Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Follow-Up Committee to implement the National Plan to Promote the Spirit of Belonging to the Nation and Reinforce the Values of Nationalism (Bahrainouna), attended here today the celebration to mark the Community Partnership and Belonging to the Nation Day.
Ministers, committee members, governors, editors-in-chief, officials and society members attended.
The Interior Minister delivered the following speech:
“I want to start by congratulating His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on Ramadan. May God protect the nation’s leader and protector of its identity and Arabic identity. May God return this occasion with blessings.
Honourable attendees,
Allow me to share with you the beginnings of the community partnership project as part of the visions and aspirations of HM the King. HM’s directives were aimed at developing the social performance of the Bahrain Police out of his concern for the social security of his people and for the police to be close to the people, a source of reassurance for them, and a place of their trust and pride.
We have started adopting several projects and initiatives. The first of these was the formation of the Community Police in 2007; the force’s members were selected from all governorates of the Kingdom of Bahrain to ensure their closeness to the citizens and ability to identify their needs to achieve the goals of effective community partnership.
Today, I am pleased to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to every citizen who contributed to the security service. Citizens are our security asset and the national base for societal security. After that, the Maan (together) project against violence and addiction was launched, which targets school students.
Since its inception in 2011, 196 schools out of 211 public schools have been covered, and the number of students benefiting from the project has increased to 136,300 students. The programme has been developed by adding new curricula on peaceful coexistence, combating extremism, and cybersecurity.
On this occasion, I express my thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Education for being an active national partner in the success of this project. It was followed by implementing the alternative sanctions project in 2018 as a civilised and humanitarian project, contributing to developing the criminal justice system and continuing national efforts to promote human rights. The number of beneficiaries since its implementation until today reached 4815 people. Meanwhile, open prisons are also considered a turning point and an essential stage in the implementation of the provisions of the Alternative Sanctions and Measures Law, where the beneficiaries are trained and rehabilitated inside the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre and then move to the stage of open prisons, which will begin during the holy month of Ramadan in buildings equipped according to the best standards, leading to the next stage, which is the gradual integration of the convicts into society.
Honourable Attendees
Today, our celebration of the Community Partnership and Belonging to the Nation Day coincides with the 4th anniversary of the launch of Bahrainouna, through which we launched a project to strengthen the identity of national belonging within the framework of national unity and promoting the values of belonging to it. One of the most important motives for launching the National Plan is the focus on values and traditions, mainly since we belong to a country that is open to the world’s cultures, in addition to the comprehensive electronic openness that we are witnessing, which has become accessible to all. These circumstances and facts have their effects, in one way or another, which may be at the expense of identity, values and traditions.
Honourable attendees,
Identity is belonging, and national identity is achievement and pride, an achievement because it is based on the rules of national behaviour towards the elevation of the country and its progress. It is the feeling of pride that we are Bahrainis. We have the identity of a people and a homeland, which is rooted in the collective memory of all components of Bahraini society. Our leadership inspires our pride in our identity. Our identity cannot be neglected, and our belonging is the source of our determination and strength. Our belonging is our national honour, which we defend. Otherwise, how will we raise our children on a national approach? Will we raise a generation that abandons its patriotism and has no identity? We live in the homeland of identity, humanity, and tolerant values. I ask you to hold on to your national confidence and your national heritage, of good values and tradition, to be a trust for our future Bahraini generations. The Bahraini identity remains cherished and appreciated over time.
May God protect you and direct your steps on the path of goodness under the leadership of HM the King; may God protect him peace, mercy and blessings of God.”
After that, a discussion session was held on the latest 107 initiatives and the accomplishments of the National Plan, approved by the cabinet on 26 March 2019.
Then, the Interior Minister launched the National Platform for Bahrain’s Experts of the Ministry of Labour in cooperation with the Information and e-Government Authority. The platform is one of the plan’s initiatives to appreciate local expertise.
The Interior Minister honoured the committee’s former members for their efforts. In addition, he thanked all the contributors to the plan’s success.
Source: Bahrain News Agency