Al-Mabarrat's schools organized multiple student contests - scientific, cultural, literary, artistic, religious and social - within the framework of the “Spring Festival of Activities” it held at the Doha educational and care complex (Doha, Khalde), with the participation of 1,640 students from all the teaching cycles in Al-Mabarrat's schools and institutes from the various Lebanese regions, and with the participation of judging panels from within Al-Mabarrat's institutions and from outside them.
The festival opened with verses from the Holy Quran and then the national anthem, followed by a speech by the festival's coordinator Ms. Wassima Chibli, in which she explained the festival's goals, saying: “The festival aims to activate the methods of expression and linguistic, artistic and scientific vocabulary and of learning, by creating conditions resembling life situations and by improving study skills; and also to discover students' talents and abilities and work on refining them, as well as developing positive communication, cooperative work, relaxation and the renewal of vitality.”
Director General of Al-Mabarrat
The Director General of Al-Mabarrat Association Dr. Mohammad Baqer Fadlallah then delivered a speech in which he said that “the Spring Festival, as every year, is a demonstration for developing skills, passing them on and strengthening the capacity for creativity. It is one of the deserved signals that stimulate ambition and place Al-Mabarrat's generations at an advanced level, driving them to more effort, perseverance and capacity to deal with the future through the strength of their faith in their Lord, following the path of the messengers and the righteous saints. We work to awaken the reserves of strength and distinction in our pupils so that they may develop, compete and offer a distinguished harvest and believing, mission-driven, aware models enamoured of excellence and creativity.”
He held: “Extracurricular teaching activities are an important part of the teaching process”, explaining that they
“make the school an integrated community and make pupils rely more on themselves and turn to cooperative work, which helps in planning, so that a pupil discovers their talents and abilities and works on developing and growing them positively - not to mention meeting their psychological and social needs, such as the need for social belonging and friendship”.
The Director General of Al-Mabarrat pointed out that “the great challenge facing Al-Mabarrat's pupils and this whole generation is the dominance of technology, which if not used in its proper field strengthens dullness and distraction and wastes time”. He stressed “the importance of investing one's life in thinking, ambition and producing ideas”, calling on the students to “develop their skills and abilities and to think outside the box”.
He expressed “Al-Mabarrat's readiness to embrace talents and develop their skills”, pointing to “the existence of a centre at USAL University that can help students in this regard”, and holding that “students' educational level is the most important human capital amid the sweeping new revolution in communication technologies and the vision of knowledge that multiplies as the years advance”.
He concluded by addressing the students: “You are all winners on this day, because you are an elite chosen from your institutions. Do not forget that you are a generation that should carry its Islamic thought far from bias, fanaticism and denominationalism, which bring destruction to what is around them. We hope that you will be the generation that brings about change in concepts on the basis of faith and good work, and that you will remain the shining flame of life that you are - for us, for your families, for your teachers and for your administrations, the adornment of the life of this world and among the enduring good deeds that are better with God in reward and better in hope.”
