The creative storytelling workshop took place on Monday 29th November at the @UNHub within the Opportunity Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. It was a collaborative event organised by the Arab region Youth Arts & Music Initiative (AYAMI) from the United Nations Development Programme for Arab States.
Canon Ambassador Laura El-Tantawy was invited by AYAMI to deliver her storytelling workshop in-person to young people from Lebanon and the UAE after her successful virtual workshop during the UN SDG Festival of Action in March.
Supporting Laura at the workshop from Canon EMEA were Adam Pensotti, Head of the Young People Programme and Jeanine El Moughrabi, Regional Sustainability Engagement Lead, while Amani Semaan and Maya Beydoun attended from the UNDP Arab States.
Adam Pensotti said, “It’s fantastic to be able to attend Expo Dubai and get involved in such a hands-on session, working to educate and inspire future generations on the power of storytelling. Sharing the Canon Young People Programme at this global event is an enormous privilege and provides these young people with a great opportunity to communicate about the issues that matter to them; the camera is an amazing tool for storytelling, enabling us all to share our personal stories and inspire others.”
Adam Pensotti spoke about the power of imagery and creative education in his role as Head of the Canon EMEA Young People Programme
The workshop is part of the Canon EMEA Young People Programme, founded upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and giving young people across the region inspiration, education and empowerment to express themselves on the issues that most affect them in their lives
Canon was involved in other initiatives at Dubai Expo this year including:
- ‘Supporting youth through the creative approach – Climate action & the environment’ that took place on the 15th October and discussed the South Africa Young People Programme project with local NGO Wild Shots Outreach
- ‘Next Gen | The Places You'll Go: Imagining the Perfect City of Tomorrow’ that took place on 4th November and featured Neville Ngomane, Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (2019) and Young People Programme South Africa participant
- ‘Next Gen | Bridging the Divide: Bringing Bold Change with Wisdom’ that was hosted on 18th November and featured Young People Programme participant Hassan Raja on the panel
To learn more about the Young People Programme, please visit Canon’s website: https://www.canon-europe.com/sustainability/