Sharjah: Remie Akl, popular Lebanese singer, poet, actress, and performance artist, captivated the audience at the 10th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) with her poignant words and digital visual storytelling skills as she urged the Arab youth to strive for positive change in society.
In an 'Inspirational Talk' session titled, ‘Where I get my strength from’, which was held on Monday, the artist combined music, poetry and powerful visuals as she made a call for change, imploring the youth to utilise their energy and inner strength in shaping the future of their communities and driving efforts to bring about the change they desire.
Her poetry was set against a visual narrative of childhood. The spoken-word artist, with a legion of followers in the region, called for building resilience and skills to overcome adversity, while also taking a stand against all forms of injustice.
Following her heart
Taking to the stage, the innovative storyteller told the IGCF audience that her inspiration “comes from my heart, my daily life, my days and my nights”.
Akl said she did not believe in deploying words that incite anger. “Angry words generate violence — both verbal and physical — and stimulate dangerous emotions. Fighting fire with fire is damaging,” said the young artist, who prefers to use the beauty of the Arabic language to deliver her messages.
The Arab youth icon who “wishes to leave the world more beautiful” than when she entered it, said her family remains a great source of her strength. She added: “I also derive my power from the word ‘no’; from those who question my ability to make it big in life, from my rash activities, my right decisions, my weaknesses, and from my prayers and my untiring efforts.”
Akl’s performance was contrasted by YouTube’s No. 1 Egyptian 'science nerd' Ahmed El Ghandour’s witty take on how the truth can be utilised to shape public opinion and facilitate public life. Popularly known as ‘Al Daheeh’, the social media celebrity wrapped up the inaugural proceedings of the day two at IGCF 2021 by presenting a narrative on how complex and seemingly alien academic concepts can be understood and implemented to convey the truth - if they are presented in a more user-friendly manner through the various techniques of drama, comedy, graphics and animation.
