The workshop landed as young members of the APC arrived in Sharjah for the fourth sitting, run jointly by the parliament and the Child Safety Foundation.

Parents' role takes centre stage

Dr Ibrahim Al Dabal led the session, focusing on the central role parents play in holding a family together and meeting its basic and emotional needs. He built the workshop around a simple, practical question — how can I make my relationship with my family better? — and looked at how sons and daughters can act as a positive force within their households.

The discussion drew a strong response from the room. Al Dabal walked participants through how a family's positive role shapes a child's character, stressing that a sense of security is the foundation on which everything else is built, and backed this up with examples that illustrated the family's standing in society.

Members threw themselves into the discussion, sharing their family experiences with a level of awareness that organisers described as striking for their age — reflecting, they said, how capable these young parliamentarians are of identifying the social and personal issues that matter to them, and how invested they are in keeping family relationships strong and children safe at home.

Al Barout: Children strengthen their own families

Ayman Othman Al Barout, Secretary-General of the APC, said the choice of topic — developed with the Child Safety Foundation — reflects a firm belief that the family is a child's first environment and the foundation on which an Arab child's identity is built. He said the maturity members showed in discussing their experiences openly and responsibly proves children can play a real role in keeping their families stable and close-knit.

"We're focused on giving members the tools and skills to carry these ideas back to their peers across the Arab world," Al Barout added, thanking Sharjah and its partner institutions for their continued support in empowering Arab children.