World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2006

Some 35% of people in the Arab world neither read nor write, making them the target of manipulation by a minority "with a hidden agenda", said Fadi Nahas, Chairman and Co Founder, Act for Lebanon, Turkey. The organization he co founded, Pan Arab Cultural Icons Wayyak, aims to unite cultural figures from the region to bring a message of life and hope to counter that of "hatred and death" spread by that minority. One way of doing this is through mega concerts that have already been staged in the region and through outreach by musicians and singers to poor communities.

The aim of Wayyak, said Yousra, Actor and Activist, Egypt, is to get the message over to young people that a better life is possible for everyone "and that we need to live in peace together". The best way to get the message to the illiterate is through music and the visual arts. Moderator Raghida Dergham, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent and Columnist, Al Hayat, USA, noted that Yousra had been attacked because films in which she had appeared took a negative position on terrorism.

For Nimah I. Nawwab, Poet, Saudi Arabia; Young Global Leader, the initiative could help unleash "the undiscovered talents of our youth". In the Arab world, we have a lot of seeds that are not blooming." Older people do not listen enough to youth. Cultural figures can play a major role in encouraging young people to develop their skills, working through schools and poorer communities from the ground up. They can also help overcome the stereotyping of Arabs in the world "that has come about as a result of terrorism".

Shahzia Sikander, Artist, USA; Young Global Leader whose work according to Dergham challenges the artificiality of frontiers and boundaries said that she also aims to show how stereotypes can be challenged. Arab artists working together can act as a force for social change. But they need support and encouragement from governments.

Nahas said Wayyak needs to get more artists under its umbrella and get mega sponsors to back its activities. But it needs to avoid being influenced by politicians and religions. It could be duplicated in other parts of the world, like Africa and Asia. There is a cultural renaissance on in the Arab world, coming from the educated elite, and this will reinforce the enthusiasm for education among the population at large.