QatarDebate Center Organizes Debate on Social Media’s Role in Promoting Intellectual Extremism

QatarDebate Center organized a review debate on the role of social media in spreading extremist ideas and promoting intellectual extremism, its most prominent motives, and ways to confront it in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

The debaters discussed the causes of extremist ideas and the contents that promote them. They highlighted the ways to spread preventive information about extremist ideas by providing young people with the skills to confront these ideas and instilling the principles of focusing on the importance of intellectual dialogue. They explained that social media is an undeniable reality, pointing out that the greatest danger lies in the lack of credibility of the information and the need for monitoring and spreading awareness through online platforms.

Nadia Al Emadi, a youth affairs specialist at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, explained that the debate is part of the ministrys plan to implement the national strategy to combat terrorism and violent extremism (2020-2025) and to enhance awareness among young people of the concepts of extremism and terrorism and the role of social media in changing ideas and beliefs. She added that the debate aimed to raise the awareness of the youth about the concepts of extremism and to be cautious and vigilant in their use of social media.

She stressed the importance of cooperation between the Ministry of Sports and Youth and QatarDebate Center, noting that the ministry is a link between the QatarDebate Center and Qatari youth, which ensures the provision of appropriate training by an accredited body, given that the ministry is the body concerned with Qatari youth. She noted that the debate resonated widely among the audience through their interventions, as young people demanded the repetition of such an event.

The debate was preceded by a two-day training workshop organized by QatarDebate for the ambassadors of the QatarDebate Team, which included developing the dialogue skills of the participants, building capacities, and promoting discussing issues in general.

Source: Qatar News Agency