Striving to preserve national identity

The history and culture of the Arab world is well recorded, and none more so than in the UAE, which established institutions to preserve the past and inform future generations.

The Watani programme in Abu Dhabi, established three years ago, is a good example of how a creative approach can be used to entice youth to take an active part in the preservation of society. The inculcation of the past is a good foundation for the future as it forms a basis and understanding of what the nation and society comprise.

As the UAE increases its development and expansion, taking in more people with foreign ideas and practices, it is too easy for the Emirati to overlook, or even not be aware of, that which is an inherent part of his or her country.

With the tremendous influx of all things alien to traditional society, and its apparent attraction to youth through persistent advertising, temptation lies in wait around every corner.

It behoves the older generation, and indeed programmes like Watani, to drive home the important message of national identity and what it comprises. Otherwise, we will rue the day if the UAE disappears into the miasma of western culture.