Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Feature Youth Organization: Nahdet El Mahroussa
There's a lot going on in Egypt's NGO community, and the youth contingent of these organizations in bustling. From advocacy through art to business associations, youth are organizing themselves to contribute to their communities.
One of these organizations is Nahdet El-Mahroussa, a youth org plugged into several projects in diverse areas. Not only are they an active group with a stand-up reputation, but their recent venture with Cilantro- an Egyptian coffee house best likened to a younger and funner Starbucks- is a great new way of communicating with young people in Egypt. NM and Cliantro teamed up to produce the magazine Central, marking an exciting business and NGO partnership that draws youth into the issues and opportunities available to them. The magazine covers topics from health to Cairo hotspots, while at the same time featuring work going on at different youth NGOs in the country. You'll find volunteer and job opportunities, as well an inspiring stories about young people making a difference. The magazines grace the tables of Cilantro cafes.
Nahdet El-Mahroussa: A Responsibility Towards Egypt
http://www.nahdetmasr.org/index.htm
Nahdet El Mahrousa seeks an Egypt that is developed by the active participation and serious commitment of its youth. We believe that the young generation inherently has the creativity and determination to create genuine change within their country, and so we dream of creating a network of empowered youth where dreams for our Egypt can come true.
NM seeks to a have a positive impact on Egypt’s development through engaging Egyptian youth in developing their country and shaping its future.
This is achieved through:
• NM Project Incubator: innovative development project ideas are incubated until they are independent and successful national models.
• NM Forum: intellectual discussion forum and lecture series where NM members share resources, expertise, and opinions.
• NM Policy Arm: several partnerships aimed at informing public debate and policy in Egypt.
We will succeed in our mission when
• Egypt overcomes its greatest challenges towards development.
• Egyptian youth are active participants in public policy and decision-making.
One of these organizations is Nahdet El-Mahroussa, a youth org plugged into several projects in diverse areas. Not only are they an active group with a stand-up reputation, but their recent venture with Cilantro- an Egyptian coffee house best likened to a younger and funner Starbucks- is a great new way of communicating with young people in Egypt. NM and Cliantro teamed up to produce the magazine Central, marking an exciting business and NGO partnership that draws youth into the issues and opportunities available to them. The magazine covers topics from health to Cairo hotspots, while at the same time featuring work going on at different youth NGOs in the country. You'll find volunteer and job opportunities, as well an inspiring stories about young people making a difference. The magazines grace the tables of Cilantro cafes.
Nahdet El-Mahroussa: A Responsibility Towards Egypt
http://www.nahdetmasr.org/index.htm
Nahdet El Mahrousa seeks an Egypt that is developed by the active participation and serious commitment of its youth. We believe that the young generation inherently has the creativity and determination to create genuine change within their country, and so we dream of creating a network of empowered youth where dreams for our Egypt can come true.
NM seeks to a have a positive impact on Egypt’s development through engaging Egyptian youth in developing their country and shaping its future.
This is achieved through:
• NM Project Incubator: innovative development project ideas are incubated until they are independent and successful national models.
• NM Forum: intellectual discussion forum and lecture series where NM members share resources, expertise, and opinions.
• NM Policy Arm: several partnerships aimed at informing public debate and policy in Egypt.
We will succeed in our mission when
• Egypt overcomes its greatest challenges towards development.
• Egyptian youth are active participants in public policy and decision-making.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
An Introduction to Egyptian Politics
I have been working in Cairo now for two months. Explaining who I am and what I am doing here is always a mouthful. I'll start with this: I am currently being sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency to work with the Youth Employment Network, which is housed in the International Labour Organization. My project is to work on a National Action Plan on Youth Employment in Egypt. That's a start. To get things rolling, check out this BBC article that gives a snapshot of the current political situation in Egypt. For more, including the continued extension of the emergency law, the latest elections, and articles on Islam and media in Egypt, the BBC has an excellent database. Interestingly, I haven't seen any Egyptian media marking the anniversary.
Mubarak's quarter of a century
By Martin Asser BBC News
Elevated to the presidency in the wake of Anwar Sadat's assassination, few Egyptians can have predicted in those turbulent times that their then-vice president, Hosni Mubarak, would still be in power a quarter of a century later.
The former Air Force commander was sworn in on 14 October 1981, eight days after a group of Islamist militants shot Mr Sadat at a military parade in Cairo. Despite having little popular appeal or international profile at the time, the burly military man has used his sponsorship of the issue behind Sadat's killing - peace with Israel - to build up his reputation as an international statesman.
He has also presided over a period of domestic stability and economic development that means most of his fellow countrymen have accepted his monopolisation of power in Egypt. In recent years, Mr Mubarak has felt for the first time the pressure to encourage democracy, both from within and from his most powerful ally, the United States. But many supporters of reform doubt the veteran ruler's sincerity when he says he is all for opening the political process. The fundamental question remains unanswered: Are Mr Mubarak and his political heirs prepared to fight - and lose - an open, democratic contest on a level playing field?
Emergency Rule
In effect, Hosni Mubarak has ruled as a quasi-military ruler since he took power. Egypt's constitution does stipulate democratic institutions and an electoral process, but elections have been heavily weighted in favour of Mr Mubarak and the National Democratic Party (NDP) and he has never had to compete in a fair electoral battle. For his entire period in office, he has kept the country under emergency law, giving the state sweeping powers of arrest and curbing basic freedoms.
The government argues the draconian regime has been necessary to combat Islamist terrorism, which has come in waves during the decades of Mr Mubarak's rule - often targeting Egypt's lucrative tourism sector. New anti-terrorism legislation has been promised, as part of the reform process. It may be controversial, as many people, including respected figures in the judiciary, believe the current penal code has sufficient provisions.
Banned party
Mr Mubarak has won three elections unopposed since 1981, but last year for his fourth contest - after a firm push from the US - he changed the system to allow rival candidates. There is little doubt that Mr Mubarak probably does enjoy huge support in the Egyptian street. But the results of the 2005 election were skewed by the banning of what is assumed to be the main opposition party, the Muslim Brotherhood, and almost insurmountable obstacles for independent candidates.
Successes by Muslim Brotherhood-supporting independent candidates in the parliamentary elections two months later were followed by a crackdown on opposition activists. In what was see by analysts as sign of alarm bells ringing in the NDP leadership, municipal elections were also postponed. Some analysts have argued that the victory of the militant Islamist movement Hamas in Palestinian elections meant that the pressure was off US allies like Egypt to increase democratic participation.
The future Egypt does not appear to be making a major effort to mark Mr Mubarak's 25 years at the helm. Indeed the length of time he has been president, along with his age - he is 78 years old - and who will succeed him, are all sensitive subjects in Egypt. People around Mr Mubarak say his health and vigour belie his age - although a couple of recent health scares have been a reminder of his mortality.
As for the succession, the fear among opposition groups is that his son, 40-year-old former investment banker Gamal Mubarak, is being groomed for a kind of dynastic inheritance dressed up as a democratic transition. Gamal insists he has no ambition to be president, but he has been moving steadily up the ranks of the NPD, becoming a leading advocate of economic and political reform. Earlier this year, he even had a brief meeting with US President George W Bush, taken by many in the region as a seal of approval from Washington.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6045958.stmPublished: 2006/10/13 11:15:06 GMT
Mubarak's quarter of a century
By Martin Asser BBC News
Elevated to the presidency in the wake of Anwar Sadat's assassination, few Egyptians can have predicted in those turbulent times that their then-vice president, Hosni Mubarak, would still be in power a quarter of a century later.
The former Air Force commander was sworn in on 14 October 1981, eight days after a group of Islamist militants shot Mr Sadat at a military parade in Cairo. Despite having little popular appeal or international profile at the time, the burly military man has used his sponsorship of the issue behind Sadat's killing - peace with Israel - to build up his reputation as an international statesman.
He has also presided over a period of domestic stability and economic development that means most of his fellow countrymen have accepted his monopolisation of power in Egypt. In recent years, Mr Mubarak has felt for the first time the pressure to encourage democracy, both from within and from his most powerful ally, the United States. But many supporters of reform doubt the veteran ruler's sincerity when he says he is all for opening the political process. The fundamental question remains unanswered: Are Mr Mubarak and his political heirs prepared to fight - and lose - an open, democratic contest on a level playing field?
Emergency Rule
In effect, Hosni Mubarak has ruled as a quasi-military ruler since he took power. Egypt's constitution does stipulate democratic institutions and an electoral process, but elections have been heavily weighted in favour of Mr Mubarak and the National Democratic Party (NDP) and he has never had to compete in a fair electoral battle. For his entire period in office, he has kept the country under emergency law, giving the state sweeping powers of arrest and curbing basic freedoms.
The government argues the draconian regime has been necessary to combat Islamist terrorism, which has come in waves during the decades of Mr Mubarak's rule - often targeting Egypt's lucrative tourism sector. New anti-terrorism legislation has been promised, as part of the reform process. It may be controversial, as many people, including respected figures in the judiciary, believe the current penal code has sufficient provisions.
Banned party
Mr Mubarak has won three elections unopposed since 1981, but last year for his fourth contest - after a firm push from the US - he changed the system to allow rival candidates. There is little doubt that Mr Mubarak probably does enjoy huge support in the Egyptian street. But the results of the 2005 election were skewed by the banning of what is assumed to be the main opposition party, the Muslim Brotherhood, and almost insurmountable obstacles for independent candidates.
Successes by Muslim Brotherhood-supporting independent candidates in the parliamentary elections two months later were followed by a crackdown on opposition activists. In what was see by analysts as sign of alarm bells ringing in the NDP leadership, municipal elections were also postponed. Some analysts have argued that the victory of the militant Islamist movement Hamas in Palestinian elections meant that the pressure was off US allies like Egypt to increase democratic participation.
The future Egypt does not appear to be making a major effort to mark Mr Mubarak's 25 years at the helm. Indeed the length of time he has been president, along with his age - he is 78 years old - and who will succeed him, are all sensitive subjects in Egypt. People around Mr Mubarak say his health and vigour belie his age - although a couple of recent health scares have been a reminder of his mortality.
As for the succession, the fear among opposition groups is that his son, 40-year-old former investment banker Gamal Mubarak, is being groomed for a kind of dynastic inheritance dressed up as a democratic transition. Gamal insists he has no ambition to be president, but he has been moving steadily up the ranks of the NPD, becoming a leading advocate of economic and political reform. Earlier this year, he even had a brief meeting with US President George W Bush, taken by many in the region as a seal of approval from Washington.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6045958.stmPublished: 2006/10/13 11:15:06 GMT
