[17] Founded in 2005, the original Doha Debates programs were moderated by former BBC correspondent and interviewer Tim Sebastian, with Qatar Foundation as the sponsor.
Past motions questioned whether it was time to talk to Al Qaeda, whether Hezbollah had the right to fight a war on Lebanon's behalf, and whether the pro-Israel lobby was successfully stifling criticism of the country's actions.
[18] Special events featuring Q&A sessions with a single guest included figures such as Bill Clinton, Mohamed El Baradei, Shimon Peres, Amre Moussa, Ayad Allawi, and Mahmoud Zahar.
[32] In March 2022, Doha Debates launched its Town Hall series with a conversation with Malala Yousafzai, the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Programs to date: In January 2020, Doha Debates unveiled its Course Correction podcast series in which host Nelufar Hedayat "immerses herself in humanity's greatest challenges.
[48] Other 2020 Course Correction interview subjects included Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, global strategy adviser Parag Khanna, economic anthropologist Jason Hickel, journalist Marc Lamont Hill, Jordanian diplomat Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, water rights advocate Georgie Badiel, author Anand Giridharadas, Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini and Hedayat's mother, Patuni.
Hosted by Foreign Policy Deputy Editor Jennifer Williams, the podcast features interviews with key players in big international dealmaking.
From athletes who are breaking barriers for women and girls to a Syrian refugee swimmer who overcame the odds to compete at the Paralympics, the show examines the power of sport to change the world for the better.
Since its debut in August 2019, the #SolvingIt series has saluted trailblazers, including climate change activist Greta Thunberg, education advocate Malala Yousafzai, Black Lives Matter protesters, human rights champion Nadia Murad, water rights advocate Georgie Badiel, Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini, U.S.
Climate Strike Executive Director Isra Hirsi, "Cybercode Twins" America and Penelope Lopez, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, human rights activist Mahmoud Abugrin, environmental advocates Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa, Digital Citizens Fund founder Roya Mahboob, disability rights advocate Nawaal Akram, World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés, Syrian refugee advocate Bana al-Abed, the Parkland High School students, and UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake.
He also condemned media and educational organizations such as NowThis, Vox, and TED Talks for partnering with Qatar to produce the Doha Debates and said, "For the right price, NowThis will ignore an egregious human rights record and overlook modern-day slavery; Vox Media will embrace a government whose treatment of laborers, gays, and minorities should relegate it to the darkest corners of the family of nations.