Sharjah, United Arab Emirates - September 06, 2024

INTRO
The fourth smallest country in the world is in danger of sinking into the Pacific. The environmentally damaging lithium mining is growing. Migrants are facing increasingly harsh discrimination. At the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) in the Emirate of Sharjah, more than 250 international guests and speakers were discussing possible ways out of crises like these. Amongst them famous adventurer and survival trainer Bear Grylls.

STORYLINE
Audiences around the world know Bear Grylls for his time spent surviving in nature captured on screen in shows like “Man vs. Wild” and “Running Wild With Bear Grylls”.
Speaking at IGCF Grylls shared how his experiences have shaped his understanding of resilience and success. And the importance of learning from failure.
“We all have the moments of life feeling: “Can we keep going?” And I think understanding that that’s ok. We are all normal. But there’s a reservoir in all of us that is deeper than we ever imagine. We don’t want to live in that reservoir all the time because that’s hard. But in the crunch moments I know people are strong. People are strong. You got it. That’s a muscle and the more we exercise it the stronger it gets. It’s the element of adventure survival I love. When we tickle the edge of that place.”
On Tuvalu, people֞s will to survive is challenged by climate change. At the current rate of global sea level rise, the entire country will be submerged in a matter of decades. Tuvaluan Minister Simon Kofe went viral with his video speech on COP26: he stood waist-deep in water. While the government is trying to save the island physically, it is also preparing for the potential loss digitally. Tuvalu will become the First Digital Nation. Which means digitally recreating its land, archiving its rich history and culture, and moving all governmental functions into a digital space.
“We will host our governance system, administrative system, all these things can be fulfilled even without a physical territory. We have also looked at platforms how we can use technology to preserve our culture and our heritage. We are looking at platforms like the Metaverse using that as a way to present our culture. And give people an experience of what Tuvalu is all about. // I always liking it to someone who has been diagnosed with cancer: You know you’re ending. It changes your priorities, it changes the way you look at life. And part of the Digital Nation is to look at what is really important about Tuvalu. What are the intangible things that we want to preserve as a country.”
Preservation is also the goal of Rachid Yazami. The Moroccan engineer played a key role in the development of lithium-ion batteries. Without them, electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and even electric cars would be inconceivable. However, the mining of lithium has been criticized, partly because of its high water consumption. In order to conserve valuable resources, Yazami is working on making batteries smarter with the help of artificial intelligence.
“My research is now to see whether we can combine material science, materials that we are using in a battery, and artificial intelligence that enables us to manage the batteries. So we can charge them very fast. We can extend their life by two x. We can extend the range. Every time you charge your cell phone or you charge your battery in a car you can drive longer distances. So, all of this are areas of innovation and research. And also battery recycling. Very important. I am also working on how we can develop more efficient ways to recycle batteries and recycle the materials.”
Rachid Yazami wants to present the first results as early as next year.
2025 will also be a milestone for Maya Ghazal. The 25-year-old will then hold her commercial flying license in her hands. And thus become the first female Syrian refugee with this pilotྯs license.
In 2015, she and her family fled to the UK to escape the civil war in Syria. Without any language skills, she was initially rejected by many schools. But she persevered. Today, Maya Ghazal is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and wants to be the role model for women and girls that she herself did not have.
“What I found most difficult was the fact that I was so alone in this journey. I did not know no one that has been through what I’ve been through. There was no one to tell me: Yes that happened to me. It will get better. That’s what I found most challenging. // I wanted to, even more, show that women are capable of achieving their dreams. We are capable to break stereotypes. They are capable of reaching their dreams. And I am a true believer that we should not, and no one should, be telling us what we can and can’t do. We are the role models we want to be. And if we are just given a chance, to be ourselves, to flourish, that’s sometimes all it takes. It’s like a simple act of kindness. Sometimes it’s so simple but it makes a huge difference in someone’s story.”
The 13th edition of the forum included dialogue sessions, workshops and training programs from media organizations, government agencies and private sector companies.

SHOTLIST:
Credits:
-FILE shots of Maya Ghazal flying plane and as goodwill ambassador: UNHCR
-FILE drone shots of Tuvalu island, Digital Nation programme and Simon Kofe holding COP 26 speech: Youtube/Simon Kofe
Date: September 4&5, 2024;
Location: Sharjah/UAE
-Various shots of Bear Grylls on stage and speaking to media;
-SOT Bear Grylls, survival expert (English);
-FILE: drone shots of Tuvalu island;
-FILE: Shots of Simon Kofe holding COP26 speech in water;
-FILE: Shots of Digital Nation programme;
-SOT Simon Kofe, Minister of Innovation Tuvalu (English);
-Various shots of IGCF visitors using mobile devices;
-Shots of Rachid Yazami, Moroccan engineer and inventor;
-SOT Rachid Yazami, Moroccan engineer and inventor (English);
-FILE: Various shots of Maya Ghazal flying plane;
-FILE: Various shots of Maya Ghazal in Jordan Azraq refugee camp;
-SOT Maya Ghazal, Maya Ghazal, refugee pilot (English);
-General shots of IGCF expo centre .