Dtac 2016 souvenir

Under the patronage of

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi Minister of State for Tolerance and President of Zayed University

SIMPLY ONE VOICE

26T H - 2 8 T H MAY 2 0 1 6 Z AYED U N IV E R SIT Y CO N V E N TIO N CE N TE R , AB U DHAB I

Her Excellency

Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi Minister of State for Tolerance and President of Zayed University

Patron’s Message It is my pleasure to be associated with the Toastmasters International, a globally reputed non-profit organization devoted to empowering individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.

I note with great satisfaction that the Toastmasters community in the Gulf Region belonging to District 20 Toastmasters, and in particular the UAE, is a living example of a professional community working on an important mission for the benefit of the versatile regional community. It has been providing a critical educational service helping its members to improve their oral communication and leadership skills, which are vitally important in today’s world.

It is our pleasure to have the District 20 Toastmasters Annual Conference for 2016 take place at the Zayed University Convention Center.

My warm wishes to all the delegates and sponsors for a successful convention.

Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi 11th May 2016

TEAM DTAC 2016 EDUCATION • Sujatha Parthasarathy – Committee Head • Shuchita Udas • Shannon Glasgow • Farrukh Ali • Judith Serrao • Dileep Raj • Bharat Khatri • Anil Akkineni PUBLIC RELATION • Abdul Nasser – Committee Head • Manmohan Sreedhar • Pratima Mishra • Archana Manmohan MARKETING AND SPONSORSHIP • Prakash Chand Mehta - Committee Head • Althaf M.S. FINANCE • Alok Tuteja - Committee Head • Asif Hussain • Jairam Rai • Anita • Romeo Dias REGISTRATION • Ravi Moosad VENUE • Pio Antony - Committee Head • Swaminathan Subramaniam • Anoop OK • Arun Kumar • Rajesh Pallikere • Prajwal Damodar • Cap.Jose Alex • Deepak Deth • Sulfiekar Ali

Simply One Voice DTAC 2016 Souvenir

Editor Manmohan Sreedhar Art Direction & Photography Abdul Nasser Content Sourcing Pratima Mishra Research Archana Manmohan

HOSPITALITY • Devlal Sahadevan - Committee Head • Sujith Vijayamohan SERGEANT-AT-ARMS • Ashit Korgaokar - Committee Head • Reshma Bhat • Ramesh Taurani • Kamal Piryani • Bhavdeep Patel • Sylvia D’Silva • Vincent D’Silva ARABIC CONTEST TEAM • Bassam S. Dohai - Committee Head • Salwa Al Marzouqi • Abdul Hadi Al Hamadi • Basma Al Musbahi INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY • Salwa Al Marzouqi - Committee Head • Sayed Fawad Shah

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• Abdul Nasser - Team Head • Archana Manmohan • Pratima Mishra • Manmohan Sreedhar

Contents 26

Abu Dhabi - The city of the future

30

The F-word

30

Tel(of)communication

35

The voice beside you

36

Our Speakers

44

Our Partners

47

DTAC 2016 Core Team

48

Agenda

50

Contestants

Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in this souvenir are solely that of the respective contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of either the DTAC 2016 Core Commitee or Toastmasters International. While the PR team has put in all reasonable efforts to verify factual content published herein, neither the PR Team or the DTAC Core Commitee shall be liable for any errors that may have crept inadvertently. This souvenir is meant for private circulation amongst the delegates at the DTAC 2016 comprising members of the toastmasters community, our sponsors and guests. - Editor

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Toastmasters International Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Our membership is more than 332,000 memberships.

Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 15,400 clubs in 135 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations.

The world needs leaders. Leaders head families, coach teams, run businesses and mentor others.

These leaders must not only accomplish, they must communicate. By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmasters program. Every Toastmasters journey begins with a single speech. During their journey, they learn to tell their stories. They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They give feedback—and accept it.

Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership.

Toastmasters International Mission We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders District Mission We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence.

Club Mission We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Toastmasters International Values • Integrity • Respect • Service • Excellence Toastmasters International Envisioned Future To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, highvalue, experiential communication and leadership skills development.

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Manmohan Sreedhar Editor, DTAC 2016

Greetings!

Welcome to Abu Dhabi and to the DTAC-2016!

The most awaited event in every toastmaster's calendar is undoubtedly the culmination of the annual contests season marked by celebration at the District Toastmasters Annual Conference (DTAC). This is where the champions in three of the four streams of public speaking are decided. The DTAC also marks the final leg of the larger journey, where that one orator, the best amongst the best, would be selected to represent District 20 at the World Championship of Public Speaking in Washington later this year. It is indeed an exciting time!

During the build up to DTAC-2016, and in the process of facilitating the creation of this souvenir, I had the wonderful opportunity to interact with many of the winners and leaders of District-20. I could feel a great sense of euphoria and can confidently prognosticate that DTAC 2016 is going to be a spellbinding event and that we will be on our way to winning that coveted world champions trophy!

We are truly blessed that this event is happening under the patronage of H.E. Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE’s Minister of State for Tolerance. Toastmasters all over the world, especially in the Middle East, comprise a very diverse mix of ethnicities, faiths and nationalities, all getting together in a great spirit of mutual respect and tolerance. Our tagline, ‘Simply one Voice’ reflects this spirit of oneness and the spirit of tolerance which has always echoed in the culture of the region and the UAE in particular, and which is now being vigorously promoted as a fundamental value in the UAE. I thank the Chairman of the DTAC-2016 core committee, my editorial team, the multitude of contributors, especially those who have offered priceless articles, all our sponsors and advertisers and the numerous toastmasters who have worked dilligently behind the screens to contribute to this effort. I would like to specially thank our PR Head TM Abdul Nasser for his creative wizardry and photography skills par excellence which you have already witnessed during our social media campaigns and can also be seen in this souvenir.

I am sure you will enjoy our famed Emirati hospitality that Abu Dhabi is renowned for during this DTAC. I can already feel the celebrations and hear your joyous voices rising in unison to a crescendo. It’s certainly going to be Simply One Voice!

Manmohan Sreedhar

"

Our tagline, ‘Simply one Voice’ reflects the spirit of oneness and the spirit of tolerance which has always echoed in the culture of the region and the UAE in particular

"

Editor, DTAC 2016

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Sultan Al Hajji

DTAC 2016 Chair person

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Dear fellow Toastmasters The honour of hosting the District-20 Toastmasters Annual Conference (DTAC 2016) has come full circle.

After seven long years, Abu-Dhabi once again has this privilege. It is a matter of great pride for us that this DTAC is being conducted under the kind patronage of none less than Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE’s Minister of State for Tolerance. DTAC 2016 will be the cynosure of all eyes from the 24th to 26th May 2016 at the Zayed Convention Centre. As the DTAC 2016 Chairman, it is both an honour and privilege for me to invite all Toastmasters, my sisters, brothers and friends to be a part to this prestigious event.

One of the unique features of District-20, which I dare say is quite unparalleled anywhere in the world is our unity in diversity. Take a moment to ponder how our members are drawn from seven countries and of multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious backgrounds all firmly united by our common passion towards Toastmasters - towards excellence in oral communications and leadership. It was therefore natural that we chose the leitmotif, ‘Simply one Voice’ for this grand event.

It is also a remarkable coincidence that the UAE happens to be celebrating 2016 as the ‘Year of Reading.’ In fact, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa said, “We directed to declare

2016 as the Reading Year because reading is the basic skill for a new generation of scientists, intellectuals and innovators.” The virtue of reading, no doubt complements the Toastmasters’ mission of empowering individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders!

This DTAC is guaranteed to be a fun-filled, educational and entertaining experience and for some, could be cathartic and life changing. For those coming in from outside of the UAE, it is also a great opportunity to feel the legendary hospitality of the UAE, to experience the charms of Emirati culture and to taste some exquisite cuisine! Enjoy Abu Dhabi’s remarkable beauty, admire the stunning magic of some of its monuments and spend some time at our splendid shopping malls. I leave it to our Education Team, our Hospitality Team, our PR Team to detail what they have in store for you.

I am truly overjoyed to have you here at DTAC 2016 and joining us to make it ‘Simply one Voice!’

Sultan Al Hajji DTAC 2016 Chair person

Sultan Al Hajji is the Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer of Total E&P United Arab Emirates.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Affairs from USA and a post graduate higher diploma in HR from France. He is associated with various forums and events, both in the UAE and internationally related to HR, CSR, communications, diversity and leadership and is recognized as a developer of organizational leadership, management methods and strategy. An ardent promoter of Emiratization and a champion of Women’s Empowerment, he is an accomplished speaker on motivational subjects and leadership, much sought after on radio talk-shows and Television in the UAE, Europe and USA. In the Total Group, he is UAE Representative of Total Employees Shareholders and its Supervisory Board Member since 1994.

He had also represented the UAE on Sustainable Development (2003 – 2010), Total Global Diversity Council (2004 – 2012) and is a founder of Total ABK Academy.

He is the chairman of UAE University College of Science Advisory Board, member of the Du Telecommunications Customer Advisory Board, Vice President Alliance Française Abu Dhabi, Vice Chairman Manzil Board of Directors (Center for Challenged Children in Sharjah –NPO), Board member “Les Amis de La Sorbonne - Abu Dhabi“ and a promoter and establisher of Toastmasters Clubs in Abu Dhabi. He had chaired the Management & Administration Committee of Higher College of Technologies board till 2014.

He was awarded the Diversity and Inclusion Award for Youth Empowerment at the Middle East Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Forum in 2014, HR Professional of the Year and The Middle East HR Summit Excellence Awards in 2009. Under his leadership, as HR Manager Total ABK won the 2007 Dubai Human Development Award and as Vice President (Institutional Development) Total UAE won Best CSR Project in MENA Region at ADIPEC 2013 for “Alreyada – Connecting Leaders”.

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Seema Shetty

DTAC 2016 Vice Chair

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Dear Toastmasters, We are grateful for your trust in us, and in giving Abu Dhabi the opportunity to host the DTAC in 2016.

We are committed to ensure that you are given the perfect opportunity to perform, learn and develop the skills you need to become a truly great leader and communicator.

The three essential areas of focus we have considered to achieve this are:

Our creative team has put their minds together to bring out characters of friendship, reunion and inspiration. We truly hope you have been able to witness and Our education team and the teams in and around your hospitality, caring for you within the premise and outside, have put their wholehearted spirit into ensuring everything is done with perfection.

1. A superb convention center providing a state of the art platform to deliver your speech offering facilities and hospitality to suit your every comfort.

We are indebted to the sponsors who have given their support to us in carrying out the great contest and also, in their commitment to make Toastmasters a prominent platform for skills and self development in the region.

2. A line up of intriguing sessions by visionaries to enhance your learnings in your journey towards self development and success.

Personally, I am here to make good friends, meet old friends, learn from everyone and make sure all of you are having the time of your life!

3. A team of highly skilled, passionate Toastmasters, whose only mission is to make your experience the best yet of DTAC.

I look forward to meeting each and everyone of you.

We have endeavoured to use information technology to keep you well informed about the speakers, speeches as well as bring you the latest news and updates.

Seema Shetty

Vice Chair DTAC 2016

Ms. Seema Shetty is the youngest daughter of Dr. B. R. Shetty, Founder, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of the renowned NMC Healthcare and Managing Director and CEO of UAE Exchange.

She is a Board member of the Special Care Centre-Abu Dhabi, Entrepreneurship Advisory Board of New York University Abu Dhabi and Advisor of Boston University Alumnae Leadership Council – Middle East Under the tutelage of her illustrious father, she started her career with NMC Healthcare in 2004. Her very first venture was the launch of a first-of-its-kind Geriatric Care service in 2004, providing economical home Healthcare Services to the Community. In the same year she set up Zari Zardozi an exclusive and upmarket restaurant, quintessentially Indian and one that offers gourmet food with a liberal infusion of modern cultural influences.

In 2005, she set up BiteRite a chain of eateries promoting the concept of ‘Guilt Free Hunger’ and providing healthier eating options and weight management solutions. She forayed into beauty care and wellness by taking over the reins of New Beauty Centre, revamping it completely and later rebranding it to Zari Spa & Beauty Centre.

In 2007, she set up FoodWorld Restaurant in Al-Ain, that offers an authentic multi-cuisine experience “cuisines of the world at your fingertips”. Apart from various entrepreneurial pursuits she also heads the Corporate Training Cell of NMC Healthcare and is the Founder of Toast Masters NMC Community Chapter. In addition to her other responsibilities within the NMC Group, early in 2016 she was appointed as VP Corporate Excellence in NMC Healthcare.

She is married to Mr. Nirman Shetty and they are blessed with two lovely daughters, Vivanya & Tanaya.

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Jim Kokocki, DTM International President

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May 2016 Greetings to the members of District 20!

Welcome to your DTAC “Simply One Voice”. This weekend you will have the opportunity to listen, learn and accelerate your development as a communicator and a leader. Please make the most of your opportunities this weekend while making time to acknowledge and celebrate the successes of your fellow Toastmasters, and extending your personal network.

I hope many of you take this opportunity to report back and deliver a speech to your club on the many educational and developmental opportunities you realized at your conference.

Please be sure to thank your conference team. They stepped forward in their leadership development to provide you with this learning event. Please take time to acknowledge their success.

Have fun and best wishes to all of our great Toastmasters in District 20 as you celebrate your DTAC! Sincerely,

Jim Kokocki, DTM International President Toastmasters International

P.O. Box 9052 • Mission Viejo, CA 92690-9052 • USA • TEL: 949-858-8255 • FAX: 949-858-1207 • www.toastmasters.org

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Teresa Dukes, DTM International Director, Region 11

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Simply One Voice What exactly does that mean? To me it captures the essence of our Core Values – Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence. We all joined Toastmasters for different reasons and the beauty of working together is knowing that we can accomplish amazing things when we put these four values at the heart of all we do.

Year on year our voices grow louder and clearer because of the knowledge we gain from learning new communication and leadership skills. These new skills open up many doors for us and they also sometimes easily sidetrack us on what we represent. Our noble mission is to empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. It is up to us to create and maintain an atmosphere of enjoyment, teamwork and dedication.

As members and leaders you will face many challenges. Challenges can be excellent learning opportunities depending on how you approach them. It’s learning to stand up and speak out when you see something isn’t right. It also means that you speak with ‘Simply One Voice’ dedicated to what is best for our members and the organization.

You can never take for granted what you say or do. We are always being observed and followed. Speaking with integrity and respect makes all the difference and can ensure that we are providing our members with a quality service and an excellent experience!

Teresa Dukes, DTM International Director, Region 11

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Dear fellow toastmasters, As we approach the DTAC 2016, which is a grand finale of sorts that showcases the best in the District-20 and reflects the District’s activities over an entire year, I did not have to ponder long as to what my message should be. As your District Director, it has been a great privilege and opportunity to learn from the trials and tribulations of individual members and various Clubs, Areas and Divisions as much as from their glorious successes.

Summing up what I learned from the vantage position of the District Director, I would like to proffer the following advice.

1. Respect the TMI Educational Program and adhere to quality in terms of the projects you do. Be sincere to the project objectives; do not merely chase awards and certifications and do not take up a leadership role just to satisfy an award criterion. Instead, do it for the love of the movement.

2. Do not be in an unholy hurry to attain the educational awards.

You learn more when you pause and reflect before moving on.

And more importantly enjoy the journey. So, remember there›s no rush, reach when you feel you have arrived.

3. Know why you are in your club or in the movement. Do not merely be a bench warmer doing nothing but paying membership. Be active in one role or the other; speaker, leader, mentor, coach or any small role in every single meeting. The more you give, the more you get.

Sujit Sukumaran, DTM District Director, District 20

4. Do your own work. There may be laggards, people who wing their projects, all kinds of miscreants who want the «easy» way out. True, they may get «certified» faster. But there›s a difference between real competence and mere possession of a badge or a certificate. Strive not to be great or greatest, but be a legend so your life and your time at the helm will serve as an inspiration. Do your work sincerely and people will know your greatness anyway.

Most importantly, be an ambassador for toastmasters, your club, area, division or district and even worldwide, think beyond differences, don›t be that proverbial frog in the well. Be divergent, have tangential thoughts, but do not be different at the cost of the camaraderie and core values of the movement.

Bring back the sanctity and love of learning. In other words, have simply one voice!

If you get what you want out of Toastmasters you will never get out of Toastmasters.

In service,

Sujit Sukumaran DTM

District Director, District 20

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“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller.

Flying into Abu Dhabi, you may notice sand dunes cascading endlessly into infinity, punctuated by the Hajar Mountains if you happen to fly in from the south east. Soon after you land, you begin to realize that you are in one of the most happening places in the Middle East. As you drive to the venue, you are greeted with verdant greenery on either side and you get to see glimpses of this great metropolis belying that view you had of the desert from the air. I am sure you will find the ultra-modern Zayed University Convention Center a most befitting venue for the DTAC 2016.

Ali Shahbaz Ali, DTM

Program Quality Director, District 20

It is indeed a matter of immense pride for all of us that we are the largest District in the world spanning seven countries and our membership profile comprises an astounding range of nationalities, races and ethnicities. Year after year, we grew stronger and produced wonderful leaders and champions all the way to the world headquarters and the international finals.

At this juncture, the big question we should ask ourselves is just how much have we done to serve our fellow toastmasters, or fellow human beings? Being a toastmaster is a way of life where we learn, serve and grow to be better communicators and leaders and ultimately better individuals. We serve our fellow toastmasters and others by helping them overcome the fear of public speaking, improve oral communication and to become great leaders. During this journey we continually develop our potential, skills and talents. My Mantra is “Serving is Growing”.

This journey is never ending. Service can take many forms and can come through many roles. If we all develop our hidden spirit of service then we can make a big difference, globally.

Enjoy the three days of DTAC 2016, Socialize, Listen and Be Heard, Inspire and Be Inspired. Enjoy every moment, forget the flaws and embrace the strengths. Finally, Lets all appreciate the hard work put in by the hosting country UAE and their magnanimous leaders who support our endeavors. Let me leave you with a relevant quote- “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller.

Wish DTAC 2016 all success!

Ali Shahbaz Ali, DTM

Program Quality Director, District 20 Toastmasters International

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Dear Toastmasters, One of the greatest joys of my life is the fact that I am part of this truly wonderful and unique multicultural family of District 20, and of course by extension, a part of the global family of Toastmasters international.

It will indeed be a moment of immense pride for the entire Toastmasters fraternity of District 20, when the curtain rises on the much awaited District-20 conference - DTAC 2016.

The DTAC is an event where we not only showcase our talents but receive and celebrate accolades for our performance over the past year, make new friends, learn and share knowledge. Nonetheless, let’s keep in mind that the road to knowledge is never ending and is as long as you are willing to travel. Always remember, this road is open and is only as difficult as you believe it to be.

“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.” – Jim Rohn

Clita Veena Crasta, DTM Club Growth Director, District 20

I am really happy that each of you has taken the initiative to learn. I truly believe there is no age bar to learning, which is why I encourage you all to muster great conviction and even greater commitment, forge your own path to success for both, your club and yourselves, remain steadfast in your dedication. Encourage and motivate others on the way while following your dreams. Uphold the core values of Toastmasters, for it is everyone’s responsibility towards everyone.

Though we come from diverse cultures, religions and creeds we still belong to one family a common vision and mission which is that of Toastmasters. This non profitable organization with a self-learning ethos is a gift to millions from a man who had a dream to see everyone excel in communication and leadership.

I wish you all a successful journey in Toastmasters for fulfilling your aspirations and may you bring many laurels to our District-20.

Wish you a very successful DTAC 2016!

Clita Veena Crasta DTM

Club Growth Director, District 20

Wishing the District 20 Toastmasters a successful DTAC 2016

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Dear District 20 members and guests, It is that time of year to celebrate our successes and achievements.

A fe w years ago, a few clubs from the gulf countries came together to form what was called the GTC, Gulf Territorial Council.

It was through the vision and perseverance of a handful of Toastmasters Enthusiasts that this was possible.

The success of the District depends not only on the foundation laid by our predecessors, but also the enthusiasm and leadership of the future leaders we recruit and carefully select. Conferences are a good venue to reflect on the past year and prepare for the many years of enjoyable skill development in our amazing organization.

I look forward to meeting my old friends and making new ones.

Regards,

Mohammed Murad, DTM

International President 2014-2015

Mohammed Murad, DTM International President 2014-2015

Dear Toastmasters, It is both a proud privilege and an honour to be penning a message for the District-20 Toastmasters Annual Conference 2016 souvenir.

District 20 has been a second home for me and many of you have helped me even during the final preparation for the world championship, highlighting what the spirit of toastmasters is all about. I am ever thankful to my brothers and sisters of District-20 for their constant support.

As of now, District-20 is the biggest district in the world in terms of members and which is something to be proud of. You are a happy mixture of many nations and even more nationalities, but you all come together united in the goals of developing better leadership and communication skills.

I am sure the DTAC 2016 is going to be a great event and a harbinger of great things to come for the toastmasters of the Middle East.

Keep up this wonderful bond and I really wish you all the best of luck for the DTAC 2016!

Mohammed Qahtani

Mohammed Qahtani World Champion of Public Speaking 2015

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World Champion of Public Speaking 2015

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ABU DHABI THE CITY OF THE FUTURE Archana Manmohan

Welcome to Abu Dhabi the city of the future!

The growth of Abu Dhabi from a tiny fishing hamlet into a flourishing island city is nothing short of a miracle of modern times. It’s a city that literally sprouted from the sand dunes of Arabia in little over a half century. Today, Abu Dhabi’s beautiful skyline is dotted with modern architectural wonders - skyscrapers of gleaming glass and steel and mega structures, juxtaposed with traditional onion domed palaces and fabulous mosques clearly inspired from Islamic culture. Contemporary bridges connect futuristic islands, boldly designed museums that shows Abu Dhabi’s love for culture and history and staid Universities that emphasise Abu Duabi’s thirst for knowledge are all part of this great city. Yet it is also home to lavish theme parks, luxury hotels and restaurants serving exquisite cuisine both Arabic and from around the world. The island itself is surrounded by the serene, clear blue waters of the Arabian Gulf. As you move into the mainland, the Emirate is flanked on the southwest by the endless sand dunes of the empty quarter and in the distant southeast by the mesmeric Hajar mountains.

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Photography: Abdul Nasser

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An old man who used to chase gazelles on the island earned the moniker ‘the father of gazelles’ or Abu Dhabi in Arabic. It is believed that this name later lend itself to both the city and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Photography: Abdul Nasser

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Abu Dhabi is indeed a reality that beats the most fantastic mirages you could conjure up in your minds.

Not long ago, everything here was completely barren, though recent archaeological evidence confirm the presence of very early settlements dating back to 3000 BCE. The Bedouins of the Bani Yas tribe, after centuries of criss-crossing the hostile deserts, settled in the Liwa Oasis in the 1700’s.

Later they moved to Abu Dhabi and engaged in pearl diving which became one of Abu Dhabi’s earliest claims to global fame. There’s a popular folk-tale from back then about an old man who

used to chase gazelles on the island, and earned the moniker ‘the father of gazelles’ or Abu Dhabi in Arabic. It is believed that this name later lend itself to both the city and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. For the early inhabitants, besides pearl diving which was the mainstay of the economy, fishing, falconry, date farming and camel rearing were other occupations that helped develop a thriving trade and prosperous economy.

Seafarers also found a safe haven here to rest before their onward voyage through Strait of Hormuz to India and the east.

Abu Dhabi remained a flourishing pearl trade centre until the turn of the

20th century when the development of ‘cultured pearls’ by the Japanese impacted their market negatively and by the 1930’s Abu Dhabi was back to being a humble fishing village. But the Emiratis, resilient by nature, faced the hardships bravely and stayed optimistic.

In the backdrop of this crisis, the then ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan granted an onshore concession for oil exploration to Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) in 1939, and an offshore concession to D’Arcy Exploration Ltd in 1952. Oil was first discovered under an old pearling bed in the Arabian Gulf, Umm Shaif, in 1958 and later in the desert at Murban

in 1960. The first cargo of crude was exported from Jabel Dhanna in Abu Dhabi in 1962. As oil revenues increased, the new ruler of Abu Dhabi, H.E. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, undertook a massive construction program, building schools, housing, hospitals and roads. Never would anyone have guessed the magnitude of the bountiful resources of ‘black gold’ hidden beneath the vast expanse of sterile deserts and the old pearl beds in the nearby seas.

Under Sheikh Zayed, who later came to be known as the father of the nation, Abu Dhabi and the UAE developed in leaps and bounds.

Archana Manmohan

Shutterstock

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The F-word!

SALIM A SAYYID

“I love the F-word. It is a gift that I treasure!”

10

I

came across a very interesting article

by Mat Mayberry recently about the F-word. This F-word is not the egregious four letter word that’s so common in today’s culture but the Big, Fat Failure. It would be strange to many that I consider this F-word as a gift to our life and has inspired me most of the times to face life head on.

Life can never be a smooth ride as there will always be great challenges to face and sometimes we will experience this F-word in its full intensity crippling us, demotivating us and leaving us wallowing in self pity. But there have been great examples that show us that in spite of all the trials and tribulations faced, we humans have an indomitable spirit gifted to us by the Almighty to face and emerge successful in spite of all the spears that life throws at us. An immediate example that comes to my mind is the below extract from one highly successful woman who has the following to say about the “F-word:” “Eventually, we all must come to a decision, for ourselves, about what represents failure. However, the world is very keen to put failure on a schedule, and give you a set of decisive factors, if you allow it. A meager seven years following my graduation, failure had hit me on a grand scale. A fleeting marriage was dissolved, I had no job, [I was] a single parent and as destitute as anyone could possibly be without living on the streets.

My parents’ fears for me, and those I had for myself, had finally transpired, and according to the book of failure, I was the biggest.”

The above paragraph is a summation of a speech given by J.K. Rowling at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association.

I can also recount the life crushing blow that the eminent filmmaker Mr. Raj Kapoor faced after the debacle of his magnum opus “Mera Naam Joker” The failure devastated him and it was only through his indomitable and never say die attitude that once again he rose from the ashes and produced Bobby which was a blockbuster. Indeed the F-word was his gift that life gave him to bounce back and

emerge successful.

Another example of the F-word that I can remember is about Jim Key the World Champion of Public Speaking of Toastmasters International. His speech, “Never Too Late,” described how it’s never too late to follow our dreams, regardless of the difficulty, heartache and disappointment we face in life. He spoke from experience. This was Key’s third attempt at winning the World Championship. He experienced the F-word two times coming in second in 2001 and 2002 in spite of being one of the nine finalists in fiercely fought contests worldwide.

I also remember the example of cricketer Gundappa Vishwanath. He made his debut under Mansoor Ali Khan’s captaincy for India against Australia in 1969. Gundappa Ranganath Viswanath was one of India’s finest batsmen throughout the 1970s.

Viswanath played Test cricket for India from 1969 to 1983 making 91 appearances and scoring over 6000 runs. In his debut against Australia in Kanpur, he failed miserably getting out for a golden duck.

When he was back into the dressing room, he was in tears as he felt that his international cricket career was doomed.

However, his captain reassured him not to lose hope and in the 2nd innings in the same test, he scored a superb century. The F-word was in a way a gift that life gave him to spur him on to play the innings of his life.

We have all read of the ignominy faced

by Steve Job when he was sacked in his first job. The F-Word could have shattered any lesser mortal but Steve Job showed his tenacity and grit by making one of the greatest comebacks and giving the world Apple gadgets that have become a household name today.

History is replete with many such examples where the F-word played havoc with their lives but were able to bounce back through their determination and courage. Of course there are many examples of sardonic individuals who have never picked themselves up from failure because they did not grow. Failure courses through everyone’s life and it is those individual who pick themselves up, dust themselves and start all over again

that separates them from those who have failed and never grown.

If you want to be a success, a champion then view failure and adversity as a friend or as a gift to help you grow, to help you ignite your passions and to be nothing but the best and believe me this can be achieved. Never ever underestimate the power of the F-word. It has far reaching consequences as exemplified by numerous mortals who showed by their fantastic achievements that immortality can be achieved!

I love the F-word. It is a gift that I treasure!

SALIM A SAYYID I am a Marketing Manager for Volkswagen Cars in Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates. I have an MBA in Marketing with a very successful career in Sales and Marketing for over 25 years winning two prestigious awards – Gold Pin for Audi Sales and Gold Pin for Volkswagen I am a passionate Toastmaster and a very active member of two outstanding Chapters in Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi Toastmasters and the Humoroids Advanced Toastmasters Club. I was the District Secretary of District 79 2010 - 2011 I find social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and YouTube extremely useful for connecting and sharing information with people all over the world. I hope to use these awesome platforms effectively to make friends and have business relationships.

I love watching suspense films, reading books on varied subjects and my favorite sport is cricket. My all time favorite cricketer is Kapil Dev and my favorite actor is Dilip Kumar. My favorite authors are Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Denis Whitley and Jim Rohn.

My take on life – “Life is beautiful”

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10

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TEL(OF)COMMUNICATION NOTHING IS WORKABLE WITHOUT THIS

Hemant Mundhra, ACS ALB

T

echnology available commercially can be purchased. You only need to have interest in it.

We have been in Toastmasters because of this ‘interest’ factor. If we compare the amount of time we spent in Toastmasters and on emails/ Internet browsing/ Whatsapp/ social networking sites/ Mobile Phone.., one of them will look like miniscule.

Writing skills can be built; understanding your audience and finding the appropriate words to convey your thoughts will lead you to success with your written communication in addition to your oral communication skills.

(Based on the writer’s personal experience during the long and continuous journey at Toastmasters with measurable results)

We are all excited or interested in possessing 4G technology available for quite sometime in the market or may have sneaked into our lives unsubscribed. Now consider my offer.

You have been in Toastmasters for some time now and must have acquainted or equiped yourself with 3G technology of Think, Speak and Listen. I present you the 4th G (4G), totally refurbished, long lost in our realm. ‘Write’, the Written Communication Skill.

With writing skills, the key lies in knowing the mechanics of writing, knowing your audience and choosing the right words. This is a key professional skill. Assess your skills. You may be too close to your writing to have a realistic view, so ask people whose writing you respect. Use the feedback to make a list of the areas for improvement you identify. The needs of your audience may vary from the type of document you are creating. Finally, focus on clarifying your message and develop your own style in writing. Again, notice the communication style of others whom you find more effective and identify the factors that make their style work.

There are many ways to build your writing skills from a technical perspective. In addition to business writing seminars or other classes, look for online sources that focus on the things you need to improve. These may include punctuation, spelling or grammar. Other resources offer ways to build vocabulary. Take on one aspect at a time rather than trying to do too much at one time.

Plan your writing before you start. Think about the needs of your audience, clarify the message that you want to communicate and then determine the format that will be most effective. Get in the habit of preparing an outline to guide your writing so that you maintain focus. This will help with the documents as varied as technical articles and emails.

Develop processes to check your work. Proofreading and editing are essential aspects of producing a quality document.

Find other people to help, especially with documents that are going to a high-profile audience. If time permits, set your document aside for a while, and come back to it later with a fresh mind. And look for typos by starting at the end of your document and working your way to the beginning – it can help break free of seeing what you expect to see.

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10

The Voice Beside you Vinod Raman Wariath

A

s the sun set and the ships set sail for their home ports, some did not weigh anchor but chose to stay a while longer. This small group forgot the lines that divide us into clubs, areas and divisions.

They instead chose to live and live up to the tag line in the backdrop “Succeeding together - Supporting each other�. A five month voyage had yielded a treasure trove of gold and silver. They say it's the journey that counts, not the destination. The voices had begun as whispers, a breeze that gently filled our sails as the distant

shores of DTAC-2015 beckoned. As the tide picked up, we set sail with two young(ish) bucks at the helm. Every time we made port, our crew grew. Songs were sung and spoils were shared. Whenever the seas got rough, help was always at hand. As a famous voice once said, all you had to do was reach out. As sailors from around the district engulfed the Promised Land to claim its riches, that whisper had grown into a war cry. But it wasn't one of success or sorrow, it was one of support; support that came from comrades and combatants alike. As the sun finally set on the third day, there stood us two weary sailors, just as we

had started - side by side. As I surveyed the sea of humanity that stood at each others' side, I knew each one of them had a part to play in where we stood that day. For this was the Toastmasters way. The voices that began as whispers now echoed long into the night, with a promise that they would be heard again. There are moments when you realize how lucky you are to be surrounded by true friends, moments you'll cherish forever. After a silent "Thank you TGIS. Thank you Toastmasters" I too joined in as we all yelled out in one single voice. For this is the Toastmasters way.

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER As Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Rex leads Toastmasters International’s World Headquarters team in providing service, resources and support to 332,000 members in 15,400 clubs across 135 countries. He works closely with the International President and the Board of Directors to develop the future of Toastmasters and to create and execute plans and strategies to reach those goals.

Rex has worked for Toastmasters for 25 years, and during that time he has led several departments at World Headquarters, giving him a unique perspective and an impressive depth of knowledge of the organization. In 2008, he assumed the role of Executive Director, a title that was changed to Chief Executive Officer in 2013. Rex’s previous positions include Deputy Executive Director, Director of Communications and Marketing, Marketing Division Manager, and Membership Manager.

Daniel Rex

Chief Executive Officer, Toastmasters International

Rex holds a BA degree in Modern Languages from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, and an MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. He holds certificates from the Leadership for Senior Executives course through Harvard Business School, and the Executive Leadership Program through the University of California, Berkeley. He completed the Strategic Leadership Programme through the University of Oxford.

In addition to his Toastmasters duties, Rex serves as a member of the Key Global Associations Committee (KGAC) of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Jairek Robbins is a man dedicated to helping professionals like you Achieve Success by Living With Purpose in your life and business.

While only 23 years old, Jairek was awarded the Congressional Award (Gold Medal) from the United States Congress. He has conducted trainings for a variety of companies & organizations including... The United States Marines & Air Force, BMW, REMAX, UBS and members of the U.S. Olympic team.

He is a trusted advisor and board member to a variety of companies and has founded two of his own.

Today, the 31- year old with over a decade of performance coaching experience continues to unlock secrets for maximizing performance and organizational success (and he’s just getting started).

Jairek Robbins

36

As an innovator, Jairek applies his philosophy in his life and lives a life of adventure, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship. Whether it’s cage diving with great white sharks, hanging with silverbacks in Rwanda, white water rafting down the Nile, working as a volunteer in underdeveloped regions, or building a powerful enterprise that’s built for results, Jairek does more than talk about it, he stretches the boundaries of traditional thinking and makes it happen.

EDUCATIONAL SPEAKER Teresa Dukes, DTM, of Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom, is a speaker, trainer and coach at Dukes Consultancy, a company she founded in May 2009. Certified as a World Class Speech Coach, she helps individuals achieve their personal objectives and reach their full potential. Her clients include CEOs, apprentices, high school students and small- to medium size enterprises. Dukes also works as an associate trainer for Speakers Trust, a charitable public speaking organization that specializes in training and educating the not-for-profit and community sectors.

While studying at Kings College in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dukes earned a diploma in secretarial science. She continued her education to study marketing, geographical analysis and project management. She worked as a corporate director before becoming an entrepreneur.

Teresa Dukes, DTM

International Director, Region 11

A Toastmaster for 16 years, Dukes has been a member of her home club, Speak Easy at Martlesham in Martlesham, England, since 2004. She has held a number of high-profile leadership positions within Toastmasters and has attained the Distinguished Toastmaster designation—the highest level of achievement in the organization.

Dukes says, “Toastmasters means courage, opportunity and challenge: the courage to share ideas where they are heard, the opportunity to develop skills at your own pace, and the challenge to help others grow.” “Together,” she says, “Toastmasters not only grow personally and professionally, but are ready and able to grow their communities and businesses as well.”

As a member of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors, Dukes is a “working ambassador” for the organization. She works with the Board to develop, support and modify the policies and procedures that guide Toastmasters International in fulfilling its mission.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER Jo-Dee Walmsley is a professional motivational speaker and an expert in helping people dealing with their work related stress and productivity by increasing their happiness. Jo-Dee has been in the business for more than 10 years motivating people around the world.

Her sessions are designed to address the physical, mental and emotional stress faced by people in different fields of work on daily basis. Her techniques are guaranteed to encourage leadership skills, innovation, creativity, communication, quality and efficiency of work by managing the mind and increasing a positive attitude through laughter and other techniques. Her special style of working adds happiness to the personal and professional lives thus bringing an overall change in the attitude and wellbeing of the people.

Jo-Dee Walmsley

Jo-Dee has mastered the art of communication through her optimistic and energetic manner. Due to her amazing flair, participants feel relaxed in her sessions and are comfortable in not only speaking out about the issues but also addressing them accordingly.

Stress free life is the only way to Success in today’s world where clear goals are defined and focus are on achieving them. Changing reactions to events will change the outcome and this change will come only from within.

37

The Advent of Toastmasters International in the UAE Vijayan Manikoth

F

ormer British Prime Minister Sir Winston S. Churchill said in an article titled The Scaffolding of Rhetoric said "Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king".

(I am sure the gift of oratory applies to women in equal measure as well) The Hollywood actor, Late Robin Williams, at his Oscar award acceptance speech recalled his father’s advice when he told him of his ambition of a career in Show business. To quote Robin, "Most of all, I want to thank my father, up there, the man who when I said I wanted to be an actor told me, 'Wonderful! Just have a back-up profession like welding". Well, way back in the late 1970's, while I was still in college, I told my father that I would like to be the best salesman in the world. He didn't ask me to learn welding but advised me to join the YMCA Toastmasters Club in Chennai, where I had already been as a guest. In 1981, I took up my first job in Bahrain, where I formally became a Toastmaster by joining the Manama Toastmasters Club and actually won my first Toastmasters International Speech Contest. I can still vividly recall that meeting because veteran Toastmaster A. Ponnuchamy, was the Toastmaster of the evening.

In April 1988, when I joined the Abu Dhabi office of Khaleej Times, one of the first things I tried to do was to locate a local Toastmasters Club. Imagine my utter shock when I realized that the UAE did not have a single Toastmasters Club, whereas, in neighbouring Bahrain, the Manama Toastmasters Club had been established way back in 1964.

38

Initially, I waited– rather patiently I might add - for somebody else to start a Toastmasters Club in the UAE. I kept procrastinating about starting one on my own. Well, as the old saying goes, ‘Procrastination is the thief of time.’ Five long years later, in 1993, I finally decided to act and launch Toastmasters in the UAE. Unfortunately, I was advised by the then HR Manager of Khaleej Times that I was not supposed to take up any other work, paid or unpaid, apart from the job mentioned in the Employment contract!

Finally, in 1995 I persuaded the then Managing Director to grant me permission to start a Toastmasters club. I wrote to the world headquarters of Toastmasters International, and received a prompt reply from Mr. Daniel Rex and Mr. Stanley Stills giving me the go ahead to introduce Toastmasters in the United Arab Emirates.

The first thing I did after this approval was to meet Dr B.R. Shetty, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of NMC Group, who without batting an eyelid, agreed to be the Patron for my Toastmasters venture. Toastmasters being by nature, an educational organization, I approached Late Mr. M.K. Jawahar who owned Abu Dhabi Educational Institute and Wisdom Institute - Dubai, to join us as the legal sponsor of Toastmasters. Dr Shetty in all his magnanimity, agreed to allow Toastmasters to conduct their meetings at the NMC Hall, and it was probably the only Toastmasters Club in the world at that time that offered a full-fledged dinner after every Toastmasters meeting! Dr Awad Ali Saleh, Deputy Director - Private Education from the Ministry of Education was our esteemed chief guest for the Charter Presentation meeting. Initially we did not have storage space, and for

many meetings I used to carry all the Toastmasters’ paraphernalia in a huge bag that was actually a cricket kit bag, to every meeting. I always carried the bag in the boot of my car, until we finally got a carpenter to build us a big treasure chest where we stored our precious material!

There were some 30 invitees for my inaugural presentation to the Toastmasters Abu Dhabi Chapter Club and I recall speaking on - what else - "Effective Public Speaking". I love to take credit for the fact that 27 of our invitees that evening enrolled immediately after the meeting as regular members! A few months later, I also had the good fortune to be instrumental in launching Toastmasters in Dubai as well. In fact, I am the official Sponsor for the Toastmasters Abu Dhabi Chapter and the Toastmasters Dubai Chapter Clubs.

In those early days, I used to regularly shuttle between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to attend meetings until the Toastmasters Dubai Chapter took off and stabilized. An eventful beginning, I am sure you will all agree. I can only say today when I think back to those days that it was purely due to God's grace, the blessings from my parents, elders, and well-wishers, as well as my good fortune and keenness for the venture to succeed, that I happened to be the initiator of the Toastmasters chapters, both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The Toastmasters Abu Dhabi chapter club is today the mother of all the Toastmasters clubs in the UAE - thanks to the tremendous and unflinching support of Dr B.R. Shetty, and also Late Mr. M.K. Jawahar.

I must also mention that many other committed Toastmasters supported me wholeheartedly in ensuring that the love of public speaking caught on and spread - into two flourishing trees branching out into so many clubs, Areas and Divisions in the UAE. To cut a long story short, the Toastmasters movement in the UAE grew way beyond my wildest imagination. Today we have 128 clubs in the UAE - both English and

Arabic clubs and 64 Gavel Clubs for the youth. In fact, I also conducted the very first Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program (YLP) - hundreds more have been conducted subsequently by many others throughout the UAE. The highpoint of Toastmasters in UAE so far, is when two UAE nationals made all the Toastmasters so very proud. Retired Colonel Mohammed Murad (Ex Dubai Police) was initially elected as the Director and subsequently the President of Toastmasters International. Thereafter, Shurooq Al Banna, also an Emirati became the first Arab to compete in the finals of the 2013 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. She won a very respectable third place.

When I visited the World Head Quarters of Toastmasters International in California, I had the pleasure of meeting both Mr. Daniel Rex and Mr. Stanley Stills, and was also delighted to see both, the Indian and UAE flags at the Grand Entrance. I was also invited as the Guest Speaker by the Federal Toastmasters in New York.

I credit the dedicated veteran Toastmasters who have been totally committed to the cause and encouraged people of all ages, to join the Toastmasters and improve their communication, leadership and listening skills, and also to become better people, apart from improving their general knowledge and widening their social and business contacts. I will refrain from mentioning names, as there are far too many people who have played a significant role in promoting the Toastmasters movement in the UAE. We often hear people say that with some effort and a little bit of luck your dreams can become a reality. But this achievement by the UAE Toastmasters is simply too enormous - much more than I had ever imagined I would see, especially when I first wrote that letter to Toastmasters International. I often had to pinch myself, when I am invited to attend major Toastmasters meetings like the 500th Meeting organized by Toastmasters Abu Dhabi Chapter Club and the meeting organized by Toastmasters Dubai Chapter Club on 6th May, in celebration of its 20th Anniversary, to hear about all the various accomplishments, like being adjudged

by Toastmasters International, as the Best District in the world, and to realize that this is actually happening!

In conclusion, I will simply ask you all to keep up the noble work, by bearing in mind that we all are part and parcel of UAE Toastmasters and of District-20.

This is indeed a glorious legacy, which will live way beyond us, for the benefit of thousands of people, past, present and in the future. I am sure DTAC 2016 in Abu Dhabi will be another well organized, successful event. God bless you all, and your families.

Initiating the Toastmasters Movement in the UAE is one of the main reasons that I was conferred the prestigious "Bharath Gaurav" Award and also got listed in the "Marquis ‘Who's Who In the World’ Directory" that is published in the United States. Today, it would be only fair to say that Toastmasters has given me far more than what I could give Toastmasters.

Vijayan Manikoth

Founder President, UAE Toastmasters.

39

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Judging Criteria Matrix for Speech Contests SPEECH CONTEST CATEGORIES

JUDGING ITEMS (Details may vary slightly for each category)

International Speech Development Effectiveness Achievement of Purpose, Interest, Reception

Speech Value Ideas, Logic, Original Thought

CONTENTS

Structure, Organization, Support Material,

Audience Response

Attentiveness, Laughter, Interest, Reception

Appearance, Body Language, Speaking Area

Voice Flexibility, Volume

Manner

DELIVERY

Physical

Appropriateness To Speech Purpose And Audience

Correctness Grammar, Pronunciation, Word Selection

LANGUAGE

Directness, Assurance, Enthusiasm

Humorous

Table Topics

20

15

30

15

10

25

15

15

10

15

10

10

15

10

10

15

10

10

10

10

10

10

5

5

Analytical Quality

40

Clear, Focused

Recommendations

30

Positive, Specific, Helpful

Technique

15

Sympathetic, Sensitive, Motivational

Summation

15

Concise, Encouraging

Total Score (100 points possible)

Evaluation

100

100

100

100

JUDGE’S CODE OF ETHICS 1. Judges will consciously avoid bias of any kind in selecting first, second and third place contestants. They will not consider any contestant’s club, area, division or district affiliation. Nor will they consider any contestant’s age, sex, race, creed, national origin, profession or political beliefs. They will demonstrate the utmost objectivity.

2. Judges will not time the speeches and will not consider the possibility of under-time or overtime when judging a contestant’s speech.

3. Judges will support by word and deed the contest rules and judging standards, refraining from public criticism of the contest and revealing scores and ranking only in accordance with official policy.

Editors Note: This matrix is a ready reckoner for the convenience of the reader. For more specific judging criteria for each speech category, please visit the Toastmasters International website www.toastmasters.org

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DTAC 2016 CORE TEAM

Dr. Sultan Al Hajji Chair person

Seema Shetty Vice Chair person

Dr. Nasef Anwar Dhafari Chief advisor

Sunil Kottarathil Imm. Past Div. Director

Shuchita Udas Administration

Sujatha Parthasarathy Education

Ravi Moosad Registration

Pio Antony Venue

Ashit Korgaokar Sergeant At Arms

Alok Tuteja Finance

Devlal Sahadevan Hospitality

Abdul Nasser Public Relation

Salwa Al Marzouqi Information Technology

Prakash Chand Mehta Marketing & Sponsorship

Syed Fawad Shah Bassam S. Dohai Arabic Contest Coordinator Web and App design

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Under the patronage of

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi Minister of State for Tolerance and President of Zayed University

SIMPLY ONE VOICE 26TH-28TH MAY 2016 ZAYED UNIVERSITY CONVENTION CENTER, ABU DHABI

DTAC 2016 - AGENDA DAY 1 FROM

TO

EVENT

VENUE

9:00 AM

onwards

Registration

Foyer

09:15 AM

09:45 AM

Contestants Briefing English Semi Final A - Table Topics & International Speech Contests Green Room, Auditorium

09:15 AM

09:45 AM

Contestant Briefing English Semi Final B - Table Topics & International Speech contest

Majlis - 1st Floor

09:15 AM

09:45 AM

Judges Briefing English Semi Final A - Table Topics & International Speech contest

Thafeer- 2nd Floor

09:15 AM

09:45 AM

Judges Briefing English Semi Final B - Table Topics & International Speech contest

Thafeer- 2nd Floor

09:55 AM

10:00 AM

Call to order & Welcome address - English Semi Final A Contests

Auditorium

09:55 AM

10:00 AM

Call to order & Welcome address - English Semi Final A Contests

Liwa Ballroom -1

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

English Semi Final A - Table Topics Speech Contest

Auditorium

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

English Semi Final B - Table Topics Speech Contest

Liwa Ballroom -1

11:00 AM

11:30 AM

Tea Break

Foyer

11:35 AM

13:30 PM

English Semi Final A - International Speech Contest

Auditorium

11:35 AM

13:30 PM

English Semi Final B - International Speech Contest

Liwa Ballroom -1

13:30 PM

14:15 PM

Lunch

Foyer

13:35 PM

14:00 PM

Contestants Briefing English Semi Final A - Humorous & Evaluation Speech Contests

Green Room, Auditorium

13:35 PM

14:00 PM

Contestants Briefing English Semi Final B - Humorous & Evaluation Speech Contests

Majlis - 1st Floor

13:35 PM

14:00 PM

Judges Briefing English Semi Final A - Humorous & Evaluation Speech Contests

Thafeer - 2nd Floor

13:35 PM

14:00 PM

Judges Briefing English Semi Final B - Humorous & Evaluation Speech Contests

Thafeer - 2nd Floor

14:20 PM

16:00 PM

English Semi Final A - Humorous Speech Contest

Auditorium

14:20 PM

16:00 PM

English Semi Final B - Humorous Speech Contest

Liwa Ballroom -1

16:00 PM

16:30 PM

Tea Break

Foyer

16:30 PM

18:00 PM

English Semi Final A - Evaluation Speech Contest

Auditorium

16:30 PM

18:00 PM

English Semi Final B - Evaluation Speech Contest

Liwa Ballroom -1

18:05 PM

18:30 PM

Awards Distribution English Semi Final Group A & B

Auditorium / Liwa 1

19:00 PM

22:00 PM

EXCOM Meeting

Auditorium

DAY 2

48

26TH MAY, THURSDAY

27TH MAY, FRIDAY

07:30 AM

onwards

Registration

Foyer

08:00 AM

08:30 AM

Contestants Briefing English Final - Table Topics & Humorous Speech Contests

Majlis - 1st Floor

08:00 AM

08:30 AM

Judges Briefing English Final - Table Topics & Humorous Speech Contests

Thafeer - 2nd Floor

08:20 AM

08:30 AM

Call to order, National Anthem & Welcome

Auditorium

08:30 AM

09:15 AM

Banner March

Foyer/ Auditorium

09:20 AM

09:25 AM

DTAC Chair’s address - Sultan Al Hajji

Auditorium

09:25 AM

09:30 AM

Patron’s address (video footage)

Auditorium

1

FROM

TO

EVENT

VENUE

09:30 AM

09:40 AM

District Director’s address - Sujit Sukumaran

Auditorium

09:40 AM

09:50 AM

Toastmasters International CEO’s address - Daniel Rex

Auditorium

09:50 AM

10:10 AM

Sponsors’ Recognition

Auditorium

10:10 AM

10:30 AM

Tea Break

Foyer

10:05 AM

18:00 PM

Credential Desk opens

2nd floor Foyer A

10:05 AM

18:00 PM

Candidates Corner opens

2nd Floor Foyer B

10:30 AM

11:20 AM

English Final - Table Topics Speech Contest

Auditorium

11:25 AM

12:25 PM

Key Note address - Daniel Rex, CEO Toastmasters International

Auditorium

12:25 PM

14:00 PM

Lunch

Liwa - 1st Floor

14:10 PM

15:00 PM

Motivational Speaker - Jo Dee Walmsley

Auditorium

15:05 PM

16:30 PM

English Final - Humorous Speech Contest

Auditorium

16:30 PM

17:00 PM

Tea Break

Foyer

17:00 PM

18:00 PM

District Awards

Auditorium

18:30 PM

22:00 PM

District Council meeting and Elections

Auditorium

20:00 PM

23:00 PM

Gala Dinner

Liwa - 1st Floor

DAY 3

28TH MAY, SATURDAY

08:00 AM

08:30 AM

Contestants Briefing English Final - Evaluation & International Speech Contests

Majlis - 1st Floor

08:00 AM

08:30 AM

Judges Briefing English Final- Evaluation & International Speech Contests

Thafeer- 2nd Floor

08:45 AM

09:00 AM

Call to order and welcome

Auditorium

09:00 AM

10:10 AM

English Evaluation - Finals

Auditorium

10:15 AM

11:05 AM

Keynote address - Jairek Robbins

Auditorium

11:05 AM

11:35 AM

Tea Break

Foyer

11:35 PM

12:35 PM

Education Session - Teresa Dukes, International Director-Region 11

Auditorium

12:35 AM

12:45 PM

Jairek Robbins - “Live it!” - Book promo

Auditorium

12:45 PM

14:00 PM

Lunch

Auditorium

14:00 PM 15:40 PM

English International - Finals

Auditorium

15:40 PM

16:15 PM

Tea Break

Foyer

16:15 PM

16:35 PM

DTAC 2016 Grand bow and Vote of thanks

Auditorium

16:35 PM

16:50 PM

Curtain raiser DTAC 2017

Auditorium

16:50 PM

17:30 PM

Awards distribution

Auditorium

17:30 PM

17:30 PM

Close of DTAC

Auditorium

ARABIC

DAY 1

26TH MAY, THURSDAY

09:15 AM

09:45 AM

Contestants Briefing Arabic Final - International & Humorous Speech Contests

Arada 1 - 2nd Floor

09:15 AM

09:45 AM

Judges Briefing Arabic Final - International & Humorous Speech Contests

Arada 2 - 2nd Floor

10:00 AM

10:30 AM

Welcome address, Opening remarks - Arabic Final Contests

Liwa Ballroom -2

10:30 AM

13:30 PM

Arabic Final - International Speech Contest

Liwa Ballroom -2

14:20 PM

17:00 PM

Arabic Final - Humorous Speech Contest

Liwa Ballroom -2

17:30 PM

18:00 PM

Education Session - Mohamed Akber

Liwa Ballroom -2

ARABIC

DAY 2

27TH MAY, FRIDAY

08:00 AM

08:30 AM

Contestants Briefing Arabic Final - Table Topics & Evaluation Speech Contests

Arada 1 - 2nd Floor

08:00 AM

08:30 AM

Judges Briefing Arabic Final Table Topics & Evaluation Speech Contests Finals

Arada 1 - 2nd Floor

10:30 AM

11:20 AM

Arabic Final Table Topics Speech Contest

Gatoof - 1st Floor

15:05 PM

16:30 PM

Arabic Final - Evaluation Speech Contest

Gatoof - 1st Floor

ARABIC 09:15 AM

10:00 AM

DAY 3

28TH MAY, SATURDAY

Education Session - Abdulla Lashkari Mohammad

Note: This agenda was valid at the time of going to press. Please check at the registration desk for possible changes

Gatoof - 1st Floor

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HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTESTANTS

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Division A Hussain Al Najjar

Division B Harish Karthikeyan

Division C Khaleed Ismaeel

Division D Vighnesh Subramanian

Division E Siva Prakash

Division F Walid El Sahar

Division H Merezban Piloo Katrak

Division I Muhsen Awad

Division J Ruth Gonzales

Division K Ruth Orence

Division L Yogambal Venugopal

Division N Ralph Stephan

Division O Shabeer Suthariya

Division P Mani Prasad

Division Q Sebastian Mascarenhas

Division R Fahad Al Kindi

INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTESTANTS

Division A Bleseena George

Division B Sami Al Herbawi

Division C Bijlana Davceva

Division D Saiju Victor

Division E Nisha Shivram

Division F Yousuf Mohammad

Division H Musbah Abu Jarad

Division I Biji Gittens

Division J Marcin Caban

Division K Mohammed Abdeen

Division L Safiya Al Yarubi

Division N Lana Tabba’a

Division O Baburaj Parakkar

Division P Anselm Xavier Reyes

Division Q Joseph Amande

Division R Noopur Joshi

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EVALUATION SPEECH CONTESTANTS

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Division A Sharon Galvez- Lopez

Division B Tharun Thomas

Division C Bijlana Davceva

Division D Thomas John

Division E Abhishek Chattopadhyay

Division F Hashim Haleem

Division H Merezban Piloo Katrak

Division I Lisa Waite

Division J Srinidhi Sharma

Division K Asrar Merchant

Division L Jinachandran Nambiar

Division N Mahdi Hijazi

Division O Faseela Moidunny

Division P Nimmi Shibu

Division Q Shyam Sundar

Division R Israa Al Ajmi

TABLE TOPICS SPEECH CONTESTANTS

Division A Anand Joseph Kooliath

Division B Shrikant Yadery

Division C Jothi Ruben

Division D Rajendra Varma

Division E Thomas Philip

Division F Hashim Haleem

Division H Peter Karagiankais

Division I Lisa Waite

Division J Melita D’souza

Division K TS Srinivas

Division L Janaki Raghavan

Division N Ruba Al - Bataineh

Division O Jerome Elvis Noronha

Division P Samar Semaan

Division Q Jonathan Sequeria

Division R Noopur Joshi

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ARABIC SPEECH CONTEST HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTESTANTS

Division A Naji Abdulla Masoud

Division H Tayseer Ismail

Division N Ziad Al Momani

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Division C Ahmed Ebrahim Saeed

Division E Alaa Elsayed Afify

Division G Weam Mandani

Division I Hala Samy

Division K Rawa Al Alawi

Division M Maysara Fandi

Division P Tarek Abdussalam

Division Q Nahar Al-Mutawah

Division R Bishr Imad Maradni

ARABIC SPEECH CONTEST INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTESTANTS

Division A Aziza Al Hussaini Nassar

Division C Faisal Yousif Mosameh

Division E Ehab Medhat

Division G Rozam Karam

Division H Bushra Khalaf

Division I Hala Samy

Division K Nesrin Al-Marwani

Division M Maysara Fandi

Division N Mohammad Khaled Al Kouz

Division P Anwar Hamim

Division Q Abdulla Hamdan

Division R Mohamed Al Naemie

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ARABIC SPEECH CONTEST EVALUATION SPEECH CONTESTANTS

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Division A Zahra Ali Alhamran

Division C Ahmed Ebrahim Saeed

Division E Alaa Elsayed Afify

Division G Anwar Alsahly

Division H Tayseer Ismail

Division I Hala Samy

Division K Faisal Yousif Mosameh

Division M Yousef Al Harbi

Division P Anwar Hamim

Division Q Nevine Kamel

Division R Asad Al Seifi

ARABIC SPEECH CONTEST TABLE TOPICS SPEECH CONTESTANTS

Division A Safa Hasan

Division C Nesrin Al-Marwani

Division E Abdalla Hamdan

Division G Abdulaziz Alobaid

Division H Nader Al Waqfi

Division I Hala Samy

Division K Isa Shaheen

Division M Maysara Fandi

Division N Yasser Shehade Awwad

Division P Anwar Hamim

Division Q Arwa Kheder

Division R Bishr Imad Maradni

Please Note: PR Committee is not responsible for the quality of the contestants’ photographs and name spellings which are reproduced here as received from respective Divisions.

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Welcome to DTAC 2016. Welcome to Abu Dhabi.

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DTAC 2016 Souvenir is designed and produced by TM Abdul Nasser M: +971 50 6713413 E: kpanaser@gmail.com W: nasserphotographix.com FB: facebook/nasserphotographix

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