Where is Qatar anyway?

The most common response I have had from people when I tell them that we are moving to Qatar is, "Where is Qatar, anyway?" (Second runner-up is "Qatar....isn't that in India?") Qatar is a small country in the Middle East (in the Persian Gulf.) It is approximately the size of Connecticut. Doha is its capital and the city we will be living in. For facts and figures about Qatar, visit the CIA World Fact Book website at: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/qa.html

The next two questions are always, "Is it safe?" and "Why in the world are you going?" The answer to the first question is easy: Yes, it is perfectly safe. The reality is that we live in a complicated world. Bad things happen everywhere. You could be shot by a gang in West Valley or hit by a bus in Provo. As kids, whenever we left the house, my mom would always tell us to be safe. We would roll our eyes and respond, "Mom, if it is my time to go, it is my time to go." She would then remind us that acting foolishly can result in "going before your time." Whenever something bad happens unexpectedly, it is natural human response to second guess the decisions that led up to the event. The important thing to remember is that we cannot live our lives "counseled by our fears." Bad things happen everywhere. Tragedy happens everywhere. Qatar is a very unique country with a different situation than its neighbors. It has great relations with the United States and other western countries. The US has a large air force base there. The 2006 Asia Olympics are being held there. The people are wonderful and very kind. In the grand scheme of things, I feel much safer living in Qatar than Los Angeles, D.C., or even West Valley, Utah.

Why are we going to Doha? I am currently working for the World Family Policy Center at Brigham Young University. In 2004, in celebration of the International Year of the Family, the WFPC in conjunction with the government of Qatar hosted a series of international family conferences. (This is why I went to Malaysia, Switzerland, Mexico, and Qatar in 2004.) At the final conference in Qatar, after the presentation of the Doha Declaration, the government there announced that they would be starting a new institute, "The Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development." My current boss, Richard Wilkins, has been asked to be the Institute's first director. Marya Reed and I have been asked to come with him for the first year to get the new institute "up and running."

The last question people ask is, "What about Jon? Does he want to go? What is he going to do?" Jon is really excited about going. He has been extremely supportive. Once we arrive in Doha, he will most likely find a job, hopefully with the medical school there. He is also looking forward to spending a lot of time in the ocean. Jon is currently working on secondary applications for medical school, so we are just taking our plans for the future one month at a time.

We are excited to go and appreciate all the excitement and support from family and friends. We don't have an exact departure date yet, but it will be around January 4 - 8. More details to come.

--Emily

A little bit about the Doha International Institute...

The Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development is an interdisciplinary, multi-cultural and global study center designed to strengthen the family as the “natural and fundamental group unit of society.” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16(3).)

The Mission of the Institute is to encourage, support and promote implementation of the Doha Declaration and to reaffirm and strengthen international commitments to the family as stated in the Doha Declaration. The mission of the Institute will be pursued consistently with the objectives of the 10th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family, which include:

1. Strengthening the capacity of national institutions to formulate, implement and monitor policies in respect of the family;

2. Stimulating efforts to respond to problems affecting, and affected by, the situation of the family;

3. Undertaking analytical reviews at all levels and assessments of the situation and needs of the family;

4. Strengthening the effectiveness of efforts at all levels to execute specific programs concerning the family; and

5. Improving collaboration among national and international nongovernmental organizations in support of the family.

The Institute will encourage the development and implementation of practical programs to help families throughout the world by:

1. Engaging in cooperative research and policy analysis efforts with appropriate Universities, study centers and government entities in other countries;

2. Encouraging and supporting strategically important projects which (a) promote high-quality family scholarship and (a) the development of practical programs consistent with The Doha Declaration;

3. Developing a cooperative network of non-governmental and non-governmental partners to implement policy proposals of the Institute;

4. Developing media programs and initiatives consistent with the Calls for Action in the Doha Declaration; and

5. Attending carefully selected international negotiations to present high-quality evidence and materials supporting national and international policies consistent with the Doha Declaration.