In celebration of World Diversity Day, which coincides with May 21st of each year, the Ministry of Culture’s Qatari Forum for Authors held a colloquium on Diversity in Translation: Luxury or necessity. The event, which was attended by several culture and translation professionals and experts, was live streamed on YouTube and the Forum’s social media accounts. The discussions centered around two topics. The first was the role of institutions in supporting translation and promoting a culture of tolerance. Its discussion panel included Maryam Yassin Al-Hamadi, Director of the Qatari Forum for Authors, Dr. Hanan Ahmed Al-Fayyad, Media Consultant for Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding, and Mohammed Hassan Al-Kuwwari, Director of the Ministry of Culture’s Publication and Translation Administration. Al-Hamadi focused on the international agreement that Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Culture, has recently joined to promote the diversity of cultural expression. Dr. Al-Fayyad highlighted the role of Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding in enriching the Qatari cultural scene. Al-Kuwwari, Director of the Publication and Translation Administration, emphasized how much the Ministry of Culture values translation.
Discussions of the second topic, which was translation as a means for promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding, were moderated by media specialist Buthaina Abdul Jalil. The discussion panel included Qatari writer Dr. Khalifa Hazza, author and academic Dr. Dia Borresly, and Dr. Abdul Hamid Zahid. Dr. Hazza discussed the importance of World Diversity Day for translators. Dr. Borresly focused on Qatari efforts to promote cultural diversity through translation. Dr. Zahid highlighted some concepts that need to be taken into consideration when translating.