MANAMA, DEC. 1 (BNA) -- BOARD CHAIRMAN OF THE ARAB THOUGHT FOUNDATION (ATF) PRINCE KHALID AL FAISAL EXTENDED THANKS TO HM KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA FOR INVITING THE ATF TO HOLD ITS CONFERENCE IN MANAMA AND THANKED PRIME MINISTER SHAIKH KHALIFA BIN SALMAN AL KHALIFA AND CROWN PRINCE AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE BDF SHAIKH SALMAN BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA FOR THEIR VALUABLE BACK-UP.
SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE MARGIN OF THE ATF CONFERENCE IN MANAMA TODAY, PRINCE KHALID DESCRIBED CREATIVITY AS THE WORK THAT GOES BEYOND THE ORDINARY LEVEL TO REACH DISTINCTION. THIS CREATIVITY EXISTS IN THE ARAB WORLD BUT IT IS STILL DORMANT, AWAITING A FAVORABLE CONDITIONS TO MANIFEST ITSELF, HE NOTED. HE INVITED THE NON-PROFIT CULTURAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD TO ENTER INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ATF, UNDER THE COMMON SLOGAN PARTNERS IN THE RISE WHICH, HE SAID, WAS THE CORE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OBJECTIVE. THE ATF IS A SMALL INSTITUTION AND THE ARAB BOOST IS A HUGE TARGET. YET, WE SEE THAT INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS ARE BOTH NECESSARY, THE PRINCE SAID, NOTING THAT ATF HAS CHOSEN ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO BE IN TERMS OF SCIENCE AND CULTURE. HE SAID THAT THE 6TH CONFERENCE HAD DEDICATED ITSELF TO THE ARAB STRATEGIES IN THE GLOBALIZATION ERA TRYING TO COME UP WITH WHAT WOULD CLARIFY THE PATH FOR THE OFFICIALS IN CHARGE OF THESE STRATEGIES. THE ATF DOES NOT ISSUE DECISIONS, NOR DOES IT GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS. IT ONLY PAVES THE WAY IN TERMS OF TIME AND PLACE FOR ARAB MINDS TO MEET, EXCHANGE CONSULTATIONS AND EXPRESS OPINIONS IN ORDER TO MOLD IDEAS TO BE LATER SHARED BY DECISIONS MAKERS, INTELLECTUALS, ACADEMICIANS AND SPECIALISTS, HE SAID. THE GROWING ARAB STATES KEENNESS TO HOST CONFERENCES AND EXTEND INVITATIONS TO THE SCIENTISTS AND INTELLECTUALS TO MEET ARE ALL PROMISING SIGNS ON ARAB LEADERS WILL TO ACCEPT THE OTHER OPINION AND TO BENEFIT FROM THEIR ELITES IN DECISION MAKING, PRINCE KHALID EXPLAINED. THE ATF IS MEANT TO COMPLETE OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THE FIELD. IT IS NEITHER AN OPPONENT NOR A SUBSTITUTE, HE SAID. HE ALSO UNVEILED THAT THE CREATIVE MINDS CLUB WILL SEE LIFE NEXT YEAR, WITH MEMBERS FROM THOSE HONORED IN PREVIOUS CONFERENCES, TO BE A FORUM WHERE INDIVIDUALS AND STATES COULD BENEFIT FROM THEM. MTQ 01-DEC-2007 20:58