Doha Nov 20 2009: The annual public speaking competition, The 4th Annual IBQ Communicator Awards 2009, which kicked off in October this year with preliminary rounds, saw a diverse range of speakers across a wide spectrum of nationalities, competing for top honour in two categories. This was the sixth successive edition of the event in Qatar, organised by ICC-ONE Toastmasters, the Qatar chapter of the prestigious Toastmasters International, the Fourth successive under the patronage of IBQ.

The 2009 edition of the IBQ Communicator Awards was successfully concluded on 20th November 2009 with awards being presented to 3 finalists in each category. The winner of the International Speech category was Mou Bera, an Indian national whose speech was titled Candle in the Wind. 2nd place went to Mohammed Hayder Al Hayder, a Qatari national for his speech “What’s wrong with them” while in 3rd place was Bob William Goy from Canada with “Changing Track”. Nigel Pereira, an Indian national, took the top prize in the Humorous Speech category for his speech on “To Fly or Not to Fly” with second and third place won by Naji Joseph Haddad a Lebanese national for his speech “Aramerican Generation” and Muniza Masood Qureshi from Pakistan for her effort “Me and My Refrigerator”

The jury comprised a panel of international experts in speech writing and linguistics, from Qatar University, Police Academy as well as a representative from IBQ along with the Chief Judge Mr. Sonny Varghese, Ex-District Governor, District79 of Toastmasters International. The finale event saw huge attendance and representation from leading names in business, industry and media and the presence of the Indian Ambassador, Excellency Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, who also took to the podium to offer some words to the audience. The event also saw a lively cultural programme and a Lucky Draw which saw 10 lucky members of the audience take away gifts.

M.I. Farid, Founder President of the ICC-ONE Toastmasters said: “In a globalised world, one of the key challenges facing both professionals as well as companies is the ability to effectively communicate with a diverse audience across a wide range of cultural ethos. This makes communication one of the most important determinants of both commercial and personal success. At ICC-One Toastmasters, it is our constant endeavour to promote and nurture strong and articulate communication, through initiatives such as the IBQ Communicator Awards. The continued success of this event is testament to the value of such a forum in a cosmopolitan country, such as Qatar, where people from myriad backgrounds and cultures live and interact every day.”

George Nasra, Managing Director of IBQ said: “At IBQ, we have always maintained a strong focus on developing human capital and enriching communities through initiatives that foster high-quality communication and leadership. This is the fourth successive year that we have been associated with this prestigious and one-of-its-kind competition and awards ceremony, and we have been very encouraged by the success and response to the event every year. The quality of communicators we have seen at the event has kept advancing every year and this is indicative of the abundant talent we have here in Qatar.

“Communication is a fundamental factor not only in the success of any commercial enterprise but also in community engagement, and in this regard, we are delighted to be part of a forum that promotes leadership, personal development and community spirit, which are also at the core of IBQ’s corporate values,” said Nasra.

Structured as an open-ended forum, the ICC-ONE Toastmasters is open to all residents over the age of 18 as a means to practice and refine their communications skills while developing their leadership and interpersonal skills. The ICC-ONE Toastmasters meet on a bi-monthly basis on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of every month and conduct various speech-craft and youth leadership programmes in line with the Toastmasters International guidelines.