empathy as factors for positive change. Akhlaquna is an initiative launched by HH Chairperson of Qatar Foundation Sheikha Moza bint Nasser aiming to highlight the interconnectedness betw een knowledge and noble ethics, honoring young community members who embody ethics, values, and virtuous behaviors. Source: Qatar News Agency