KUWAIT, April 19 (KUNA) -- Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah on Sunday opened the first national reading conference held under "And cast sight." The major cultural event, sponsored by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, is organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) in cooperation with cultural youth groups.
It functions as a call for reading, Sheikh Salman said, referring to books as the best friend and the bridge to promote enlightened thinking as well as a creative tool to further boost Man's relation to life.
He highlighted the prior attention paid by the Kuwaiti political leadership to encourage reading, out of a belief that it is the "basic pillar for enlightened thinking, both for individuals and the society." According to the Minister, the over-all development project Kuwait is aspiring to cannot be achieved "unless knowledge and culture are deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of younger generations." He underlined the significant role by the conference to serve that goal.
The Minister hoped the event would adopt a national strategy to encourage young people to show more interest in Arabic, language of the Holy Qura'n, through coordination between the NCCAL and other cultural and educational societies.
A book fair is held on the sidelines of the two-day conference, where several public and private libraries and publishing houses are displaying their books. (end) has.tb.msa