Dubai Culture reveals children’s wishes in My Library & Expo time capsule

Dubai: The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has extracted a time capsule in which wishes of a group of children were enclosed in 2013 before the host country of Expo 2020 was announced. Within the messages retrieved in the time capsule, the children expressed their hopes regarding Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Authority invited the participating children, who are now adolescents and young adults, to the Umm Suqeim Public Library where the time capsule was located, reminiscing on those historical moments as well as encouraging the young adults to interact and be inspired by future aspirations.

As part of its commitment to educating community members, especially children, about important key events in Dubai and involving them in celebrating national achievements, Dubai Culture had organised a programme under the title ‘My Library & Expo’ in November 2013 within Dubai Public Library in its two branches, Umm Suqeim and Mankhool.

The aim was to support Dubai’s hosting of this international exhibition under the slogan ‘Connecting Minds…Creating the Future,’ especially as Dubai is the first city in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia to host this large global event. The programme hosted about 200 students and people from various nationalities who wrote their wishes that they hoped would be fulfilled over the coming seven years. The Authority collected these wishes and saved them within a time capsule.

Dubai Culture surprised the attendees at Umm Suqeim Public Library with the letters they had written years ago, and reminded them about their wishes that were full of love and youthful aspirations, instilling in them national pride and documenting the entire experience in a video that was shared on the Authority’s digital platforms.

The wishes of one group centered around raising the UAE flag at the exhibition and participating as ambassadors for Expo 2020, while the wishes of another group revolved around their being granted the opportunity to paint a picture there. The wishes of yet another group focused around Dubai’s nomination as a global city and for the emirate to become one of the most beautiful, secure, and stable cities in the world by, among other reasons.

Dubai Culture prioritises active participation of community members in cultural movements and it aims to continuously inspire a new generation on communication and creativity. This initiative is part of the activities and programmes organised by the Authority, as official culture supporter of the Expo 2020 Dubai, to enhance community members’ engagement, and part of the Authority’s commitment to supporting the National Programme for Happiness and Positivity by organising programmes by launching initiatives that spread happiness in society.