BIENNIAL REPORT OF
June 2010 – July 2010
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 UAE
1.2 The UAE Boards on Books for Young People
Al Qasba – Block D – Entrance 1 – 1st Floor
P.O Box 5424
Sharjah
United Arab Emirates
Tel.: +971 6 5542111
Fax: +971 6 5542345
E-mail:
1.3 Representatives
1.3.1 President:
Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi
e-mail:
1.3.2 Planning and Development Manager:
Tamer Said
e-mail:
1.3.3 Secretary:
Eman Sayed
e-mail:
1.3.4 IBBY Main Liaison Officer/ Contact Person
Marwa Al Aqroubi
e-mail:
1.4 Organization
Structure
1.4.1 How is your NS organized? Describe the structure of the NS in general.
As it is the first year of operation, the UAEBBY targeted main members. Thus far we have 10 members representing the 7 emirates. We are now in the process of gaining more individual members.
1.4.2 Is your NS affiliated to, or a branch of another organization or institution? If so, which one?
The UAEBBY is registered as the National Section of IBBY.
1.4.3 Do you have an office and paid staff?
Yes, the UAEBBY’s office is located in Sharjah, and we have two paid members of staff namely the Planning and Development Manager, and the Secretary.
1.4.4 How often do you have business meetings?
We meet quarterly, or more regularly when necessary.
Membership
1.4.5 Does your NS have organizations as members? How many? What kind of organizations?
· Ministries (Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development )
· Departments of Cultures (Sharjah & Abu Dhabi, which both organize international book fairs yearly)
· Publishing houses (Page flip and Kalimat Publishing House )
· Emirates Publishers Association
· Knowledge without Borders Project
· Mohammad Bin Rashid Foundation
· Sharjah Children’s Centers
1.4.6 Does your NS have individual members? How many? How do they contribute to the NS activities?
No, we don’t yet have any individual members.
1.4.7 Who are your members? What percentage are: teachers? authors? illustrators? publishers? students? etc.
Our membership is made up of 90% cultural organizations and 10% publishers.
1.4.8 What categories of membership, if any, does your NS have?
· Individual membership
· Organizational membership
1.4.9 How inclusive is your membership of persons connected to the children’s book world in your country?
1.4.10 If not inclusive, describe your plans to make it more inclusive?
We are planning to organize workshops for writers and illustrators, as well as at colleges and universities in order to promote the UAEBBY. By participating in all local book fairs we are also able to target librarians and people who are interested in children’s books.
1.4.11 Do you make any special effort to attract young people?
We organize book reading events at local bookstores, as well as various workshops, and we participate in all local Children’s Book Fairs.
1.4.12 How often do you keep in touch with your members? How?
We regularly communicate with our members via telephone, fax, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.
2. FUNDING
2.1 Annual Budget
2.1.1 What is your average annual budget in US$? Is it increasing or decreasing?
Our annual budget is approximately USD 52,000.00.
2.2 Sources of income
We source income through sponsorship and membership.
2.2.1 Is there a membership fee? How much is it? What percentage of your budget does this account for?
· Individual membership fees: $140
· Organizational membership fees: $680
2.2.2 Do you receive financial support from individual sponsors and/or donors? If so, how much? What percentage of your budget does this account for?
Sponsorships amount to USD 871,228.00, or 85% of our budget.
2.2.3 Do you receive grants from your government? If so, how much? What percentage of your budget does this account for?
We receive a grant from the Sharjah Government of USD 136,128.00, or 15% of our budget.
2.2.4 Do you receive grants from national institutions or other organizations? If so, how much? What percentage of your budget does this account for?
No.
2.2.5 Have other NS contributed any financial support? If so, how much?
No.
2.2.6 Do you generate income through publications? If so, how much? What percentage of your budget does this account for?
No.
2.2.7 Do you have other sources of income not mentioned above? What are they and what percentage of your budget do they account for?
No.
2.2.8 Are the sources of income listed in points 2.2.1 to 2.2.7 regular contributions?
No.
2.2.9 Do you receive support specifically for your IBBY dues? If so, from whom?
No.
2.2.10 Describe successful fundraising strategies your NS has developed.
After finalizing the UAEBBY’s annual budget we look for sponsors to cover our events and operational costs.
3. THE NATIONAL SECTION´S ACTIVITIES
3.1 Main activities
3.1.1 Has your NS organized national, regional or international meetings and conferences? Which ones?
We will participate in this year’s IBBY congress and we are arranging to have a regional meeting with all Arab NS during the Sharjah International Book Fair.
3.1.2 Have members of your NS represented IBBY at other national, regional or international meetings and/or conferences?
Yes, our NS president attended a meeting with IBBY’s executive officer in Bologna. The UAEBBY is also organizing a regional meeting with NS in the Arab World during the Sharjah International Book Fair (October 2010)
3.1.3 Does your NS organize courses or seminars at a local level? Who are these aimed at?
The UAEBBY is planning to organize a training programme targeting students and members of the public who want to enter the children’s book profession.
3.1.4 Does your NS organize or host exhibitions and/or fairs?
No.
3.1.5 Does your NS administer awards or prizes? Does it organize contests?
The UAEBBY is organizing the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature 2010, which will be announced at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2010. The winning book will be awarded 1 million dhs, or roughly $ 272,257.
3.1.6 Does your NS run a library or bookstore?
No.
3.1.7 Has your NS organized other activities? Which ones have been especially successful in your country? Please specify.
During the international children’s book day we organized various activities, including book reading events, a mobile library, book promotions, puppet shows, reading competitions, the distribution of free books, and shows about reading.
3.2 Communication
3.2.1 Does your NS have a website? What is its URL?
Our website is still under construction: www.uaebby.org.ae
Twitter account: http://twitter.com/uaebby
Facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/hoe.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000576158661&ref=ts
3.2.2 Does your NS publish a regular newsletter? Who receives this? Is it available online?
The UAEBBY’s news is available on the IBBY website and other social sites (Facebook and Twitter) and will soon be published on the UAEBBY website www.uaebby.org.ae
3.2.3 Does your NS develop lists of book selections? Which ones?
Yes, we will develop a list of the nominated books for the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature, which will be distributed during our participation in various Arabic and international book fairs.
3.2.4 What, if any, are your other regular publications? Please give names (original and translation into English) and a description of their content and purpose.
No.
3.2.5 Does your NS work with national media to promote your own activities or the work of IBBY?
All the UAEBBY’s activities and events are covered by newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
3.3 Cooperation at a national level
3.3.1 Is your NS consulted about children’s books in your country? By whom?
Yes, by Knowledge without Borders Project, which distributes free books to all families in Sharjah.
3.3.2 Are there NGOs or established institutions in your country for which the development of a children’s reading and publishing culture is an objective? Which ones? Are you informed of their projects and needs?
· Sharjah Children’s Centers
· Mohammad Bin Rashid Foundation
· Kalimat Publishing House
· Ministry of Culture
3.3.3 Does your NS collaborate with these agencies?
Yes, we cooperate and collaborate with these organizations.
4. COOPERATION WITH IBBY
4.1 International activities in cooperation with IBBY
Congresses and General Assemblies
4.1.1 How many of your members participated in the last two IBBY Congresses and General Assemblies?
Non – this is our first year of operations.
4.1.2 Does your NS participate in IBBY regional conferences? If so, which ones? If not, what are the barriers to your participation?
We will be participating in the IBBY congress 2010.
International Children’s Book Day (ICBD)
4.1.3 What activities, if any, does your NS organize to celebrate the ICBD?
See 3.1.7
4.1.4 Did you design your own poster? If not, did you use the message and poster of the sponsoring NS?
Yes, we used it in our newspaper advertisements, on our posters and stands, at press conferences, on rollup banners and mobile libraries.
4.1.5 How do you disseminate information about the ICBD?
Via press conferences, newspaper press releases, television and radio interviews, newspaper advertisements and posters inside all local booksellers, schools and children’s cultural centres.
IBBY Awards and projects
4.1.6 Did your NS present any nominations for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards? If so, who were the nominees? If not, why not?
No.
4.1.7 Did your NS present any nominations for the IBBY Honour List? If so, who were the nominees? If not, why not?
No.
4.1.8 Did your NS nominate a project for the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award? If so, which one?
No.
4.1.9 Did your section submit an application for funds from the IBBY-Yamada programme? If not, why not? If yes, what was it and was the application successful?
No, but we are preparing a project to be submitted next year.
4.1.10 Did you submit any titles for the Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities selection?
No.
4.1.11 Did you donate or recommend any books for the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Disabled Young People? If so, how many?
No.
4.1.12 Did you host any IBBY travelling exhibitions (Honour List, HCA, Books for Disabled, etc.)? If so, where and when were they exhibited?
No.
Bookbird and other projects
4.1.13 How many members of your NS have individual subscriptions to Bookbird?
None.
4.1.14 Does your NS have a Bookbird associate editor? Have you contributed any articles to, or cooperated with Bookbird?
No.
4.1.15 Have you participated in any other IBBY international activities not listed above? If so, which ones?
No.
4.2 Cooperation with other National Sections
4.2.1 Are you involved in regional cooperation with other NS? What is the nature of this cooperation?
We are in process of arranging a meeting during the Sharjah International Book Fair 2010 with Arab NS to discuss future cooperation.
4.2.2 Do you cooperate bilaterally with other NS? What is the nature of this cooperation?
No.
4.2.3 Do you exchange newsletters or information with other NS? If so, how often?
Yes, we sent the ICBD Arabic Poster design to all Arab NS and we are in the process of translating and designing all IBBY’s important documents into the Arabic language. Once complete, we will share it with all Arab NS.
4.2.4 What, in your opinion, have been the major obstacles to greater cooperation between NS?
Limited financial resources and the language barrier.
5. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS