The Center for Civilizational Dialogue of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Education of the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, held a regional forum on the promotion of the principles of constructive dialogue and values of tolerance among youth through social media. The event brought together several national institutions in Oman involved in anchoring the values of dialogue and tolerance.

In a video-recorded address for the opening ceremony of the forum, which concluded its proceedings on Monday, December 19, 2022, in the Omani capital, Muscat, Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Center, stated that youth represent 60% of the Arab and Muslim countries populations and the most sought-after talent by different fields, adding that they have become major online content creators and social media innovators.

He noted that social media platforms should serve as instruments for dialogue and neutral means for communication between young people, emphasizing the need to use the Arabic language to enrich this communication.

It is worth noting that the two-day forum is oriented towards youth, parents and researchers and is aimed at raising awareness of the principles of constructive dialogue and the values of tolerance among youth. It also seeks to benefit from ICESCO’s relevant initiatives, most notably the Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program (LTIPS) which now has a community of eighty (80) alumni ambassadors for peace. ICESCO endeavors to expand this community to 500 young ambassadors by 2025.