1. law, govt and politics
2. government

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015
LOCAL
KUWAIT: A general view of the City of Lights. — Photos by Joseph Shagra
Visitors walk by a carpet made of lights.
Lights on in the ‘City of Lights’
Illuminated park open to the public till Feb 28
By Nawara Fattahova
KUWAIT: In February, Kuwait is lit up on the
occasion of the National and Liberation Days.
All public institutions, most private institutions and company buildings, as well as many
houses, are decorated with lights and Kuwaiti
flags. During this month, many events, carnivals, sport activities and other events also take
place in Kuwait.
Until the end of February, people can also
enjoy visiting the ‘City of Lights’ in Mishref
near the International Fair Ground. The city
was launched on Saturday and will welcome
visitors till Feb 28, 2015 every day from 5 pm
to 11 pm. Entrance is free of charge. This project was organized by the ‘Baader Inta Gader’
(You Can Make the Initiative) campaign.
Besides the huge park, decorated with lights
of all colors and different designs, visitors will
also find activities for both the adults and children. Four huge tents are set in this City, including booths with various items for sale such as
outfits, accessories, perfumes, cosmetics, toys,
food and much more. A traditional cafe and
restaurant reminds visitors of the Kuwaiti heritage. Activities and musical performances for
kids are held daily at one of the tents.
Historical honoring
Minister of Information and State Minister
for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud
Al-Sabah inaugurated the City of Lights
Saturday, expressing his happiness at this
great project, which coincides with awarding
Kuwait as the World Humanitarian Center by
the United Nations. “This event also celebrates
the occasion of honoring HH the Amir as the
‘Humanitarian Leader’ by the UN, which is a
historical honoring by the UN for his great
humanitarian acts all around the world. And
we are celebrating the 54th National Day and
the 24th Liberation day, along with the 9th
anniversary of HH the Amir’s reign,” he noted.
“The permanent committee for the national celebrations always supports all initiatives
of various activities. We believe that such
activities and projects encourage tourism and
local entertainment, which puts Kuwait on the
map of GCC tourism, especially during the
national celebrations. The City of Lights is a
great project that reflects local creativity and
innovation of Kuwaitis, and it proves that they
are able to come up with tremendous ideas
and projects,” added Sheikh Salman.
Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud Al-Sabah
speaks at the inauguration.
A group of kids take a ‘selfie’ with Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs
Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud Al-Sabah.
Youth initiative
The head of the ‘Baader Inta Gader’ campaign Mubarak Al-Najjada said that this project is a result of Kuwaiti youth initiative. “We
believe that the future is made by the present
generation, and that positive initiatives can
beat challenges and obstacles. Kuwaitis have
the ability to overcome any obstacle that
stands in the way of the country’s development. Our campaign aims to encourage positive thinking and to invest individual and collective efforts in useful activities,” he said.
A portrayal of the Seif Palace.
A child takes a ‘selfie’ with Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth
Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud Al-Sabah.
In my view
Syrian reconciliation
By Labeed Abdal
[email protected]
T
A performance during the inauguration.
KJA’s general assembly meeting today
Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud
Al-Sabah tours a gallery at the city.
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Journalists
Association (KJA) urges members who
paid their 2015 subscription fees to
attend the ordinary general assembly
meeting, which takes place today at
3:30pm in K JA’s headquarters in
Shuwaikh.
The meeting will be delayed for half
an hour in case of a lack of quorum, after
which it will be held regardless of the
number of attendants, in accordance
with article 29 of the KJA’s statute.
Small enterprises fund regulations in offing
Small Enterprises, Future Ambitions Forum kicks off
KUWAIT: An executive regulation for the
National Fund for Small and Medium
Enterprises is in the offing, a senior government official said.
Dr Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce
and Industry, made this announcement
while addressing the attendants in the inaugural session of the ‘Small Enterprises,
Future Ambitions Forum,’ which kicked off
yesterday at the Australian Collage of
Kuwait. The event was held under the
patronage of His Highness the Prime
Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad
Al-Sabah, and witnessed large participation
from government officials and business
leaders in the country.
The fund will start receiving Kuwaiti
entrepreneurs’ requests for finance of small
and medium enterprises immediately after
the executive regulation issuance, Mudej
said. The minister further stressed that the
government is giving due attention to
capacity-building activities to harness the
skills of the ambitious young entrepreneurs
and enable them to contribute to the
national economy and create job openings.
KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr
Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej making his address at the session. — KUNA
He pointed out that the Prime Minister supports any event that promotes the concepts
of small enterprises and its pivotal role in the
economy.
The three-day forum will thrash out the
concepts and expertise of projects and
young people’s awareness as well as promising investment openings. The conferees will
also touch upon governmental facilities to
youth-run projects and joint work mechanisms with civil society organizations. It will
feature youth-oriented training workshops
to be held in cooperation with a number of
concerned agencies and under the supervision of accredited academicians and trainers. The forum is primarily intended to
encourage young people to carry out small
and medium-sized enterprises and to promote the positive aspects of the recently
adopted law on small and medium-sized
enterprises. — KUNA
he statements recently made by the Syrian Minister
of State for National Reconciliation Affairs Ali Haidar
about considering public reconciliation as the base of
striking terrorism and reaching national dialogue, and his
remarks that some people wish to blow such attempts and
prevent reconciliation attempts, show that the only way
out of the current situation is national accord and agreement that requires a great deal of ‘give and take’ between
both sides. It also shows that this solution is more needed
now than any previous time. This option is much better for
Syrians in order to heal their wounds and reunite.
This path will undoubtedly be the base towards fighting
terrorism and initiating a national dialogue between the
government and the opposition. The minister’s remark, in
which he said that the aim of the meeting was to evaluate
members’ performance over the past year and set clear
visions for this year through the ministry’s coordination,
supervision and regulation of voluntary public reconciliation-oriented efforts, form the ultimate goal for many
Syrians who wish to restore their country.
The minister’s emphasis that the Syrian policy is built on
three elements of fighting terrorism, local reconciliation
and national dialogue and that state institutions were not
the only ones concerned with reconciliation as all NGOs,
religious, cultural, social and educational facts share the
same concerns, is actually very heartening because Syrians
and all the Middle East countries aspire to restore security
for Syria and its people through real national agreements
and true democratic practices.
Syrians who had been misled must be contained and
reintegrated in the society; their needs and demands must
be met be them jobs or rights, various individual and state
rights should be protected, reunions must be made and
pardons must be granted. Efforts must be continued to
achieve reconciliation between the Syrian army and the
armed opposition, which is already happening and succeeding in some areas and failing in others. Yet, such failure
should not deter those efforts. The only bet should be on
the continuation of other political solutions.
In this regard, various parties should recall the history of
Japan and Germany and their devastation in the aftermath
of World War II. Nevertheless, those two nations survived
thanks to the strong will of their people and their vision for
a better future.