FADIA CUMA

Lebanon- The Arab Forum for Sustainable Development has become an important platform that aims to develop the digital skills of young entrepreneurs from Arab countries and highlight projects that relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On April 14, the results of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Digital Arabic Content Award for Sustainable Development were announced during the three-day Arab Forum for Sustainable Development held at UN House in Beirut, Lebanon.

Forsa, a Jordan-based online platform that provides free educational advice, training, capacity building, and skill development opportunities for young people living in the Middle East and North Africa, won an award in the category of institutions for creating a guide on how to write digital Arabic contents in Egypt.

“FORSA is a dynamic platform that provides free educational advice, training, capacity building, and skill development opportunities for young people in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman,” said Bayan Almuhtaseb, Strategic Relations Officer at online learning platform “Abwaab” in Jordan. “We align with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2025 Arab Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. We make great efforts to provide high-quality education.”

Bayan Almushtaseb drew attention to gender discrimination and said, “The platform works coordinately with local and international organizations to support girls who want to continue their education; however, face challenges such as early marriage, displacement and disasters.”

The winners of the category of young entrepreneurs are: Adam Wa Mishmish, an Arabic-language educational program in Jordan; Climate School, a media and educational platform in Egypt; the Ruh Care Online Therapy Platform in Palestine and Wajeez, an app-based platform in Jordan.

“We are happy to attend the forum,” said Rahma Diaa, founder of Climate School, independent journalist and trainer. “The Climate School is a volunteer initiative that aims to support journalists covering climate issues in the Middle East and North Africa. We provide free training, Arabic resources and professional opportunities to them. We combat misinformation and support marginalized and most vulnerable groups in the field of climate change.”