Inauguration of a Signing Ceremony for A Female Pupil’s Memoirs – Between Yesterday and Today Authored by Maye Shibr

Among the activities of the cultural programme of the Iraqi Business council (IBC), Creativity, the IBC orchestrated yesterday, 14.06.2015, in the IBC’s meeting room, a signing ceremony forA Female Pupil’s Memoirs – Between Yesterday and Today, authored by Iraqi writer, Ms. Maye Shibr.

At the outset, Professor Salah Jarrar, former Minister of Culture, delivered an overview about the autobiography of authoress, Maye Shibr, reviewing her significant role in educational issues.

Professor Jarrar also touched on the role of the writer in the Jordanian cultural landscape since the nineties.

He also walked the audience through a number of the works of Ms. Shibr in the areas of education, school libraries and community issues, as well as through her continuous efforts in the publication of her articles in a number of the local newspapers.

Professor Jarrar described her the book as ‘introducing a new distinguished colour, where the authoress employed her memoirs to present creative educational notions using charming, smooth and proper rhetoric’.

He also looked into the key significantly important subjects which the publication examines and which has guiding benefits for education; meanwhile, the speaker stressed the importance of education in the early years of childhood, hoping the Ministry of Education would guide its schools to own this valuable product, as it can serve as a basic part and reference to which male and female teachers, school principals and students would refer.

On her part, authoress Shibr presented a number of the topics that her work tackles, including her memoirs during childhood; she discussed the education methodologies comparing the past with the present, and the role of technology evolution and its impact across generations.

The event also included poems presented by the Sheik of Arab artists, Rafiq al-Lahham and Poet Lawyer Raghib al-Qassim. At the end of the gathering, both of Mr. Mamoun at-Talhouni and Professor Jarrar commended the role IBC is playing in supporting male and female authors and writers, as well as the Iraqi community in Jordan.

The opening ceremony was attended by Iraq ambassador to Jordan, Professor Jawad Hadi Abbas and his wife; the cultural attaché, Dr Abbas al-Husseiny; Iraq health attaché assistant, Dr Wahhab Abbas; the military attaché at the Egyptian embassy to Jordan; and Mr. Aayed ath-Thafeery, chairman of the board of directors/Arab-Australian Institute for Strategic Affairs.

On the part of the IBC, the ceremony was attended by IBC’s Vice President and Secretary, Saad Naji; IBC’s Vice President and a number of the IBC’s members of the board of directors: Mr. Nizar Aawjy, Mr. Mohammad Jawad al-Jboury, Mrs. Wasan al-Khafajy and member of the humanitarian committee, Mrs. Widad as-Saffaar, as well as a number of the representatives of the diplomatic missions to the country, in addition to a large crowd of Iraqi and Arab writers and artists, satellite station channels, the media and the IBC’s director-general and staff.

Communication on progress 2012 (CSR)

In order to enhance the concept of partnership between the Public and Private Sectors and the principles of integrity and transparency, the Iraqi Business Council (IBC) was a pioneer organizer and supporter to the United Nations Global Compact Initiative concerning the social responsibility of companies.

This Initiative that promotes the consolidation of ten principles adopted by the United Nations including transparency, combating child labor, integrity, environment preservation, human rights and other sublime principles that the IBC endeavored to apply to its agendas and programs since its establishment to the present date through symposiums and workshops to introduce this Initiative and its role in the development of the business society and the Iraqi civil society.

IBC Board of Directors being keen on expanding participation in the activities of the local network of the Global Compact in Iraq, appointed Dr. Amila Naji holder of a Ph.D. Degree in Companies’ Social Responsibility and an IBC member, as IBC Counselor for companies’ social responsibility and IBC representative in the Steering Committee of the Local Network of Global Compact in Iraq.

With this in mind, IBC was keen since its foundation to establish and support health care and humanitarian aid programs for the Iraqi community in Jordan by forming humanitarian committees to support the humanitarian programs and improve the conditions of vulnerable Iraqis whether inside Iraq or those living in Jordan.

The activities of this committee cover health, living and educational programs, and efforts to provide resources that assist in alleviating the sufferings of this vulnerable sector including “I HAVE A DREAM” Program to support Iraqi children inflicted with incurable diseases, “FARAH” Program which was designated to children with burns who were mutilated as a result of the obnoxious acts of terrorism underway in Iraq, and “AL-BALSAM” Program designated to aid the vulnerable Iraqi elderly patients who are in the Intensive Care Units in the Jordanian hospitals.

In addition to the aforementioned, IBC also sponsors Iraqi competencies of intellectuals, university professors, artists, scholars and other qualified dignitaries living in Jordan by means of shedding light on their creativity and supporting them to hold art exhibitions and finding opportunities to propagate their ingenuousness regionally and globally.

IBC sponsorship of scientific competencies was not only limited to Jordan, but it extended to participation in the Diamond Sponsorship of “Tamayuz Award” for architectural excellence of graduation projects for students of architectural engineering colleges in Iraqi universities for 2012 to stimulate scientific ingenuousness and encourage Iraqi competencies and talents.

IBC further works on promoting social ties between members of the Iraqi community residing in Jordan and outside Iraq through cultural activities and various social meetings.

Based on IBC various activities in the humanitarian field and keenness of its members to take part in the social and economic rehabilitation initiatives, with great pride IBC participated in organizing fine arts and humanitarian gallery under the title “MEMORY OF A PLACE” which represented the Iraqi man holding on to his genuine cultural roots.. crying out loud “this is Iraq, it is my land.. it is my history.. it is the dream of my children and ancestors.. it is the place that has imperishable living memory.”

This art exhibition was held in collaboration with the International Migration Organization – Iraq Mission and the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Jordan where elite Iraqi, Jordanian and European artists participated with the objective of supporting the affected communities in Iraq through the activities of the International Migration Organization that plays an outstanding sublime humanitarian role to alleviate the suffering of displaced Iraqis inside and outside Iraq through the support of the Iraqi Embassy in Jordan which has achieved remarkable successes turning it from an Embassy to a warm home embracing all Iraqis.

This participation comes as an achievement of IBC objectives, humanitarian goals and its ethical responsibility to aid the vulnerable Iraqis inside and outside Iraq.

SAAD MUHSIN NAJI

Vice President/ Secretary General

Iraqi Business Council