Describe the main features of the measure/initiative:
In 2013, the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) launched ‘Read.Dream.Create’ campaign to boost interaction between children and books, and build their capacity to read, write, innovate, and create through children’s storybooks. The campaign is designed to develop children’s and young people’s interpretation skills and provide them with the tools necessary to turn their ideas into stories. The campaign also aims to help better understand the needs of the Arab child and thereby identify the issues and topics that should be addressed in Arabic children’s literature. This campaign has worked to encourage all segments of society to participate and volunteer in literacy activities that have been organized across the UAE. These activities include organizing storytelling sessions for different institutions, such as schools, as well as organizing a young adults book club that allows them to engage in discussions with Arab young adult book authors. The campaign also holds a competition for young story creators across the UAE. Furthermore, the campaign has helped publish Arabic translations of inspiring children’s books in other languages, as well as “Write Your Own Storybook”. The campaign has also conducted different workshops and activities, some of them are with children on writing creative stories using the Arabic translation.
Website of the measure/initiative, if available:
What are the results achieved so far through the implementation of the measure/initiative?:
Through our storytelling and reading sessions, children’s love for books continue to be ignited, perhaps even made books more interesting to the children who are not necessarily avid readers yet. Furthermore, the creative writing competition encouraged children to write/illustrate stories. Moreover, the young adults book club exposes them to works of fiction they might not otherwise be exposed to, as well as enhances their social, communication, and expression skills, as well as open their minds to different readings and through that different frameworks and ideas.