United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

From Vanity Fair's The 2009 International Best-Dressed List
:

H.H. SHEIKHA MOZAH OF QATAR
Occupation: Wife of H.H. the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani; unesco special envoy for basic and higher education.
Haute Couturier: Jean Paul Gaultier.
Accessory: Diamond-and-pearl evening belt worn to a dinner the Sarkozys gave in the sheikh and sheikha’s honor.
Shoe Designer: Christian Louboutin.
Bargain-Hunting Locale: Souq Waqif, the local market behind the emir’s palace.
Causes: Qatar Foundation; Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel.

By Ian Langsdon/Corbis.

Previously covered on QL : "Best dressed first lady"

Is death imminent for the Doha Center for Media Freedom's motto and mission? From Al-Sharq via the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingto...):

The man whose name has been tied for years to press freedom and the defense of journalists worldwide from his Paris perch, then transplanted to Doha to start a similar gig, has become the bête noire of a leading Qatari paper that accused him of promoting "immorality" and insulting Qataris.

"It's been a year since the center opened, and six months since it became operational, at phenomenal cost, and it was hoped it would provide added value to the local landscape, but it hasn't, and its limelight-seeking director has limited himself to fiery statements," blasted the editor in chief of the daily Al Sharq on Sunday.

The editor was referring to Robert Menard, who set up the Doha Centre for Media Freedom , with blessings from Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and under the patronage of the country's first lady, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned. Editor Jaber Al Harmi also slammed Menard for not being a team player, a trait he alleged the Frenchman carried over from the time he founded and headed Reporters Sans Frontiers, or Reporters Without Borders.

"Menard not only got rid of Qataris from the organization, but repeatedly insulted the state of Qatar; most recently by lambasting our brothers in Dubai who tried to limit the toxic effects of obscene websites, notably through YouTube in the United Arab Emirates," Al Harmi said. He added that Menard's excoriation of the Dubai police chief -- charged with maintaining the Emirates' moral standards - meant the former wanted the latter to allow websites that insulted Islam and deities and promoted blasphemy in the name of press freedom...

read the rest of the article on the Huffington Post:

Do you think this is simply a case of a bad match between the director of the DCMF and TPTB in Qatar?

Or if the DCMF is an oxymoron to begin with and an idea that could never work here?

The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) hosted the "Advancing Arab Women in Technology: Strategy Made Reality" workshop on April 15 and 16 at the Millennium Hotel in Doha. The workshop brought together more than 40 experts on women in technology from the Arab World and the United States and serves as a continuum to the inaugural event held in November 2008 in Dubai. The primary focus of the workshop is to move forward with plans to create the Center for Women and Technology for the Arab Region (CWTAR), a major resource to support women's involvement in the knowledge society.

SustainableQatar Meeting Announcement

Monday March 9, 2009
6:30pm
Confirmed Location- Friends of the Environment Center(Tent)

North of Sports round-about behind the Family Counseling Center. Google Map & FEC Image

Topic Items:
Presentation by UNESCO
News and Announcements (Updates on new SQ website)
SQ Meeting

SustainableQatar will host its monthly meeting at 6:30 pm on Monday March 9, 2009 at Friends for the Environment Centre to promote environmental awareness and action within the community. Everyone conscious of and concerned about environmental matters in Qatar is welcome and encouraged to come. Carpool if possible. More details at http://sustainableqa...