Inside The Middle East

SHOW #79

Hosted by Rima Maktabi in Dubai

IRAQI KIDS FIND SOLACE IN MUSIC

Iraqi music teacher Nashat Majeed passes on his love for the guitar to Iraqi children. They are among the lucky ones - members of Baghdad's dwindling elite - well educated, straight A students, looking for an outlet to have "fun" and feel "normal." Arwa Damon meets these kids and their teacher, who says that adults need to pass on the language of music, not the language of war.

ECO-AWARENESS
The UAE has one of the world's highest per capita ecological footprints. We talk to one environmental NGO trying to raise awareness through an innovative campaign using a stop-motion animation video.

UAE DHOW RACES
Dhows are the traditional Arab ships that have been plying the seas for centuries. Even though they no longer rule the waves of the Arabian Gulf as they once did, these majestic vessels still play a vital role in contemporary culture as a bridge to the past. Tracey Holmes reports how the dhow is making a comeback as a racing boat of choice for young Emiratis.

JEWEL OF MUSCAT UPDATE
141 days after setting sail from the shores of Oman, the handmade vessel "The Jewel of Muscat" arrived at its final destination, Singapore. IME was there for the February launch of this dhow, a reconstruction of a 9th century wreck, a hand-sewn plank ship made without a single nail. We bring you an update on this story as captain and crew dock safely to a huge welcome.

CAMPUS FORUM
We hold a roundtable discussion with students at the Mohammed Bin Rashed School for Communication at the American University in Dubai. Studying journalism and Digital Production & Storytelling, these youths share their concerns about the state of Arab media and tell us their hopes for their contributions to this field in the future.