Insight Dubai Conference

Students Quotes 2009

International Participants Quotes

Tracey Livingston – USA

I was in a bike shop in the Georgetown section of DC the day after coming back from Dubai. The man helping me saw my Henna tattoos and asked if I went to a Henna party. I replied, “No, I was facilitating a conference in Dubai for the past week and a half at the Dubai Women’s College of Technology.” The look on his face showed he was blown away by my answer. He told me he had heard many things about Dubai and began asking questions on the region including local attractions, economic stability, and much more. He considered me a knowledgeable first-hand source of information on a typically misunderstood part of the world.
This situation is not unique for just me, but for all of those who can talk about having traveled to the Middle East, not as a tourist, but as an active member in the global community. In answering the question on how my life has changed through being a committed member of the Insight Dubai Conference, I would say my life has become so much more enriched and culturally molded. By having gone to Dubai as both a participant and a facilitator I have been able to see both sides of the spectrum. I learned not only how to lead a group, but to also lead change within a group; giving as much positive feedback to the women as I could, guiding them to think critically and pulling them in directions toward understanding that people like themselves create change in their society. I created change in my society by conversing with the man in the bike shop and proved that understanding through experience creates leaders and activists in us all.

Irina Kharatyan – Armenia

It was a pleasure for me to participate in Insight Dubai. Now I have so many friends from different Countries all over the world.

Beenish Maqsood - Pakistan

I still can’t believe that I am not there with my Insight Dubai friends. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I got a chance to meet a lot of bright females from all across the globe. It was a great learning experience. I got to know about a lot of different cultures and experienced a part of it too. I didn’t know much about the real life of Emirati women, but this forum gave me the opportunity to see deep into their lives. Not forgetting that the guest speakers had a great influence on me by giving me a new direction for moving forward in my life.

Bakhta Abdelhay - Algeria

The conference is unique in terms of intellectual level and social exchange. It showed how the construction of our identity is different. While the UAE has a balanced identity according to Sharia law which does not prevent them from being open and overt to world cultures, it seems that we are still in a kind of quest of an identity of ours, that's why, in my opinion, it is worth learning more about the details of the way and manner women in the Emirates are developing an identity of their own. How are they pioneers in leadership.

Sumatee Maharjan – Nepal

“Wow”, was my first reaction as soon as I landed the Dubai International Airport. Since then my stay in Dubai has been wonderful and a life time experience of learning and joy. This was not only the time when I re-discovered myself but also got to discover many things about many people from different cultural and national background from all around the world. After the conference was over, I felt more responsible as a human being to help ones in need, in any way I can, especially through my writings for the National Dailies. I have equally become aware of the enormous hardship that majority of people in the world has to face in their day-to-day life. As I, myself come from a developing country, so I couldn’t find a better platform to put forward my views regarding human trafficking and women leadership issues from my country. Overall making new friends, visiting some important places in UAE and those interesting interactions with all the guest speakers was worth to cherish throughout my life. Insight Dubai Conference is something, to which I would definitely encourage more girls to participate from my country in future.

Fei Fei Chi – China

Actually I've been a volunteer worker for a relatively large international conference hold annually in China concerned with business issues. But Insight Dubai conference is quite different than anything I have ever experienced and I have to say it is really fantastic!! The discussion and sightseeing are all amazing. I enjoyed it and had a wonderful time.

I learn a lot about the Arabic culture, Islam, and different global issues like women's leadership and NGOs. I feel more open than ever, because when talking to other girls from around the world, I try to understand their viewpoints, their way of thinking, and what makes them think in this way. Additionally, I knew what other girls around the world usually do at my age and I found myself closer to the answer of what I want to do and what I need to focus on in my life. I believe, this experience will make a difference in my life sooner or later, and I only need time to find it out.

ELŻBIETA SPERZYŃSKA – Poland

It’s been a great pleasure to be part of such unforgettable experience as Insight Dubai 2009. This conference helped me to understand difficulties and obstacles that young Emirati women have to face; as well as the issues that are globally problematic as human trafficking. By sharing opinions and listening to other participants I was able to look at the problem from different perspectives, also through group brainstorming I was able to discover a solution to the discussed issues, which I plan to present in my school during the lectures. I've returned to home with a new view to the discussed problems and with a strong will to share with newly learned ideas with my college colleagues.

Lydia Odundo – Kenya

The conference was great and all the places we went to were amazing, especially the dhow cruise, the mosque and the desert. In our group sessions I’ve learnt a lot from the theme of this year's conference “human trafficking”. The movies we watched just showed me how people can be tricked into this business. I’ve learnt about Arabic culture and UAE governance. It was a great pleasure for me to be a participant at the conference! Given a chance I would attend the conference over and over again. God bless you. Thanks a lot!

Malyse Uwase – Rwanda

Insight Dubai was a very wonderful learning opportunity for me. I got to know so many things about many different countries in a short period of time all of this because of the conference concept of bringing different women from different countries together and mix them up so that they all learn something about each other. I also really appreciated the human trafficking topic I really do think that it concerns all of us citizens of the world as it is the modern day slavery. By talking about it we learned a lot and we can now respectively explain it to other people in our own countries and maybe start a movement to put an end to it. The conference has really helped me understand that as women we can be a source of change and leadership in this world and has allowed me to make new friends.

Chanda Chilanga – Zambia

When I first heard about Insight Dubai I thought it was just another conference, where you sit and listen and that’s about it. I met girls from everywhere, everybody was so nice and respectful and just open to learning. I learned so much about Human Trafficking which I thought I knew about but clearly not, all the different perspectives just made me think more about it and how I could do a small part in making this world better. Shari'a law was something I was always curious about because I heard of it in the news and i always thought it was harsh and unjust but after the discussions I learned that it was not designed to mistreat women but to be fair as the Quran commands. The UAE girls where unbelievable, so talented and insightful and just so genuine and that made us feel comfortable. Our team was so diverse that we did not always agree but we disagreed constructively and that just helped us learn more about each other’s countries. I would urge every woman to attend this conference not because of all the sightseeing which was wonderful but because of what an eye opener to a woman's world it is.

Faizaan Nagrah – Pakistan

I found this conference full of memorable moments. Each discussion and activity served to broaden my knowledge of other cultures and religions. I've learned new perspectives to address different global issues like cultural awareness and tolerance, Gender balance and Human trafficking etc. Getting to know the Emirati culture, visiting Sheikh Zayed mosque and dune bashing have been amongst the best times on Insight Dubai.

Jennifer Lieb – USA

As an international relations student, I was eager to attend Insight Dubai and discuss such major global issues with girls from around the world, and learn of their perspective. I applied to Insight Dubai largely because I was tired of saying that I study international relations when I have never traveled abroad. When I found out I was chosen as a participant, I was overwhelmed with joy, but had no idea what to expect 5 months down the line at the conference.

The conference was a real eye-opening experience. Having the opportunity to sit in a classroom with girls from the UAE, US, Yemen, Italy, Palestine, Canada, Pakistan and Australia all at the same time and discuss issues such as human rights and human trafficking was phenomenal. I learned more about those two issues talking with those girls for 20 minutes, than I ever did sitting in a 3 hour lecture back at my university. Many cultural disparities became evident through our discussions, and many culturally preconceived notions and generalizations were also dismissed through our interactions. The large group discussions and the guest lecture series were also fascinating, and provided even more and often deeper insight into the pressing issues we discussed.

One of the things that surprised me the most was the freedom that the UAE women exercise. I have a long time family friend who grew up in Pakistan and she told us of the hardships that she faced at home, and that she left for America so her daughter would have more freedom. I knew that Dubai and the UAE was much more forward than the majority of the Middle East, but was pleasantly surprised by the level of freedom the girls have - in some regards they have even more options than the average women in the US. The government pays for their college education, all plan on going on to get a masters or PHd, and almost all of them have a car and their license. They do have certain restrictions, but from the impression that I got, none of them feel oppressed or 'held back' by such restrictions because they respect their culture and the logic behind these restrictions.
It was an honor to attend such an intellectual and insightful conference, and would love more than anything to return to the conference, and visit the amazing friends I have made in Dubai.
Thank you for allowing me to participate in Insight Dubai 2009!

Emily Zinck - Canada

As-salaamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you). I would like to begin by thanking all of you for supporting my trip to Dubai. I had an excellent experience and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to go and experience Dubai and the local culture. The conference which I attended was wonderful. I met women from around the world who are all passionate about equality and peace both at home and abroad.

The purpose of the conference, held at the Dubai Women’s College, is to bring international students to Dubai to interact with students from Dubai Women's College to discuss critical global issues. Through this conference, students can develop an appreciation of world leadership, global politics, cross-cultural communication and international relations which are the keys to successful leadership in today's dynamic economy. This year, the main topics addressed through role-playing and discussions were Human Trafficking, Shari’ a Law and Women Leadership. This was such a unique opportunity to have women from many different countries and backgrounds discussing what their governments are doing to address such global issues and what role women have in affecting change.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about my trip was the opportunity to interact with women from Dubai and other parts of the United Arab Emirates. I realized that we in Canada get a very one-sided view of their lifestyle, which does a disservice to the rich culture and heritage that they enjoy. These Emirate women are intelligent, beautiful and passionate about their country and their faith. One of our speakers was a local female doctor who grew up in Dubai, studied in the USA, and then returned to practice in the UAE. I asked her- “If there was one thing you would like myself and other women in Canada to know about women in the UAE, what would it be?” Her answer- that we are all the same; we are all striving for the same things, we all are capable and passionate people, and we are all working to prove ourselves as valuable and influential members of society. And it is only when we recognize this and work together will we see lasting change in our world. Out of the many outings we took, my favorite was the desert safari. We took a caravan out into the middle of the desert to a camp where we rode camels, ate delicious food, and danced to Arabic music under the stars. Definitely one of those experiences I will never forget. Ma’a Salaama (May peace go with you)

DWC Students Quotes

Afra Anbar Al Falasi

To me, this experience is my first participation in any conference ever, I was so excited from the day I registered! It was a great opportunity where I leant a lot about other countries and other people and that did change me and my way of thinking. I loved the outside activities as if I am not a residence of Dubai, I enjoyed the safari, the Atlantis and Dhow cruise which is something we don’t usually do!

Muna Al Awar

Insight Dubai was an extraordinary event that helped me to learn more about different women from different parts of the world. Insight Dubai was organized and well managed and the outdoor events were full of adventures and excitement. Important issues related to women around the world were discussed to share the experience and raise the awareness among the participants. Insight Dubai expanded our knowledge and experience about human trafficking. The most interesting part in the conference was the outdoor events such as Grand Zayed Mosque because it helps international students to learn and discover more about our religion. The safari trip was amazing where it gave the international participants the chance to explore an important part of the UAE which is the dessert and enjoy the traditional atmosphere. The conference gave me the chance to learn more about the National Federal Council. I think Insight Dubai is a good start to raise awareness globally about women issues.

Amal Mohammed

Insight Dubai was an amazing week, I was one of the lucky students that have been chosen to participate. It’s an event that include different women from all over the world, we each had a buddy to have the chance to engage in discussions in order to learn about other countries tradition and believes.
This event gave me the chance to speak up and try to change the bad perception of the people in the west.

Shaikha Ayali

This Conference helped to open my eyes on topics I never thought it’s still presents in our world such as Human Trafficking. I loved all the topics we discussed especially the Sharea’a law.

Hend Obaid

Each day was an adventure of its own at Insight Dubai Conference. The conference is one of the spectacular events that happened to me in collage. The most beautiful thing I got from the conference is the friends I gained from all over the world.

Khawla Ali Behzad

I am so happy to join Insight Dubai it was a great opportunity for me. The conference is a wonderful chance to meet the international student and know more about them. And so do the international students had the chance to know more about Islam and our traditional too.

Maitha Bin Hanawi

Insight Dubai is a conference about our society and our culture which we learnt in these few days to present to more than 30 different students from many parts of the world which definitely improved my language skills.

Majida Al Awar

Insight Dubai Conference 2009 was one of the outstanding conferences I have ever heard of. I got the opportunity to meet people for five days from different parts of the world and turn them to friends for the rest of my life. The conference’s agenda was challenging but at the same time it was useful and exiting.

		Conference for young women around the world 18 - 23 March 2012 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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	Students Quotes 2009 International Participants Quotes Tracey Livingston – USA I was in a bike shop in the Georgetown section of DC the day after coming back from Dubai. The man helping me saw my Henna tattoos and asked if I went to a Henna party. I replied, “No, I was facilitating a conference in Dubai for the past week and a half at the Dubai Women’s College of Technology.” The look on his face showed he was blown away by my answer. He told me he had heard many things about Dubai and began asking questions on the region including local attractions, economic stability, and much more. He considered me a knowledgeable first-hand source of information on a typically misunderstood part of the world. This situation is not unique for just me, but for all of those who can talk about having traveled to the Middle East, not as a tourist, but as an active member in the global community. In answering the question on how my life has changed through being a committed member of the Insight Dubai Conference, I would say my life has become so much more enriched and culturally molded. By having gone to Dubai as both a participant and a facilitator I have been able to see both sides of the spectrum. I learned not only how to lead a group, but to also lead change within a group; giving as much positive feedback to the women as I could, guiding them to think critically and pulling them in directions toward understanding that people like themselves create change in their society. I created change in my society by conversing with the man in the bike shop and proved that understanding through experience creates leaders and activists in us all. Irina Kharatyan – Armenia It was a pleasure for me to participate in Insight Dubai. Now I have so many friends from different Countries all over the world. Beenish Maqsood - Pakistan I still can’t believe that I am not there with my Insight Dubai friends. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I got a chance to meet a lot of bright females from all across the globe. It was a great learning experience. I got to know about a lot of different cultures and experienced a part of it too. I didn’t know much about the real life of Emirati women, but this forum gave me the opportunity to see deep into their lives. Not forgetting that the guest speakers had a great influence on me by giving me a new direction for moving forward in my life. Bakhta Abdelhay - Algeria The conference is unique in terms of intellectual level and social exchange. It showed how the construction of our identity is different. While the UAE has a balanced identity according to Sharia law which does not prevent them from being open and overt to world cultures, it seems that we are still in a kind of quest of an identity of ours, that's why, in my opinion, it is worth learning more about the details of the way and manner women in the Emirates are developing an identity of their own. How are they pioneers in leadership. Sumatee Maharjan – Nepal “Wow”, was my first reaction as soon as I landed the Dubai International Airport. Since then my stay in Dubai has been wonderful and a life time experience of learning and joy. This was not only the time when I re-discovered myself but also got to discover many things about many people from different cultural and national background from all around the world. After the conference was over, I felt more responsible as a human being to help ones in need, in any way I can, especially through my writings for the National Dailies. I have equally become aware of the enormous hardship that majority of people in the world has to face in their day-to-day life. As I, myself come from a developing country, so I couldn’t find a better platform to put forward my views regarding human trafficking and women leadership issues from my country. Overall making new friends, visiting some important places in UAE and those interesting interactions with all the guest speakers was worth to cherish throughout my life. Insight Dubai Conference is something, to which I would definitely encourage more girls to participate from my country in future. Fei Fei Chi – China Actually I've been a volunteer worker for a relatively large international conference hold annually in China concerned with business issues. But Insight Dubai conference is quite different than anything I have ever experienced and I have to say it is really fantastic!! The discussion and sightseeing are all amazing. I enjoyed it and had a wonderful time. I learn a lot about the Arabic culture, Islam, and different global issues like women's leadership and NGOs. I feel more open than ever, because when talking to other girls from around the world, I try to understand their viewpoints, their way of thinking, and what makes them think in this way. Additionally, I knew what other girls around the world usually do at my age and I found myself closer to the answer of what I want to do and what I need to focus on in my life. I believe, this experience will make a difference in my life sooner or later, and I only need time to find it out. ELŻBIETA SPERZYŃSKA – Poland It’s been a great pleasure to be part of such unforgettable experience as Insight Dubai 2009. This conference helped me to understand difficulties and obstacles that young Emirati women have to face; as well as the issues that are globally problematic as human trafficking. By sharing opinions and listening to other participants I was able to look at the problem from different perspectives, also through group brainstorming I was able to discover a solution to the discussed issues, which I plan to present in my school during the lectures. I've returned to home with a new view to the discussed problems and with a strong will to share with newly learned ideas with my college colleagues. Lydia Odundo – Kenya The conference was great and all the places we went to were amazing, especially the dhow cruise, the mosque and the desert. In our group sessions I’ve learnt a lot from the theme of this year's conference “human trafficking”. The movies we watched just showed me how people can be tricked into this business. I’ve learnt about Arabic culture and UAE governance. It was a great pleasure for me to be a participant at the conference! Given a chance I would attend the conference over and over again. God bless you. Thanks a lot! Malyse Uwase – Rwanda Insight Dubai was a very wonderful learning opportunity for me. I got to know so many things about many different countries in a short period of time all of this because of the conference concept of bringing different women from different countries together and mix them up so that they all learn something about each other. I also really appreciated the human trafficking topic I really do think that it concerns all of us citizens of the world as it is the modern day slavery. By talking about it we learned a lot and we can now respectively explain it to other people in our own countries and maybe start a movement to put an end to it. The conference has really helped me understand that as women we can be a source of change and leadership in this world and has allowed me to make new friends. Chanda Chilanga – Zambia When I first heard about Insight Dubai I thought it was just another conference, where you sit and listen and that’s about it. I met girls from everywhere, everybody was so nice and respectful and just open to learning. I learned so much about Human Trafficking which I thought I knew about but clearly not, all the different perspectives just made me think more about it and how I could do a small part in making this world better. Shari'a law was something I was always curious about because I heard of it in the news and i always thought it was harsh and unjust but after the discussions I learned that it was not designed to mistreat women but to be fair as the Quran commands. The UAE girls where unbelievable, so talented and insightful and just so genuine and that made us feel comfortable. Our team was so diverse that we did not always agree but we disagreed constructively and that just helped us learn more about each other’s countries. I would urge every woman to attend this conference not because of all the sightseeing which was wonderful but because of what an eye opener to a woman's world it is. Faizaan Nagrah – Pakistan I found this conference full of memorable moments. Each discussion and activity served to broaden my knowledge of other cultures and religions. I've learned new perspectives to address different global issues like cultural awareness and tolerance, Gender balance and Human trafficking etc. Getting to know the Emirati culture, visiting Sheikh Zayed mosque and dune bashing have been amongst the best times on Insight Dubai. Jennifer Lieb – USA As an international relations student, I was eager to attend Insight Dubai and discuss such major global issues with girls from around the world, and learn of their perspective. I applied to Insight Dubai largely because I was tired of saying that I study international relations when I have never traveled abroad. When I found out I was chosen as a participant, I was overwhelmed with joy, but had no idea what to expect 5 months down the line at the conference. The conference was a real eye-opening experience. Having the opportunity to sit in a classroom with girls from the UAE, US, Yemen, Italy, Palestine, Canada, Pakistan and Australia all at the same time and discuss issues such as human rights and human trafficking was phenomenal. I learned more about those two issues talking with those girls for 20 minutes, than I ever did sitting in a 3 hour lecture back at my university. Many cultural disparities became evident through our discussions, and many culturally preconceived notions and generalizations were also dismissed through our interactions. The large group discussions and the guest lecture series were also fascinating, and provided even more and often deeper insight into the pressing issues we discussed. One of the things that surprised me the most was the freedom that the UAE women exercise. I have a long time family friend who grew up in Pakistan and she told us of the hardships that she faced at home, and that she left for America so her daughter would have more freedom. I knew that Dubai and the UAE was much more forward than the majority of the Middle East, but was pleasantly surprised by the level of freedom the girls have - in some regards they have even more options than the average women in the US. The government pays for their college education, all plan on going on to get a masters or PHd, and almost all of them have a car and their license. They do have certain restrictions, but from the impression that I got, none of them feel oppressed or 'held back' by such restrictions because they respect their culture and the logic behind these restrictions. It was an honor to attend such an intellectual and insightful conference, and would love more than anything to return to the conference, and visit the amazing friends I have made in Dubai. Thank you for allowing me to participate in Insight Dubai 2009! Emily Zinck - Canada As-salaamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you). I would like to begin by thanking all of you for supporting my trip to Dubai. I had an excellent experience and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to go and experience Dubai and the local culture. The conference which I attended was wonderful. I met women from around the world who are all passionate about equality and peace both at home and abroad. The purpose of the conference, held at the Dubai Women’s College, is to bring international students to Dubai to interact with students from Dubai Women's College to discuss critical global issues. Through this conference, students can develop an appreciation of world leadership, global politics, cross-cultural communication and international relations which are the keys to successful leadership in today's dynamic economy. This year, the main topics addressed through role-playing and discussions were Human Trafficking, Shari’ a Law and Women Leadership. This was such a unique opportunity to have women from many different countries and backgrounds discussing what their governments are doing to address such global issues and what role women have in affecting change. One of the things I enjoyed the most about my trip was the opportunity to interact with women from Dubai and other parts of the United Arab Emirates. I realized that we in Canada get a very one-sided view of their lifestyle, which does a disservice to the rich culture and heritage that they enjoy. These Emirate women are intelligent, beautiful and passionate about their country and their faith. One of our speakers was a local female doctor who grew up in Dubai, studied in the USA, and then returned to practice in the UAE. I asked her- “If there was one thing you would like myself and other women in Canada to know about women in the UAE, what would it be?” Her answer- that we are all the same; we are all striving for the same things, we all are capable and passionate people, and we are all working to prove ourselves as valuable and influential members of society. And it is only when we recognize this and work together will we see lasting change in our world. Out of the many outings we took, my favorite was the desert safari. We took a caravan out into the middle of the desert to a camp where we rode camels, ate delicious food, and danced to Arabic music under the stars. Definitely one of those experiences I will never forget. Ma’a Salaama (May peace go with you) DWC Students Quotes Afra Anbar Al Falasi To me, this experience is my first participation in any conference ever, I was so excited from the day I registered! It was a great opportunity where I leant a lot about other countries and other people and that did change me and my way of thinking. I loved the outside activities as if I am not a residence of Dubai, I enjoyed the safari, the Atlantis and Dhow cruise which is something we don’t usually do! Muna Al Awar Insight Dubai was an extraordinary event that helped me to learn more about different women from different parts of the world. Insight Dubai was organized and well managed and the outdoor events were full of adventures and excitement. Important issues related to women around the world were discussed to share the experience and raise the awareness among the participants. Insight Dubai expanded our knowledge and experience about human trafficking. The most interesting part in the conference was the outdoor events such as Grand Zayed Mosque because it helps international students to learn and discover more about our religion. The safari trip was amazing where it gave the international participants the chance to explore an important part of the UAE which is the dessert and enjoy the traditional atmosphere. The conference gave me the chance to learn more about the National Federal Council. I think Insight Dubai is a good start to raise awareness globally about women issues. Amal Mohammed Insight Dubai was an amazing week, I was one of the lucky students that have been chosen to participate. It’s an event that include different women from all over the world, we each had a buddy to have the chance to engage in discussions in order to learn about other countries tradition and believes. This event gave me the chance to speak up and try to change the bad perception of the people in the west. Shaikha Ayali This Conference helped to open my eyes on topics I never thought it’s still presents in our world such as Human Trafficking. I loved all the topics we discussed especially the Sharea’a law. Hend Obaid Each day was an adventure of its own at Insight Dubai Conference. The conference is one of the spectacular events that happened to me in collage. The most beautiful thing I got from the conference is the friends I gained from all over the world. Khawla Ali Behzad I am so happy to join Insight Dubai it was a great opportunity for me. The conference is a wonderful chance to meet the international student and know more about them. And so do the international students had the chance to know more about Islam and our traditional too. Maitha Bin Hanawi Insight Dubai is a conference about our society and our culture which we learnt in these few days to present to more than 30 different students from many parts of the world which definitely improved my language skills. Majida Al Awar Insight Dubai Conference 2009 was one of the outstanding conferences I have ever heard of. I got the opportunity to meet people for five days from different parts of the world and turn them to friends for the rest of my life. The conference’s agenda was challenging but at the same time it was useful and exiting.