Director’s cut: No impediments to creativity in Iran

BY PMA Rasheed

The Gulf Today, 17 Dec 2008

IRANIAN filmmakers enjoy a great deal of freedom of expression as majority of them rely on subjects which are closer to the lives of Iranian people, according to a prominent movie director from Iran.

“We are not facing restrictions or censorship from the authorities, as propagated by the media.

The movies focus on reality, our creations are very much received and appreciated by the audience in Iran itself,” said Majid Majidi, Iran’s only Oscar-nominated director.

He was speaking to the media on Tuesday as part of screening his latest venture Song of the Sparrow at Dubai International Film Festival (Diff 2008).

He pointed out: “Bringing out humanitarian problems are my interests, when I make films. I choose the socially relevant stories for my movies as in-depth analysis of humanity. I hope adopting this human approach will be exciting to the lovers of Iranian movies from other parts of the world too.”

Song of the Sparrow is a deeply humanistic story set among Iran’s underprivileged explores how capitalism and technology corrupts man. “Sparrow is a simple and lovely bird. Even if the bird looks small and weak, it’s strong within. It attracts attention, so I used the symbolism to convey a strong message of life. Sparrow survives by living and flying in different climates and situations,” said Majidi.

The movie has been nominated for about 11 awards, and has won at least five accolades at present.

When asked about the challenges and difficulties of filmmaking in Iran, he said: “Filmmaking is an art, as well as an industry. In that aspect, the crisis in producing a film is not only faced by the directors in Iran, but filmmakers in all over the face such challenges. In Iran, we do face a lack of sufficient financial source.”

“Otherwise, we enjoy a great freedom for expressing our ideas through our films. We don’t face any so-called restrictions or censorship from the authorities, as most of the Iranian directors focus on reality which is very close to the lives of people. And our creations are very much received and appreciated by the audience in Iran itself,” he added.

“I have three projects coming up. Presently I am working on a movie, which is related to India. The project, in association with Zee TV, is based on Kasmir. It’s not completed yet, as there are some security issues over there.”

Raza Naji, who played the protagonist in Song of the Sparrow was also present at the press conference. He said that he was totally dissolved in the character itself. “My character has been picked up from the real life and role has two phases in the film. In the first part of the film, the character is a generous personality, while in the second part he loses the good quality and changes his generous nature due to financial problems. But, at the end he comes to know about his mistakes and wish to retain his real qualities,” Naji added.

“Even though I didn’t relate to it completely, I adapted myself to the role. It’s very important to feel what the individual in the film is going through,” he said.

72 drowning persons were saved in Dubai

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today

27 Nov 2008

Lives of at least 72 drowning people were rescued this year from beaches and swimming pools in several parts of Dubai, a senior official at the Dubai Municipality (DM) said.

Abdul Majeed Ahli, head of parks and recreations section at DM told The Gulf Today: “During the period from January to October of 2008, the special rescue operation team of the municipality has saved about 72 persons from death, as they were drowning while swimming in beaches and pools in different areas of the emirate.”

“In order to deliver quick service, the parks and recreations department of the Dubai Municipality is currently installing rescue towers in many areas of the city. The towers will be equipped with the world’s latest technologies, facilitating rescue operations in beaches under any climatic conditions,” he added.

Ahli said that the municipality is also holding intensive training courses for rescue operators, aimed at improving their performance and efficiency. About 29 rescuers were trained for taking measures to save people from drowning, and ways of giving first-aid to adults and children.

“In every location, a number of specilalised rescuers are deployed under the supervision of the public gardens department. Also guidance signs will be installed at swimming pools and beaches along with yellow and red warning flags,” he added.

50% UAE children face learning disabilities

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 24 Nov 2008

 

Up to 50 per cent of the UAE children’s suffer from poor learning disability and literacy skills, according to an expert.

 

Dr Chris Reynolds of the British Institute for Learning Development said as much as 25 per cent of the UAE’s school going children are not reading and writing at their chronological age-grade level. The figure may be even as high as 50 per cent.

 

Reynolds added, “The United Nations (UN) has reported that some 20 per cent of the UAE population is illiterate, not being able to meet the basic literacy standards of the UN. Literacy problem is probably much higher for children, and especially for those with poor learning habits.”

 

“However, the right intervention programme can increase the learning capacities of children with learning difficulties by an average of three grade levels in one year,” he pointed out.

 

“Among children with learning difficulties, 95 per cent of them have problems regarding literacy skills. Increasing literacy skills for the UAE children starts with first assessing children’s learning capabilities and then providing the right coaching to lift a child’s learning potential,” he added.

 

“The British Institute for Learning Development will release next week a report on its two-year study of children with learning difficulties. The Institute assesses the cognitive development of 62 children for two years.”

 

“Of the children assessed during the first and second years of the study, their cases showed an average increase of 16 per cent above expected norms in their neurological ability, or learning capacity, which directly impacts their academic potential,” Dr Reynolds said.

‘Safety rule violations invite fines up to Dhs10,000′

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 24 Nov 2008

 

DUBAI Municipality (DM) plans to conduct wide inspections across the sites in the city, where activities going on endangering the life of public, informed a top official at DM.

 

The companies who raise threat to the life, health and asset of the general public will be facing huge fines up to Dhs10,000, said Sultan Essa Al Suwadidi, head of public safety section at DM.

 

“The new actions from the DM happen in the wake of increasing accidents in the city due to mere ignorance of safety rules and regulations. The authorities will be imposing fines up to Dhs10,000 for each point of violations of the public safety regulations. The companies who are not providing the required safety measures to their workers also will be punished heavily,” he added.

 

According to him, about 15 per cent of accidents at work happen due to mere carelessness of the safety measures and by using obsolete or non-quality equipments.

 

“Hoardings of advertisements erected damaging the beauty of the city is violation of the rules. Many hoardings have been fixed without keeping the regulated public safety rules.

 

The companies putting all types of advertising hoardings and sign boards, violating the public safety regulations, will have to pay the fine of Dhs10,000. Keeping the hoardings and name boards without having regular clean-up and maintenance is also punishable,” Suwadidi pointed out.

 

Safety equipments

 

“Several loading and unloading companies in many areas of the city, especially sites like Al Aweer and Ras Al Khor, are reported violating the public safety measures at work.

 

Many of them use old and not-repaired cranes, ropes and tyres and other machineries, inviting major risks to the workers as well as general public. The loading and unloading sites should be barricaded.”

 

“The companies must provide the safety equipments like shoes, helmet and other tools to their labourers at work. A supervisor should ensure all needed safety rules have been kept during the work.

 

All machineries should undergo for an annual certification process by qualified experts, accredited by the Municipality.

 

Technical workers should also have accreditation and working permit from the central laboratory of DM. Otherwise such companies will face huge fines,” he warned.

 

“To ensure maximum safety to the life of people is among the most significant concerns of the authorities. So, whoever raises threat to the life of public will face stringent punishments,” Suwadidi said.

4,150 tonnes waste collected in Dubai

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 24 Nov 2008

 

Over 4,150 tonnes of waste and debris have been collected from different parts of Dubai during a four-day clean-up campaign, according to Dubai Municipality officials.

 

Abdullah Rafia, assistant director general for environment and public health sector at DM, said that about 20,550 volunteers participated in the “Clean-up the World” drive of the Dubai Municipality during Nov.18 to 21, witnessing a 12 per cent increase in the number of participants as compared to last year.

 

“People from all walks of life came forward to serve the environment they live in. The participation of governmental and non-governmental organisations, community groups, green organisations, schools and private firms show a high level of environmental awareness among residents of Dubai and their commitment towards keeping their surroundings clean,” he added.

 

Hassan Makki, director of Waste Management Department at DM, said: “The environmental campaign was launched on Nov.18 at Heritage Village. Beaches, streets, open areas and several key sites were cleaned up by 14,950 volunteers from 309 private companies, 16 government departments, six NGOs, and other community groups.”

 

“About 5,600 students from 79 government schools and 31 private schools and universities participated in the drive by picking up debris from open areas. Indian and Filipino communities also participated eagerly in the drive. At least 7,000 members of an Indian community group cleaned-up Nad Al Sheba area, while about 1,300 members of a Filipino community group participated in Al Mamzar beach area clean-up programme,” he added.

 

A DM official said that awareness programmes for general public on recycling and reducing waste were also organised.

 

Environmental workshops on making usable materials from waste, collection of used materials, lectures in schools on the importance of waste reduction, broadcasting programmes on school radios and students’ visits to waste recycling factories were also part of the clean-up drive.

‘Arab societies more prone to genetic diseases’

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 23 Nov 2008

 

About 9,389 young UAE residents have undergone pre-marital medical tests in the country since last March. The campaign has shown that Arab societies are more prone to genetic diseases as they have the tradition of marrying close relatives, informed officials at the health ministry.

 

The pre-marriage health screening campaign has been launched by the UAE Ministry of Health (MoH) in last March, with clinics at all MoH healthcare centers across the UAE.

 

A spokesperson at MoH revealed the statistics that one child out of 25 is affected by hereditary diseases because of genetic disturbance in the first 25 years of his life. It includes mental retardation or physical handicap.

 

“Nine out of the 25 children would die early or would need especial care in hospitals or frequently. These diseases can be prevented only through pre-marriage screenings,” he added.

 

Humaid Mohamed Al Qutami, the UAE Minster of Health said, “All the couples who attended the MoH’s medical tests were given the results along with recommendations. A report was also issued to proceed with the marriage contract, if the results were normal. However, the procedures were not applicable for marriage contracts done outside UAE.”

 

“Screening tests for the marriage candidates covered hereditary diseases, blood disorders as well as diseases that need bacterial and viral screening tests and diseases like hepatitis, AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Preventive treatments are provided through the medical tests and the process helped them detect all types of diseases, especially genetic disorders.”

 

“The MoH has also conducted counseling or educational campaigns to explain the steps to be taken if the test results were positive. Some cases were transferred to specialised clinics for further tests and others for follow-up treatments as per requirements. Vaccinations were given for diseases like German Measles and Hepatitis,” he added.

 

The medical report for marriage candidates is in line with the clause number 27 for 2005 of the Civil Law as per the remarks given by the court presidents in the UAE and the clinic centres for the pre-marriage tests at the UAE Ministry of Health.

 

The minister pointed out, “The MoH initiated the drive aimed at minimising social, psychological and economic consequences of genetic diseases that are passed on to children through marriage. The drive to raise the awareness among national and expatriate residents in the country on the importance of conducting tests before marriage. The authorities are keen to send the message that ignoring these tests is dangerous not only to the couples and their children, but also to the society as a whole.”

 

MoH conducted the pre-marital test campaign was conducted in co-operation with BinSina Pharmacy. Ahmed Al Khayyat, Managing Director of Alphamed Group, the parent company of BinSina, said, “The message is that simple medical screenings could help build a disease free marriage. The screening was mandatory and not an optional activity for the good of the couples and their children.”

 

“We distributed brochures to raise awareness about pre-marriage screening and motivating them to undergo the tests. These tests are done at specialised centres of the MoH across the country. Counseling is also provided to people undergoing the tests,” he added.

 

According to him, studies show that hereditary diseases and physical handicaps can be prevented through pre-marriage screening. Common diseases than can be prevented from being passed on to the next generation through screenings include Thalassemia, AIDS and tuberculosis.

Minister stresses need for conservation

BY PMA RASHEED,

The Gulf Today, 19 Nov 2008

The present ways of consuming resources like power and water, and reducing carbon emissions should be amended in the UAE, said Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahd, the Minister of Environment and Water of the UAE.

He highlighted the change could be put in to practical through a broad set of measures that have to be taken individually and collectively. “We should focus more on environmental issues through such campaigns, rather than sticking on usual “general cleanliness” messages,” he said.

Dr Rashid was speaking to the media after launching the Clean-up the World 2008 campaign, a Dubai Municipality initiative at Heritage Village in Shindagha. “Such issues should include reduction of waste and its safe disposal and amending the way we consume our most important resources, thereby guaranteeing the sustainability of our environment,” he added.

The country’s largest voluntary clean-up drive titled “Start Today, Save Tomorrow” will have nearly 20,000 volunteers joining hands to drive home the green message. Dubai Municipality has been organising the clean-up drive for 15 consecutive years, said Hussain Lootah, DM’s acting director general.

“We aim at forging a sense of mutual co-operation among organisations and institutions in planning and executing environment action programmes. The campaign also plans to enhance community awareness sessions on waste reduction and recycling issues, cleaning-up the local environment and encouraging team-work in finding lasting solutions for the growing waste problem,” he added.

The campaign is held from Nov.18 to 21 at various sites across the emirate.

Special counter for ID card registration at Emirates Airlines

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 15 Nov 2008

Above 35,000 expatriate staff working at Emirates airlines group will be able to manage their national identity card registration processes through special Emirates Post counters arranged at the offices of the country’s major aviation group, said officials.

“The group has signed a contract with Emirates Post’s subsidiary Emirates marketing and promotions (EMP), in line with the decree issued by Emirates Identification Authority (EIDA) that all expatriates in the UAE should posses an ID with ship card by 2010,” said Abdulaziz Al Ali, executive vice president Emirates airlines.

He added, “By providing the UAE ID card processing service within our office premises, Emirates is enabling our large workforce to apply for their cards easily and conveniently and this will help facilitate compliance with the Federal requirement.”

Mohammad Kamal, deputy chief executive officer at EMP said, “Aimed at making the ID registration processes convenient for the staff of Emirates Airlines, we have deployed dedicated resources both at the airlines office as well as our end.”

“As the airlines company takes efforts to make the EIDA process hassle free and easier for its employees, we have incorporated all necessary procedures and system to ensure the completion of the project successfully,” he added.

“EMP counters, along with agents, have been placed within the offices of the emirates. Employees are required to print and fill up a form that has been sent by email to them. This is followed by the payment of a pre-registration fee of Dhs40. Post sorting and data entry by the concerned EMP cell, an automated SMS will be sent to the employees to inform them about the completion of pre-registration and to request them to proceed with the registration process,” pointed out Kamal.

For registration, the employee will return to the EMP counter and fill up a barcode incorporated form. This barcode will be associated with the employee’s file. During submission the employees are required to give their photograph along with fingerprints. After the data is processed, the employee will receive the ID card within two weeks by Empost courier.

‘Sedentary lifestyle stimulates diabetes’

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today

14 Nov 2008

SEDENTARY lifestyle stimulates the diabetes prevalence among the younger generation in the UAE, warn experts.

Dr Muna Al Kawari, director of primary healthcare at the Ministry of Health, said: “Diabetes has become a seriously debilitating condition, afflicting the youth of the UAE. As the younger generation become increasingly accustomed to an inactive lifestyle, the potential for it to explode into an epidemic is rising.”

She was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of “Unite for Diabetes 2008″ campaign at Ibn Battuta Mall, in line with the global focus for world diabetes day on the World Diabetes Day. The largest diabetes-awareness drive in Dubai, supported by Dubai HealthCare City, aims at raising awareness about the condition of diabetes in children and adolescents in the city.

A spokesperson at Ibn Battuta mall said: “The UAE national football team members Adil Abdul-Aziz and Ismail Al-Hammadi from Al Ahli and Issa Ali and Majed Nasser from Al Wasl kicked off a string of fun charity activities with the first few rounds at the penalty shoot-out.”

“Dr Muna Al Kawari along with Nasser Al Budoor, assistant under secretary and director at the ministry of health, contributed the first two blue circles on the Ring of Hope which is in the running to become the world’s largest blue circle collage.

Each small blue circle is priced at Dhs10 and the mall is counting on public generosity to make the world record and raise a substantial amount for the diabetes department of the ministry of health,” added David Thurling, managing director at Nakheel shopping malls group.

“The first step towards raising diabetes awareness is to get as many people tested as possible. The more data we assimilate, the more we can understand the factors leading to its rise spread in the region and work towards a focused preventative approach,” said Advet Bambhani, CEO at Jebel Ali Hospital, the partner in the campaign.

“Free medical test, diabetic screening and nutritional consultations are offered for the customers and visitors at Ibn Battuta Mall throughout the five-day campaign. The campaign runs from Nov 10 to 15, with the activities open to the public from 3 pm onwards,” he added.

‘Dubai generates 9,000 tonnes waste daily’

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today

13 Nov 2008

MASSIVE heaps of individual and industrial waste are mounted in Dubai, adversely affecting the efforts to protect local environment, a senior official of the Dubai Municipality (DM) has said.

Director of waste management department at DM Hassan Makki said, “Life and industry in Dubai nearly generate about 9,000 tonnes of waste per day, including debris and abandoned vehicle from various areas in the city. The environment of the emirate is rapidly corrupted by various types of pollutions. A major project to produce energy out of the daily disposed waste is on the anvil, and it will be operational by the next year safeguarding the environment.”

He added: “Active initiatives for safe disposal of waste, gradual reduction in amount, and recycling as well as making usable materials from waste and raising awareness on making re-usable materials are the lasting solutions for the growing waste problem and reducing its impact on environment.”

Makki was speaking at a press conference to announce DM’s “Clean-up the world 2008′ campaign titled “Start Today, Save Tomorrow”, which will be observed from Nov.18 to 21 in Dubai. About 20,000 volunteers from schools, universities, non-governmental orgaisations and community groups will join in hands as part of the 4-day drive to clean-up designated sites across the city.

“Protection of the environment and preservation of the country’s natural beauty for future generations will be highlighted in the campaign as top priority for the UAE residents. A sense of mutual co-operation should be forged among organisations in planning and executing environment action programmes, along with enhancing community awareness on waste reduction and recycling issues,” explained Makki.

“DM aims at improving public cleanliness in the emirate in cooperation with individuals, government establishments, private firms and non-governmental organisations through effective participation. The campaign has been organising by DM for 15 consecutive years” he said.

He noted that country’s largest voluntary clean-up drive will encourage team-work and ensure participation of institutions and individuals in environment programmes such as cleaning up the local environment. Several awareness initiatives on recycling and reducing waste, and environment workshops on making usable materials from waste will be conducted at shopping malls for general public.

“Broadcasting campaigns on school radios, collection of used materials, lectures in schools on the importance of waste reduction, and arranging visits for students to waste recycling factories will also be part of the campaign. The Environment and Health Awareness Office will organise special awareness programmes for DM staff including an email contest,” he said.

An official at DM informed: “The official launch, held on Nov. 18 at the Heritage Village in Shindagha at 9:45am, will include environment-themed stage presentations by school students, air show on Dubai Creek, Dubai Police Band presentation, recreation programmes for students through workshops, Think Tank Magazine Awards for students, marine clean up activities at the creek and awarding and distribution of certificates and souvenirs.” The campaign’s second day activities are planned on Street-9 at Nadd Al Hammer (Time: 9.30am onwards), featuring clean-up by volunteers from government institutions.

Distribution of litter bins to schools, waste paper collection competition for government institutions and awarding of participants and the distribution of certificates and souvenirs also will be there. In addition, abandoned vehicles removal programme will be held in co-ordination with the operations unit.

Volunteers from private schools, colleges, and universities will be featured on Nov.20 starting with can collection competition at Ras Al Khor Bird Sanctuary Area from 9:30am onwards. Pest control companies in Dubai will also participate in the campaign by undertaking pest control activities in various areas.

The final day of the campaign on Nov.21 will have volunteers from the general public including private company staff, non-governmental organisations, community groups and private entities in cleaning up various areas including Nad Al Sheba. A clean-up will be organised by Dubai’s Filipino community at Mamzar Beach area from 9:15 am onwards.