On Saturday night in Dubai, a Meta Ramadan Majlis took place, which is reported to be the first of its type in the metaverse.
The metaverse is a virtual environment that can be joined by persons wearing virtual reality headsets, allowing their avatars to interact with one other as well as with things in the metaverse, such as a video playing or a file of papers.
Chikara Global, a women's collective working with craftspeople and artists around the world, and Biennale.io, a community-driven ecosystem catering to creators in the Middle East's art and cultural area, collaborated on the Meta Majlis.
According to Dr Mariam Ketait, the Emirati founder of Chikara Global, the Majlis saw the participation of professionals and youth as a way to start a conversation about the future of communities and the possibilities in the Metaverse as a platform for community development and solutions. Dr. Ketait stated that the Meta Majlis "virtually hosted" craftsmen from India who were working on education and upskilling women in order to assist them become financially independent.
"As they continue to bring their heritage to their work in their crafts," she said, "the women from Kashmir emphasized the necessity of digital outreach and storytelling."
[Investigating possibilities]
A brainstorming session amongst community experts, tech experts, artists, medical staff, mental health specialists, and youngsters was also held during the event to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of opening up places to facilitate access to healthcare, entrepreneurs, and other government needs.
The attendees discussed how new options for bringing people together and creating additional opportunities in education, retail, and community development can be generated. In addition to the guest artisans from Kashmir, the schedule included an introduction to the Metaverse, NFTs, and the future of art, as well as an art walk with artists from the UAE.
One of the guests, Brigitte, remarked, "Being invited to the Meta Majlis opened up possibilities in my imagination, and I am optimistic about the future."
"Hybridity is the way of the future." "We'll use the digital world, but we'll also have our physical locations," Yousif bin Lahij, co-founder of Generation-71 (G71), which hosted the Meta Majlis, stated.