Doha Debates produces and distributes solutions-focused debate and interview programs, video reports and interactive content. The franchise's products include marquee debates, the #DearWorldLive interview series, the "Course Correction" and "The Negotiators" podcasts, the #SolvingIt series, digital video reports, Deep Dive education curriculum, and the interactive Doha Portal. Doha Debates is funded by

Qatar Foundation Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ( ar, مؤسسة قطر) is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser. Qatar Founda ...

. Journalist

Ghida Fakhry Ghida Fakhry ( ar, غیدا فخري) is a Lebanese-British journalist. She was a lead anchor for the global news channel Al Jazeera English at its launch in Washington DC, and was later one of the primary anchors at the network's headquarters ...

hosts and moderates the debate program.

Nelufar Hedayat Nelufar Hedayat (born 1 January 1988) is a British journalist and presenter who hosts the podcast Course Correction and is the correspondent for Doha Debates. She has worked in television across the BBC, as well as on Channel 4, Netflix, Fusion ...

is Doha Debates' correspondent and host of "Course Correction" and #DearWorldLive. Conflict resolution expert Govinda Clayton serves as the bridge-building "connector" for the debates. Jennifer Williams, deputy editor at Foreign Policy, hosts the podcast "The Negotiators." Doha Debates' managing director is Amjad Atallah, who previously served as a news executive, human rights activist and humanitarian. Doha Debates' content, production and distribution partners have included the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

TED TED may refer to: Economics and finance * TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar Education * ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association ** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey ** Transvaal Education Depa ...

, Foreign Policy, the

Paris Peace Forum The Paris Peace Forum is a French non-profit organisation created in March 2018. The organisation hosts an annual gathering of world leaders and heads of international organisations, as well as leaders from civil society and private sectors and t ...

, the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and composers fr ...

NowThis News NowThis News is a progressive social media-focused news organization founded in 2012. The company posts short (in most cases 15 seconds long) news videos and hyperpartisan content. History NowThis News was founded by ''Huffington Post'' co-fo ...

Vox Media Vox Media, Inc. is an American mass media company based in Washington, D.C., and New York City. The company was established in November 2011 by Jim Bankoff and Trei Brundrett to encompass ''SB Nation'' (a sports blog network founded in 2005 b ...

, Shared Studios, Fortify Rights, Doha Forum, Rappler and

eNCA eNCA, also known as eNews Channel Africa, is a 24-hour television news broadcaster owned by e.tv that focuses on South African, African stories and events. The broadcaster became South Africa's first and most watched 24-hour news service af ...

. Re-launched in 2018, Doha Debates' initial iteration ran from 2005 to 2012, when the debate program was televised by

BBC World News BBC World News is an international English-language pay television network, operated under the ''BBC Global News Limited'' division of the BBC, which is a public corporation of the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and ...

History

Founded in 2005, the original Doha Debates programs were moderated by former BBC correspondent and interviewer

Tim Sebastian Tim Sebastian (born 13 March 1952) is a television journalist and novelist. He is the moderator of ''Conflict Zone'' and ''The New Arab Debates'', broadcast on Deutsche Welle. He previously worked for the BBC, where he hosted '' The Doha Deba ...

, with

as the sponsor. Televised eight times a year by

until 2012, the debates were based on the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...

format. They focused on a single, controversial motion, with two speakers for and against. Once they outlined their arguments, each speaker was questioned by the chairman and the discussion was then opened up to the audience for argument and a final electronic vote. Topics included torture, terrorism and suicide bombings, political turmoil and human rights. Past motions questioned whether it was time to talk to Al Qaeda, whether Hezbollah had the right to fight a war on

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

's behalf, and whether the pro-

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

lobby was successfully stifling criticism of the country's actions. Special events featuring Q&A sessions with a single guest included figures such as

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

, Mohamed El Baradei, Shimon Peres,

Amre Moussa Amr Moussa ( ar, عمرو موسى, , Amr Muhammad Moussa; born 3 October 1936) is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 to 1 July 2011 ...

, Ayad Allawi, and

Mahmoud Zahar Mahmoud al-Zahar ( ar, محمود الزهار ') (born 6 May 1945) is a Palestinian politician. He is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. Al-Zahar served as foreign minister in the Hamas-dominated Pa ...

Debates

Doha Debates' marquee debate series resumed in 2019 with a new host and format.

hosts and moderates the programs with contributions from correspondent

and bridge-building "connector" Govinda Clayton. Each program features 3-4 debaters, with each debate including a constructive consensus-targeted "majlis" session. Programs include two audience votes on speaker positions, as well as feedback from viewers around the world. Most 2019 and 2020 debate programs have been hosted in Doha's

Education City Education City is a development in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Developed by the Qatar Foundation, the property houses various educational facilities, including satellite campuses of eight international universities. History Education City was launched b ...

, with 2019 debates also held at the

, the TEDSummit in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

and in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. The debate programs since the 2019 re-launch of the debate series: * 26 February 2019, Doha: Global refugee crisis. Debaters: Muzoon Almellehan,

Marc Lamont Hill Marc Lamont Hill (born December 17, 1978) is an American academic, author, activist, and television personality. He is a professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hill is the host of '' Up ...

, Douglas Murray. * April 3, 2019, Doha: Artificial intelligence. Debaters: Nick Bostrom,

Joy Buolamwini Joy Adowaa Buolamwini is a Ghanaian-American-Canadian computer scientist and digital activist based at the MIT Media Lab. Buolamwini introduces herself as a poet of code, daughter of art and science. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League ...

, Dex Torricke-Barton. * 24 July 2019, TEDSummit, Edinburgh: Globalization. Debaters:

Medea Benjamin Medea Benjamin (born Susan Benjamin; September 10, 1952) is an American political activist who was the co-founder of Code Pink with Jodie Evans and others.

Sisonke Msimang Sisonke Msimang is a South African writer, activist and political analyst based in Perth, Western Australia, whose focus is on race, gender, and politics. She is known for her memoir ''Always Another Country: A memoir of exile and home'' (2017) ...

Parag Khanna Parag Khanna (born 27 July 1977 in Kanpur) is an Indian American specialist in geopolitics and globalization. He is the managing partner of FutureMap, and former managing partner of Hybrid Reality as well as Co-Founder & CEO of Factotum. Early lif ...

. * 10 September 2019, Cape Town:

Water scarcity Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is whe ...

. Debaters: Yana Abu Taleb, Georgie Badiel, Obakeng Leseyane. * 23 October 2019, Doha: Capitalism. Debaters:

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim Dr. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim () GCSK (born 17 October 1959) is a Mauritian politician and biodiversity scientist who served as the sixth president of Mauritius from 2015 to 2018. In December 2014, she was selected to be the presidential ...

, Anand Giridharadas,

Jason Hickel Jason Edward Hickel (born 1982) is an economic anthropologist whose research focuses on ecological economics, global inequality, imperialism and political economy. He is known for his books ''The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and ...

. * 12 November 2019, Paris Peace Forum: Loss of trust. Debaters: Brett Hennig, Toni Lane Casserly, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein. * 9 March 2020, Doha: Gender equality. Debaters:

Randa Abdel-Fattah Randa Abdel-Fattah (born 6 June 1979) is an Australian writer. Randa was born in Australia and her debut novel, '' Does My Head Look Big in This?'', was published in 2005. Early life and education Abdel-Fattah was born in Sydney, New South Wal ...

Christina Hoff Sommers Christina Marie Hoff Sommers (born 1950) is an American author and philosopher. Specializing in ethics, she is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

, Ayishat Akanbi. * 11 March 2020, Doha: Future of genetics. Debaters: Jamie Metzl, Katie Hasson, Julian Savulescu. * 20 July 2020, virtual: Socialism. Debaters:

Fatima Bhutto Fatima Bhutto ( ur, ; , born 29 May 1982) is a Pakistani writer and columnist. Born in Kabul, she is the daughter of politician Murtaza Bhutto, sister of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr, niece of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and gran ...

, Tabata Amaral, Lord

William Hague William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

. * 20 September 2020, virtual: Global Cooperation. Debaters:

Leymah Gbowee Leymah Roberta Gbowee (born 1 February 1972) is a Liberian peace activist responsible for leading a women's nonviolent peace movement, Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace that helped bring an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. Her ef ...

Ece Temelkuran Ece Temelkuran (born 22 July 1973, in Izmir"About"
ecetemelkuran.com ) is a Turkish journalist and author. She was ...

Yanis Varoufakis Ioannis "Yanis" Varoufakis ( el, Ιωάννης Γεωργίου "Γιάνης" Βαρουφάκης, Ioánnis Georgíou "Giánis" Varoufákis, ; born 24 March 1961) is a Greek economist and politician. A former academic, he served as the Gree ...

#DearWorldLive

In April 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 crisis, Doha Debates launched a weekly coronavirus-focused interview series called #DearWorldLive.

hosts the virtual show, which each week examines a different aspect of the coronavirus and its impact on people and the world. Programs to date: * 14 April 2020: Inside India's massive lockdown. Guests: Jayati Ghosh, Ravi Mishra. * 21 April 2020: COVID-19's threats to refugees. Guests:

Filippo Grandi Filippo Grandi (born March 30, 1957) is an Italian diplomat and United Nations official, currently serving as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He previously served as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agen ...

, Jamilah Sherally, Immad Ahmed, Shafiqur Rahma/n * 28 April 2020: Disability rights for COVID-19. Guests: Maysoon Zeyed, Nawaal Akram, Tanni Grey-Thompson. * 5 May 2020: The climate crisis and coronavirus. Guests: Dr. Vandana Shiva, Dr. Zeke Hausfather, Obakeng Leseyane. * 12 May 2020: Mental health in the time of COVID. Guests: Suleika Jaouad, Dr. Jan Emannuel De Nive, Dr. Kamran Ahmed, Dana Aal Ali. * 19 May 2020: How to stay connected while physical distancing. Guests: Priya B. Parker, Dr. Govinda Clayton. * 26 May 2020: Education and the coronavirus. Guests: Sherrie Westin, David Moinina Sengeh, Larry Rosenstock. * 2 June 2020: The coronavirus pandemic and gender inequality. Guests:

Alaa Murabit Alaa Murabit M.D ( ar, آلاء المرابط; born 26 October 1989) is a Libyan-Canadian physician, Meritorious Service Cross recipient, one of 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals Advocates appointed by the Secretary-General of the United ...

Ziauddin Yousafzai Ziauddin Yousafzai ( ur, ضیاء الدین یوسفزئی; ps, ضیاالدین یوسفزی; born 20 April 1969) is a Pakistani education activist best known as the father of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who protested against the Tehrik- ...

. * 9 September 2020: UN Youth Plenary special edition – The world's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests: Paloma Costa Oliveira, Felix Feider, Obakeng Leseyane.

Course Correction

In January 2020, Doha Debates unveiled its Course Correction podcast series in which host

"immerses herself in humanity's greatest challenges." The 2020 Sundance Film Festival played host to Course Correction's live audience debut, with Hedayat interviewing Rappler founder and CEO

Maria Ressa Maria Angelita Ressa (, born Maria Angelita Delfin Aycardo on October 2, 1963) is a Filipino and American journalist. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler. She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in S ...

and Ramona Diaz, whose "A Thousand Cuts" documentary on Ressa and Rappler premiered at Sundance. Other 2020 Course Correction interview subjects included

Khan Academy Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization created in 2008 by Sal Khan. Its goal is creating a set of online tools that help educate students. The organization produces short lessons in the form of videos. Its website also in ...

founder

Sal Khan Salman Amin Khan (born October 11, 1976), commonly known as Sal Khan, is an American educator and the founder of Khan Academy, a free online non-profit educational platform and an organization with which he has produced over 6,500 vi ...

, global strategy adviser

, economic anthropologist Jason Hickel, journalist

, Jordanian diplomat Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, water rights advocate Georgie Badiel, author Anand Giridharadas, Algorithmic Justice League founder

and Hedayat's mother, Patuni.

The Negotiators

In October 2021, Foreign Policy and Doha Debates launched a jointly-produced podcast series called "The Negotiators." Hosted by Foreign Policy Deputy Editor Jennifer Williams, the podcast features interviews with key players in big international dealmaking. Topics include the Paris climate agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Nigerian #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

#SolvingIt

Doha Debates' weekly Instagram series "celebrates the next generation of leaders whose vision and work inspire hope and real change." Since its debut in August 2019, the #SolvingIt series has saluted trailblazers, including climate change activist

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...

, education advocate

Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai ( ur, , , pronunciation: ; born 12 July 1997), is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second P ...

, Black Lives Matter protesters, human rights champion

Nadia Murad Nadia Murad Basee Taha (; ar, نادية مراد باسي طه; born 10 March 1993) is an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist who lives in Germany. In 2014, she was kidnapped from her hometown Kocho and held by the Islamic State for three mon ...

, water rights advocate Georgie Badiel, Algorithmic Justice League founder

, U.S. Climate Strike Executive Director Isra Hirsi, "Cybercode Twins" America and Penelope Lopez, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, human rights activist Mahmoud Abugrin, environmental advocates Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Rappler founder and CEO

, Digital Citizens Fund founder Roya Mahboob, disability rights advocate Nawaal Akram, World Central Kitchen founder

José Andrés José Ramón Andrés Puerta (born 13 July 1969) is a Spanish chef, and founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. A Spanish-born and raised cook, he is often credited with b ...

, Syrian refugee advocate Bana al-Abed, the Parkland High School students, and UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake. In September 2021, ahead of the November 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Doha Debates announced the #SolvingIt26, showcasing 26 extraordinary young climate activists around the world. Honorees were from 22 nations on six continents. The honorees were showcased in a #SolvingIt26 social media campaign in the weeks leading up to the 2021 Climate Change Conference.

Video reports

Doha Debates' short films include: * ''(Un)divided'', 2019: A violent clash at a "Love Trumps Hate" rally results in a surprisingly constructive conversation between an Iraqi-American Muslim student, Amina, and a Trump supporter afraid of Muslims until meeting Amina. Filmmaker: Paul Raila. * ''The Waitlist'', 2019: Exposé on the challenges asylum seekers face at the U.S.-Mexican border. Filmmakers: Natasha Pizzey and James Fredrick. * ''The Invisibles'', 2020: In Italy, migrant labor union leader Aboubakar Soumahoro rallies farmhands as they fight for their rights amid the coronavirus epidemic. Filmmakers: Carola Mamberto and Diana Ferrero.

Deep Dive curriculum

In 2020, Doha Debates introduced a debates-related "Deep Dive" education curriculum for high school and university teachers and students. Curriculum topics are derived from the marquee debate programs, with each topic having its own lesson plan, including active learning, collaborative learning discussions, student motivation and participation, and writing assignments. The lessons include video excerpts from related debate programs.

Doha Portal

In Doha, Doha Debates hosts a mobile Shared Studios Portal, allowing members of the public to interact in real-time with users at more than 40 locations worldwide as if they are in the same room, creating a virtual majlis to discuss debate topics. Doha Portal interactive sessions have taken place from the Qatar National Library and other sites in Doha's Education City, as well as the Doha Forum. In January 2019, the Doha Portal was featured in a Doha Debates TED Salon called "Up for Debate," a session of TED-curated talks about the importance of civic discourse and debate.

Ambassador Program

In August 2021, Doha Debates launched the inaugural edition of its Ambassador Program with 36 young participants chosen from among hundreds of applicants around the world. The solutions-focused initiative is meant "to empower a new generation of changemakers with the knowledge, tools, and relationships to bring positive change to their communities."

Honors

Doha Debates' honors include: * ''(Un)Divided'', Platinum Award, 2019 Spotlight Film Awards. Best Documentary Short. * ''The Waitlist'', Spotlight Silver Award, 2019 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, December 2019 award winners. * ''Water Scarcity Debate in Cape Town'', finalist, 4th Annual Shorty Social Good Awards. Environment & Sustainability, live streaming. * Fortify Rights/Doha Debates Rohingya Instagram Fellows, finalist, 12th Annual Shorty Awards. Instagram. * #Solving It, 2nd place, 2020 North American Digital Media Awards. Social media engagement. * ''Water Scarcity Debate'', nominee, 2020 Digiday Media Awards. Best Live Event. * #Solving It, nominee, 12th Annual Shorty Awards, honoring the best in social media. Social good campaign.

Controversy

Pro-Israel US activist Charles Jacobs termed the Doha Debates as "the latest cunning public relations move by an illiberal regime that has been able to ingratiate itself to Western liberal elites with remarkable ease." He also condemned media and educational organizations such as

NowThis NowThis News is a progressive social media-focused news organization founded in 2012. The company posts short (in most cases 15 seconds long) news videos and hyperpartisan content. History NowThis News was founded by ''Huffington Post'' co-fo ...

, Vox, and

TED Talks TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

for partnering with Qatar to produce the Doha Debates and said, "For the right price, NowThis will ignore an egregious human rights record and overlook modern-day slavery; Vox Media will embrace a government whose treatment of laborers, gays, and minorities should relegate it to the darkest corners of the family of nations."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doha Debates Mass media in Qatar Political debates 2005 establishments in Qatar 2018 establishments in Qatar