Amid widespread heartbreak and outrage over the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates will bring together foreign policy experts and young people for a town-hall-style debate on who should wield global power in this new multilateral world.

Taking place at Qatar National Library on 9 December at 3 pm, the town hall, titled “Rise of the Rest: Who Should Lead in a Multipolar World?”, comes as Qatar and the Global South, among other players, have taken on a more prominent problem-solving role in global affairs after decades of unrivaled Western influence.

Doha Debates’ unique, youth-driven town halls—where students and recent university graduates ask questions of expert panelists with divergent viewpoints—aim to amplify the voices of young changemakers in discussions of critical global issues.

Experts at the event include:

  • Jon B. Alterman, Senior Vice President and Middle East Programme Director of the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Sawsan Chebli, a foreign policy expert and columnist who co-founded the Arab-German Friendship Association
  • Wadah Khanfar, President of Al Sharq Forum and Former Director-General of Al Jazeera

Moderating the town hall is journalist Femi Oke, a CNN and Al Jazeera veteran and co-founder of Moderate the Panel, a diverse female moderators’ bureau. Approximately 20 students and recent graduates will join her onstage, asking questions and driving the discussion.

The town hall is presented in partnership with Doha Forum, on the eve of its 21st anniversary. A limited number of tickets can be reserved via Eventbrite.

Amjad Atallah, Managing Director of Doha Debates, said:

With the geopolitical landscape in flux, amid conflicts across the globe, we’re excited to engage in this forward-looking town hall at Qatar National Library. We have an ideal partner in Doha Forum, which for over two decades has been a leading global platform for reflective, action-oriented dialogue. Our town hall aims to foster that same kind of deeply engaged and solutions-focused approach to such a challenging global issue.’

The full town hall will be posted on Doha Debates’ YouTube channel on 10 December 2023. For more information, visit the Doha Debates website.

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