Doha:   Localisation versus globalisation

Sometimes we find ourselves in a position in which we must act out a script that we neither wrote nor developed. In such a situation, we must do what we have to do, play the part with self-confidence and perform to the best of our ability. This is exactly what happened to me, as minister of culture, one day in 2009 on a live programme on Qatar TV involving viewers both in the studio and via telephone. The topic was preparations for Doha to serve as the 2010 Capital of Arab Culture. I was there to answer questions from viewers. These questions were numerous and sometimes complicated, reflecting the strong interest of young people in particular in the year-long festivities, and their profound awareness of what needed to be done. They were very keen for the event to succeed in promoting Doha and her cultural achievements. It was also evident to me from their questions and comments that they had high hopes for the year, which put further pressure on me, there, live on air and in front of the public. I had been appointed to lead the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, for the second time, in September 2008. Not long after, my ministry and I faced a great challenge: organising the Doha 2010 Capital of Arab Culture events. There was little time to meet that imminent challenge. More challenging still was that this was happening in a country that does not believe in half-solutions or halfaccomplishments. The boundless ambition of the country’s leadership meant that it would accept nothing less than a resounding success. There was no escaping it. Arab nations had approved the initiative unanimously and a date had been set. There was no way to postpone it or pull out, even though I did not even know where to begin to prepare for the big event. There was not even a hint of a programme. Worst of all, the infrastructure to host the series of events was neither ready nor adequate enough to meet the expectations of the leadership, which, after several years, had put me back in the top cultural post in the country. When I went into the television studio that day I had no idea what kind of questions the public was going to ask. I was also not aware that the audience had been requested to submit answers to the question that was at the heart of my own concerns: was Doha ready to be the 2010 Capital of Arab Culture? I realised during the interview that what was at stake was successfully persuading the audience and viewers at home that the answer was yes, and to have confidence in the state and its resolve. My task was to inspire confidence in the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage and its ability to achieve the success the public yearned for. Yet, measured against what we knew at the time, organising a series of events that would meet such high expectations was a nearly impossible task. I had to delicately balance being sincere and creating the impression, as the person in charge of the events, that my team and I were ready to meet the challenge. But how does one convince people of anything based only on sincere intentions, in a world where the success of policies is measured with solid data and hard evidence? That moment inspired me to try to address doubts and to emphasise our overwhelming desire to succeed. I was, unquestionably, in a bind. Everyone, as it turned out, knew that preparations had yet to begin. Everything I told those young people came across to them as exaggerations unsupported by any real evidence. They were not convinced of my arguments about there being a strong will and ambition, despite all my efforts. However, I held on to my profound faith that we would succeed – and maintained a sense of calm that came from where I still do not know. The polling soon ended and the answer of a majority of the audience was that Doha would not be ready in 2010 to serve as Capital of Arab Culture. More than 70 per cent had a negative answer. By the standards of political communication, it was a disaster. I was not shocked, however, because what I knew supported the audience’s conclusion. The politician’s role is to build on what is positive and inspire hope among people. So when the host asked me his most serious questions yet that day – ‘Do you accept this challenge? Do you still believe Doha can be a successful culture capital?’

answered confidently, ‘Yes. I accept the challenge, and Doha will be one of the most successful capitals of Arab culture.’ This was not false optimism, despite the very real difficulty of my position and my failure to convince the audience and the viewers at large of my arguments. I drew my self-confidence from my intimate knowledge of the leadership’s political will, its record in dealing with challenges and its keenness to always ensure perfect delivery. There was a rich record of achievement in this regard, and I would not have placed my expertise and credibility on the line if I had not myself been convinced of this. Besides, I didn’t have many options. My team at the ministry and I had to roll up our sleeves and start working the very next day, although the reaction to what I had said on the programme was not enthusiastic. Many believed we had taken a bigger risk than we should have done. Today, when I recall some of those details, I have mixed feelings about those reactions. On the one hand, they added to the pressures that had piled up on me and my colleagues, driving me towards a certain frustration and despair. Doubts and fear of failure are very difficult. On the other hand, they served as an incentive to fulfil not a personal imperative, important as that may be for any politician entrusted with a difficult task, but, rather, a national, Arab and even human one. Ultimately, my colleagues and I rose to the challenge and Doha succeeded brilliantly as Capital of Arab Culture. Experience has taught me that success stems solidly from sincere political will. In the end, I was working with a leadership that never withheld the material or moral means for people to move forward and overcome difficulties. “Arab Culture Is Our Homeland, Doha Is Its Capital” We had only a few months to get the job done. There were no departments in my ministry or in any other ministry which could supervise the forthcoming event, and the committee that would be formed later for the purpose did not yet exist. I proposed to the cabinet that the prime minister chair this committee, and that I serve as his deputy. However, he insisted that I assume full responsibility and chair the 15 committee myself. Again, this was something that acted as both a source of pressure and an incentive for me.