“We are thrilled to have received this deserved award for our club. We are the uncontested pioneers in the region – as the shield attests – in adopting and adapting new and old media in order to propagate the messages of Rotary within the community,” RCA President Mahmood Al-Yousif commented, “we didn’t stop just at creating an excellent website, but made sure that all other aspects of social media are well integrated within the PR portfolio as well as introduced virtual meetings by virtue of the availability of audio and video podcasts to allow anyone interested to listen in to our meetings in a very transparent and professional manner. We are confident that the Club will build on this award in the coming years for the benefit of our members and the community,” President Al-Yousif concluded.

The Club wishes to thank all members of the press for their professionalism in covering Club events and hope that they will continue to be the effective partner in allowing the Club to communicate its messages to the community at large.

Hasan Hujairi feels that making music is similar to writing a story; his tale is one with many chapters. He has studied classical guitar in Bahrain and the United States, and learned the floating-bridge oud under Iraqi virtuoso Saad Mahmoud Jawad. A coveted scholarship from the Japanese government led him to delve into the Maritime History of the Gulf, while interning at Tokyo recording studios and playing at spots like the Imperial Hotel and NHK Broadcasting Museum. Hasan was a participant in the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy and is currently a PhD student at the University of Exeter in the field of Ethnomusicology. His last album (‘Manama and Other Spices’) incorporates field recordings made on cassette recorders – spiced up with tube effects. Hasan is an active sound artist and has presented some of his works in art spaces in Bahrain and the UK.

Please click here to view pictures of the meeting.

All the teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the competition. Their participation and the perseverance of the organising committee managed to raise over BD3,500 with net proceeds in excess of BD2,000 which shall of course be dedicated to the club’s charitable causes.

We would like to once again thank every participant, spectator and of course the generous donations of individuals and companies without whom none of this could have happened.

Please visit our Flick gallery to see some of the images taken on the day.

Rotarian Julian Clarke-Jervoise (right) awaiting his turn to donate blood. Other Rotarians seen on other beds in the process of donating blood.

President Mahmood Al-Yousif led ten Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Adliya and five guests in giving blood, “in a country of 1.2 million inhabitants a lot of whom are unfortunate enough to suffer from diseases like thalassemia, sickle-cell anemia and diabetes and only under 20,000 regular donors, this disparity must be addressed” President Al-Yousif commented. “The Rotary Club of Adliya recognises its social responsibility and continuously looks for ways to benefit our community, so when the suggestion to donate blood was made by Rotarian Wesam Baqer, himself a regular donor, the Club jumped at the chance. Gauging from the response of both members and guests after they have given blood, and their determination to become regular donors, I think the Club has once again chosen a good cause and are thrilled to be of service to this great country and its people” President Al-Yousif concluded.

Present at the Donation Drive were President Mahmood Al-Yousif, PDG Nijad Alatassi, PP Khalid Tabbara, PP Hasan Albalooshi, IP Laith Shukayr, Rotarians Dr. Faiza Ghabrial, Hameed Karimi, Wesam Baqer, Zoher Taherbhai and Julain Clark-Jervoise. Guests present were Hasan Haider, Reem Ahmadi, Eman Haider, Mona Jamsheer, Nadia Muijrers – daughter of PP Peter Muijrers and Mrs. Frances Irvine (president’s wife) all guests of P. Mahmood Al-Yousif, Bader Mohammed guest of R. Hameed Karimi and Abdulla, son of PP Hasan Albalooshi.

The Club recognises PDG Nijad Alatassi for his continued generosity by designing and printing the event’s roll-up banner.

“The Rotary Club of Adliya deeply believes in empowering the youth of Bahrain to reach their potential,” Mahmood Al-Yousif, the President of the Rotary Club of Adliya said, “we find that the Youth Leadership Summit and the Talent Conference which took place recently in Dubai are perfect vehicles for that development. Therefore, we opted to sponsor three bright and committed young individuals to attend the event and had every confidence that they would benefit from the experience. In fact, judging by the reports we received back from them, their attendance already bore fruit in not only winning the coveted ‘Best Delegation’ award, but more importantly, they have adapted what they learnt and ‘paid it forward’ by helping various causes in the Kingdom.”

The Youth Leadership Summit partnered with Knowledge Village in Dubai where the event took place. The Summit provides an avenue for global, regional and national business leaders from different organizations to converse with proactive youth. About 300 youth attended and took part in a number of workshops and panel discussions, in addition various talks and presentations. Participants were from the four Gulf States of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and UAE.

Please click play to listen to this week’s Podcast
[audio:RA-110117.mp3]

Eminent dignitaries and national and international media houses also attended, all of whom sought to bridge the gap on a multitude of issues like Human Capital Development, CSR and Environmental Sustainability as well as harnessing innovation and youth empowerment.

Bahraini Gulf Air First Officer Yasmeen Fraidoon Mohammed

The Rotary Club of Adliya was proud to host First Officer Yasmeen who shed light on her job and field questions from members and guests during the Club’s regular monthly Vocational Evening which occurred on Monday 10th January 2011. The Rotary Club of Adliya features a high profile speaker on the first Monday of the month, a vocational speaker on the second, holds a board & business meeting on the third and enjoys the company of members and their families for the fourth Monday of every month.

First Officer Yasmeen, who is one of the very few women in the Arab and Muslim worlds to be a fully qualified commercial pilot, is in charge of hundreds of lives and millions of Dinars worth of equipment and cargo which she ably transports within the Gulf Air network on the Airbus 330 fleet. How has the job affected her and why did she choose such a vocation in the first place, considering that she is classically training and holds a BSc in Business Information Systems from the University of Bahrain?

[audio:RA-110110.mp3]

These and many other questions have been addressed by Commercial Pilot Yasmeen. Please listen to the podcast by clicking the Play button to listen to the proceedings.

The Rotary Club of Adliya was privileged to welcome both the director of a recently released social documentary film about Family Law (Personal Status Law) in Bahrain, Ms. Nasreen Faqihi and the film’s consultant Dr. Banna Buzaboon who is a well known psychiatrist and Family Law activist in Bahrain at their regular meeting on 3rd January 2011.

The club listened to the director’s description of the circumstances of the film and what she had to go through to secure funding and the even more problematic endeavours for convincing people to talk about their painful experiences in front of the camera, and then having to do a major re-edit of the project as the Sunni Family Law was approved by Parliament and adopted by the country while the film was in production.

Both Nasreen and Dr. Banna are continuing to show the film to lay people from all walks of life in Bahrain in the hope of getting them to understand what the law is, and why it is important to adopt it as a nation and as a community.

The Rotary Club of Adliya wishes to render their thanks and appreciation to both ladies for spending some time with us and for sharing their experiences and aspirations for this country.

Incoming Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Adliya for Rotary year 2011/2012
• Incoming President: Rotarian Laith Shukayr
• Immediate Past President: PP Mahmood Al-Yousif
• Incoming Vice President: PP Mahmood Al-Yousif
• Honorary Secretary: Rotarian Wesam Baqer
• Honorary Treasurer: Rotarian Jawad Hasan
• PR Chair: PP Mahmood Al-Yousif
• Rotary Foundation Chair: PDG Nijad Atassi
• Club Services Chair: Rotarian Hameed Karimi
• Membership Chair: PP Dr. Khalid Tabbara
• Service Projects Chair: Rotarian Ms. Khulood Al-Qattan
• Rotary Prizes Chair: PP Ali Follad
• Sargeant-at-Arms: Rotarian Zoher Taherbhai

 

Nominated leaders of the Rotary Club of Adliya for Rotary year 2012/2013

• President Nominee: Rotarian Dr. Sajida Tabbara
• Honorary Secretary Nominee: Rotarian Julian Clarke-Jervoise

The Club wishes them well and looks forward to their positive contribution to the community.

Rotary Club of Adliya’s President Mahmood Al-Yousif presents a gift to a one-year-old patient in Ward 202, the Children’s Oncology Ward at the Salmaniya Medical Complex

Nurse Amal Mohammed, the supervising nurse in Ward 202 welcomed the visit and accompanied both the President and the Service Projects Chairperson around the ward and introduced them to the resident and visiting patients and their parents. Both spent some time talking to children and their patients and expressed solidarity with them and wished them continued recovery.

Rotary Club of Adliya's Service Projects Chairperson Mrs. Khulood Al-Qattan and President Mahmood Al-Yousif present a gift to one of the patients in Ward 202, the Children's Oncology Ward at the Salmaniya Medical Complex

The Club’s Service Projects Chairperson Mrs. Khulood Al-Qattan expressed similar sentiments, “yes, it is sad to see children and their parents in these situations, but knowing that they have the best medical care possible available for them in Bahrain is heartening. We at the Rotary Club of Adliya through our Service Projects Committee are committed to do whatever we can as Rotarians to alleviate suffering, build bridges and bring peace. The visit this morning satisfies these values and we shall work for more community engagement and projects to continue to do so in the future.”

Ms. Eman Mansoor Oun is the leader of the Bahrain Polytechnic Volunters Society and a long standing member of AIESEC. She is an active individual who has initiated, organized and implemented a large number of community service projects and has been an inspiration to other young people like herself.

Ms. Eman Mansoor Oun, Ms. Tahera Shakeeb and Mr. Mohammed Al-Aradi – all of whom are Business students at the Bahrain Polytechnic – will attend this important leadership and skills building conference in Dubai thanks to the Rotary Club of Adliya funding their trip and expenses for the duration of the conference.

“The Rotary Club of Adliya deeply believes in empowering the youth of Bahrain to reach their potential,” Mahmood Al-Yousif, the President of the Rotary Club of Adliya said, “we find that the Youth Leadership Summit and the Talent Conference which takes place this year in Dubai are perfect vehicles for that development. Therefore, we opted to sponsor three bright and committed young individuals to attend the event and have every confidence that they will benefit from the experience.”

The Youth Leadership Summit has partnered with Knowledge Village in Dubai where the event will take place. The Summit provides an avenue for global, regional and national business leaders from different organizations to converse with proactive youth. About 300 youth are expected to attend and take part in a number of workshops and panel discussions, in addition various talks and presentations. Participants will be form the four Gulf States Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and UAE.

Eminent dignitaries and national and international media houses are expected to attend, all of whom will seek to bridge the gap on a multitude of issues like Human Capital Development, CSR and Environmental Sustainability as well as harnessing innovation and youth empowerment.

About AIESEC
AIESEC is the world’s largest youth organisation, bringing together over 40,000 university students across 110 countries. Their vast network connects high-potential people interested in leadership and management and provides them the opportunity to develop their skills in a practical environment.
Since its establishment in 2006, AIESEC Bahrain is now flourishing with over 80 members in two local chapters and provides 14 leadership roles each year to its members.