Documenting the culture and heritage of a country and its people is very important as this helps the generations to come to understand their history better and will instill a sense of belonging to the homeland.
In this regard, there are many projects undertaken by various bodies in Qatar. An interesting one among the many undergoing projects is the one by the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) where they are preparing a bilingual “Qatar Cultural Encyclopedia” which will include several separate dictionaries like Vocabulary of Daily Life, Lexicon of Places, Lexicon of Popular Expressions and Lexicon of Popular Proverbs. They just announced that work on the seven volumes of the Vocabulary of Daily Life is over and will be printed in January 2023.
This project holds significant importance as this will prove as a great reference point for future scholars and those who are interested in the cultural history of Qatar and its people. They have already started work on the first volume of the Dictionary of Places, which is expected to link places in Qatar with its authentic Arab history by rooting place names from linguistic dictionaries and others. Qatar Cultural Encyclopedia’s team consists of professors specialised in language, linguistics and literature at Qatar University.
Being aware of one’s history and cultural heritage is essential for every citizen and this needs to be done by imparting this knowledge to the young generation through books and documentaries. Qatar has been at the forefront in this as they have introduced Qatar history to the students through classrooms and have also made Arabic language and Islamic studies along with history compulsory for schools. These steps will help youngsters identify with their heritage, culture and will help instill national identity and religious values in students at an early age.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has introduced many other initiatives like these which are essential for nation-building and in creating a responsible and sensible generation. The initiatives include ‘My values define my identity’, ‘Strengthening national identity’ and the ‘Ethical charter’. Only when you are aware and embrace your own culture could you understand someone else’s culture and build a bridge between them
Another body, which is also active in preserving the texts and other manuscripts, is the Qatar National Library (QNL). They recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan to enhance cooperation in preserving and promoting Islamic documents and texts and protect Islamic heritage.
These combined efforts will help in preserving, documenting and protecting our culture and history.
