The Al Sharq Youth 9th International Conference started on Friday in Istanbul, focusing this year on the vision for the Muslim world, actions the youth can take and steps to claim a larger role on the global stage.
Held under the theme of “Tashkil Al Sharq: From Vision to Action,” the organization aims to promote collective thinking and practical cooperation across Muslim societies by bringing together young leaders, officials, thinkers and activists from diverse backgrounds.
The gathering is expected to cover imaginative inspiration, transformative creativity, strategic collaboration and practical solutions to common challenges, including the ongoing crisis in Gaza and Sudan.
Organizers stated the goal is to ensure that participants actively contribute to a collective process rather than engage in isolated or symbolic dialogue.
During the event, Bilal Erdoğan, the chair of the Ilim Yayma Vakfı (the Foundation for the Expansion of Knowledge), underlined the cruciality of the new generation to express themselves and react to matters in the world while empowering the youth with the capability to shape the future with responsibility and a strong purpose.
On the other hand, Rana Dajani, a professor of Molecular Cell Biology and social entrepreneur from Jordan, currently serving as a professor at the Hashemite University, also paid attention to the breakdown of international law in today’s world, in which the system was created to serve a certain part of the community, a certain part of society.
While expressing her journey to a specialized field, genetics and addressing the defects of the international system, she said that: “We all have the same DNA, but we are all very, very different in how we express and manifest that DNA, and therefore we need to learn from nature how we work together in harmony. And most importantly, we need to manage expectations. We need to expect that we are going to fail. And we don't call it failure. We call it an opportunity to learn. These are different ways to learn, and these are lessons we must take from history as well.”
Along with leading thinkers and experts across the region, the conference will also host Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, American Islamic scholar and civil rights activist Omer Sulaiman, the founder of N6B & former director of digital at TRT, Riyaad Minty, and more on the second day of the organization.
The organization is also planning to highlight the role of media, storytelling and civil society in shaping public perception, amplifying youth voices and fostering flexible civic networks across borders.
Moreover, the event will feature hands-on workshops on media, organizing, narrative strategy and policy innovation, alongside high-level panels, keynote speeches, fireside talks and debates.
Participants will also engage in small-group discussions and one-on-one sessions with global experts, as well as artistic programs designed to encourage creativity and deeper engagement, organizers announced.
