Into Africa

The New Egypt

February 17, 2011

Well, things are moving forward here in Egypt and people continue to be optimistic. Today the military declared that they would not field a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, which is a very good sign. But the issue remains, where does Egypt go from here? What is the vision for the New Egypt?

Because of Sekem's influence in government and policy circles, the CEO of the Sekem Holding Company, Helmy Abouleish, has been meeting with the new Prime Minister to discuss the way forward. As a result, the Prime Minister asked for suggestions on what the vision for a New Egypt might look like. So Helmy gathered a group of us to hammer out a potential vision which he will present to the Prime Minister. Below is the vision we developed.

We envision a true democracy for Egypt serving the will of the people ...

with accountable and independent institutions safeguarding equality and freedom of expression;
with a strong pluralistic civil society; and where the satisfaction of the basic needs of all people is
guaranteed.

We envision healthy, happy and inspired Egyptian people ...

Who have access to an innovative, holistic and independent education, developing their moral,
intellectual, spiritual and physical capacity to ensure sustainable development for Egypt, while
building a lighthouse for the arts, cultural and religious exchange.

We envision a sustainable Egyptian market economy ...

focusing on people as well as profit, and using natural resources responsibly to ensure food and
energy security; and where a thriving, innovative business sector is providing high quality goods
and services while creating sufficient numbers of decent jobs.

We envision a clean Egyptian environment ...

With clean streets and countryside, a clean river Nile, oceans and beaches, and high air quality;
and where enough fertile land nourishes people, animals and plants in balanced ecosystems.

So, what do you think? I would love to hear your feedback!

From Cairo and the New Egypt, Sam

A Whole New World

February 12, 2011

The world has changed since I last posted. We went from discouragement and depression one night to joy and jubilation less than 24 hours later. After Mubarak’s disappointing speech on Thursday night where he refused to relinquish power, the following evening the vice president came on television to announce that Mubarak had handed over power to the Supreme Military Council. This was good news as the military here are highly respected by the people and stood in solidarity with the protesters, actually protecting them from pro-Mubarak thugs at one critical stage of the uprising in Tahrir Square. After the news, many of us who had gathered at Helmy Abouleish’s house to work on a vision for a New Egypt, which he will present to the Prime Minister, headed to Tahrir Square to join in the celebration. The drive all the way to Tahrir was uncharacteristically quiet, hardly a car on the road – which for Cairo is as about as common as a torrential downpour – making it somewhat eerie. But once we got closer, the streets turned into parking lots and there was a mass of Egyptians celebrating their newfound freedom. Flags everywhere; horns honking; people singing and dancing and Egyptians of all ages celebrating freedom. Once in the square, it was literally wall-to-wall people, a sea of jubilant humanity. Every where we went people wanted to shake our hands and said, “Welcome to Egypt,” which is a common greeting to foreigners here, but on that night it had an entirely different meaning, They meant, “welcome to ‘My’ Egypt … a free Egypt.” I must say it was one of the more emotional experiences of my life. I wondered how many Americans were actually in the square that night – probably not very many. I could have been one of only 50 or so Americans witnessing the fruits of the Egyptian Revolution firsthand. At one point I found myself actually wiping a tear from my eye as I thought about all of those in history who have fought for freedom in different places at different times – like the American Colonists who took a costly stand against King George III to win America’s freedom – my freedom. I realized you can hold the human spirit down for only so long until years of abuse and repression light an unquenchable spark for liberation. I was witnessing the results of what over 300 Egyptian patriots gave their lives for over the course of 18 days and what thousands more were tortured for. It was an absolute honor to walk in that square and have hundreds of former protesters say, “Welcome!”  Particularly for me as an American, whose government had paid billions of dollars to keep Mubarak in power for 30 years. Yes, I know, you can argue that Mubarak was better than some radicalized, fundamentalists who would threaten the stability of the region, but why during those 30 years didn’t we put more pressure on the regime to honor human rights and provide the people of Egypt with the basic freedoms that we benefit from – freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly. I hope that all western nations learn a valuable lesson from the Egyptian revolution.

Now the heavy lifting begins for the people of Egypt. It will not being easy creating democratic
institutions and paving the way for truly free and fair elections. But based on what I have witnessed of the Egyptian people, they are up to the task. Now the question is, will America provide the same level of support to nurture these new institutions as it did to keep Mubarak in power? We can only benefit from having a truly free, democratic Egypt – will we make the investment in these people? Time, I guess, will tell.

Well, needless to say it has been a life-transforming experience for me, even as I have watched from the sidelines as it were. But I am excited to play even a tiny role in helping to build the new Egypt by providing truly innovative and transformative education to this young generation of future leaders. Heliopolis University’s vision is to help develop and nurture truly creative young leaders who will be equipped to engage in social innovation – something the New Egypt will surely need. If any of you reading this would like the challenge of your life; if you have gifts and abilities that might be useful at Heliopolis University as we develop the next generation of leaders for Egypt, you know where to find me!

 

Revolution!

February 10, 2011

Arrived back in Cairo after a 2 1/2 day journey through Paris and then Beirut - since American airlines still are not flying into the county. I arrived during a relative lull in the uprising as peope were hopeful Mubarak was finally moving toward stepping down as the protesters have demonstrated their resolve. However, all hopes were dashed by the President's speech tonight as he seemed to further entrench himself in the Palace and refused to step down. I sat and watched the speech with my Egyptian friends and colleagues, some of them in tears after hearing the speech, fearing that this move by Mubarak would lead to an increase in bloodshed. The crowds are more angry and resolved now than ever before.

I never would have dreamed when I accepted the post here in Cairo and decided to move here that I would find myself in the middle of a revolution! What a strange turn of events. Like everyone I can only wait and pray that justice will somehow prevail. I wonder when we will learn that propping up dictators financially, no matter the short-term benefits to us, is never a good policy. When will we begin putting the hopes and dreams of the people - people just like Americans who dream of a life of freedom - first, before our policies and political objectives. We did it with the Shah of Iran, we did it in Viet Nam, we did it with Iraq's ruler, and we have done it in Egypt - history tells us these ploys never end well - at least not for the people who suffer under the repressive regimes of these dictators.

I honestly wonder how long the unrest will last and what my long-term future is here. But for now I am committed to standing in solidarity with these peope who desperately desire what so many of us take for granted. I will share a longer post on the situation once I have had more time to let the happenings of tonight simmer. For now, pray for the people of Egypt and that the situation will not deteriorate into more violence and bloodshed. Stay tuned!

Reflections on a Revolution

February 3, 2011 Rather than post about the cultural uniquenesses I have observed in Egypt, particularly related to the professional environment, I thought it would be more timely to reflect on the historic events now taking place in Cairo. Three days before I left for the states to teach a research course, the first protest took place. It was fledgling attempt to give corporate voice to the long-standing dissatisfaction the majority of Egyptians have with the government of Hosni Mubarak and the socio-economic climate it has created over the past 30 years. Today the median annual income in Egypt is $1,800 (USD) and an estimated 20% of the population lives on less that $2 per day. The median age in Egypt is 24-years-old and the majority of these young adults have difficulty finding gainful employment. Though the economy has been experiencing relatively strong annual growth (appx. 5.6% annual GDP), there are few jobs that pay a living wage. Most of this is due to the corrupt regime of Mubarak, which has created an economy where the bulk of the wealth goes to the elite of society ensuring that Mubarak maintains his power. Until recently the population put up with this social and economic disparity. However, the recent uprising in Tunisia provided the necessary catalyst to mobilize the young people of Egypt, propelling them into the streets of Cairo in peaceful but vocal protest against the Mubarak regime. The first protest was somewhat tentative and no one knew if it would be sustainable and create the momentum necessary to draw more disenchanted citizens to the streets. The following day the crowds grew larger and the Thursday I was scheduled to leave (I actually left at 4 am Friday morning) there was great anticipation about the rumored return to Egypt of key opposition leader Mohammed El Baradei from Vienna. Friday, the protesters hoped to make their biggest march of the nascent uprising with Baradei in attendance. Many of my colleagues were excited about the Friday march and hoped it would solidify the movement into a sustained uprising focused on demanding that Mubarak step down from the presidency immediately. Thursday night I attended a BBQ with SEKEM colleagues and the dominate talk was about the protest the next day and speculation about its impact. The vast majority of the people I talked to during the days prior to my scheduled trip to the states articulated their absolute dislike of Mubarak and their desire to see him leave office. Many of these people were professionals and academics; those who enjoy at least a measure of economic success. In all of my conversations I have not heard anyone express support for Mubarak - everyone seems to be sick of him after 30 years of repression and corruption. The uprising is not ideological or religious at all - it is purely socio-economic and political. The people of Egypt want their country back. They want democracy, freedom and the ability to participate fully in the economy. They want decent paying jobs and the ability to express themselves publicly without fear of reprisals. Obviously, since my departure, the uprising has gained an amazing momentum and reached a point where there was really no turning back. The people seem determined to stay in the streets until Mubarak is gone - they will not wait for September. Unfortunately, as Mubarak unleashed his thugs on the peaceful protesters things have turned violent. Tomorrow, there is a planned march on the presidential palace and there has been violence directed toward international journalists and foreigners that has made it difficult for me to return as planned on Saturday, especially with the curfew in place from 3pm until 8am. In talking with my colleagues, few people have been working in the SEKEM office in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo about 25 minutes from Tahrir Square and the center of the protests. My new flat is also in Heliopolis about 15 minutes (without traffic) from the main protests. Little did I anticipate when I moved to Cairo a month ago that I would end-up witnessing an historic revolution. I am hopeful that I will be able to return by Monday or possibly sooner. I am now scheduled to leave for Cairo on Monday, February 7, arriving Tuesday evening at 7pm. People ask me if I am nervous about returning and if I feel it will be safe. I guess the obvious answer is that I wouldn't be returning if I felt my life was in danger - I certainly don't have a death wish! Yes, I feel it will be safe - at least relatively speaking, as long as I don't place myself in dangerous situations unnecessarily. I feel it is important to be in the country during this historic time, particularly because the work I am committed to is all about promoting social and economic justice, not only for Egypt, but for the world. I don't want to sit on the sidelines in the states and then parachute in when it is all over and hope to contribute to reforms in Egypt. I feel it is important for me to stand in solidarity with the Egyptian people during this time to at least in a very small way earn the right to contribute in the future. In many respects this crisis provides the potential for amazing opportunities in the future, and I hope that Sekem and the Heliopolis University Social Innovation Center, which I now direct, can be helpful in making the most of those opportunities. Sekem has a 33 year track record of promoting social and economic justice in Egypt and I am confident that because of its outstanding work, connections, reputation and the influence of Dr. Abouleish and his son Helmy, Sekem will be looked to for input into the process. What an amazing opportunity! Without sounding grandiose, perhaps I have been called to Egypt for such a time as this. If I and my colleagues can make even a small contribution to a new Egypt I want to be a part of it. So, though I hate the thought of leaving my beautiful wife and family during this time, I am excited about being a part of the long term transformation of this amazing country. A small sacrifice in my mind, but a great honor. So, I appreciate your prayers and support - first for my wife and family while I am away and then for my own safety and wisdom during this time. I will continue to update this blog on a regular basis to report on the fluid situation in Egypt as well as any potential role Sekem and our social innovation center might play. So, stay tuned!

Transitions

It has been a while since I last posted to this blog and there is a very good reason for that. Just hours after writing my last post I took a little walk by the pool to call my wife - it is where I get the best reception - and I took a wrong step in the darkness, falling into the deep end (about 8 feet). The bad news is there was no water in the pool, which made for a terrifying experience and an extremely hard landing! The result is that I broke my left hand, as well as receiving a nasty, deep gash on the palm. I bruised my right side ribs pretty good, buggered-up my right elbow and got a pretty significant bump on my head. I cannot begin to describe how absolutely painful this was (and is). For whatever reason I was not given any truly powerful pain Meds, only varying doses of ibuprofen type pain killers. I would kill for a got shot of morphine or percocet, particularly as I am now beginning to engage in therapy to actually use the hand again. However it is still so incredibly painful I have no real incentive to move it. In all honesty, this first month here in Egypt has been an exceedingly more difficult transition than I imagined it would be. Think of accepting a new job, in a new state, in a new field then multiply by 100! That is what it has felt like. I love the people here and SEKEM - an amazing place that actually becomes more interesting the more I learn about it - but I am faced with being the only American in an Egyptian/German culture that is truly mind-boggling at times. In spite of the challenges, the people I live and work with make it worthwhile and I look forward to becoming more inculturated as I persevere here. Often I find myself with a group of people speaking German laced with Arabic, feeling completely isolated and alienated. But I am committed to learning Arabic and enough German to navigate in this new environment. On the professional front, I have been impressed by the high level of professionalism of everyone I work with and meet. However, getting some of the tools I need to work effectively has been somewhat problematic. For a month I have had no printer and it seems like getting one is akin to breaking into fort Knox and absconding with gold. I also was given a mobile phone from the dark ages and after a week have yet to get the international service working - even after numerous people have attempted the challenge. I have requested a new phone that is less than six years old and at least stylus free. I am awaiting vitally needed books and papers that were shipped here and, according to the tracking information, has arrived in Egypt, just not to me yet. Also, it seems that for whatever reason there is a struggle in making timely wire transfers to the States - possibly the result of some internal machinations I am not fully aware of. Also, I have learned that replying to emails is considered optional by many, seldom will you get an issue resolved or a question answered via email. I also find I am being constantly being asked if I will be in such-and-such meeting, having never been told about the meeting but being expected to be there nonetheless. That has been slightly frustrating for this compulsively organized American. But I am learning "that is Egypt" as all of the expats say. Also, after a month on the farm - which has been a good experience - I am moving to flat in the Heliopolis section of Cairo when I return from my trip to the states. Though I love all of the people on the farm, I feel it is critical to get a feel for Egyptian culture for at least eight months before I move to the campus so that I can better relate with the students we are recruiting as well as their parents. I will be sharing the flat with a colleague from SEKEM and am excited to begin this new experience. Upon my return I will have my car (fingers crossed) which will give me more independence and, I am confident, change my perspective about life here in Cairo. Well, enough for now. I will dedicate my next post to some of the aspects of Egyptian culture that have most impressed me.