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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000 Issue No. 501 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 28 Sep. - 4 Oct. 2000 Issue No. 501
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Addressing the social body
By Mustafa El-Fiqi *Some people may believe that economic reform in Egypt is a sufficient condition for the country's development, to be complemented by political or constitutional reform at best. But a closer look reveals that our social history has been largely responsible for shaping Egypt as it is today.
The significance of the social dimension is not a surprise. Egypt possesses a rich legacy of concepts, values, customs and traditions. Nestled in the Nile basin, it emerged as an ancient agricultural community, which developed into a full-fledged state in which successive civilizations and cultures blended to shape its social features. To this day, we can distinguish the Pharaonic, Fatimid, and Mameluke influences that have left their mark on the Egyptian personality. Egypt's religious heritage has passed through stages of social development to produce a highly complex web of social relations that govern patterns of behaviour and styles of life. Such diversity is problematic in that it is responsible for the multiplicity of the cultural elements that make up the Egyptian identity. The enormous amount of historical "debris," furthermore, can be both a blessing and a curse. It could thwart our development if we tenaciously cling to the past, and impair the process of accommodating the constants in our social value system with the variables, a process which can hamper the progress of society by anchoring it rigidly to its social and cultural heritage and aborting its progress.
Against such a background, we can understand the significance of the first National Conference on Social Development (NCSD, 17-19 September). The conference was held under the auspices of President Mubarak, who delivered the inaugural statement, and credit for it largely goes to the tireless efforts of Mrs Mubarak. The event's implications are paramount for social change and its immediate impact on development issues, particularly purporting to human development.
To illustrate the impact of the ancient heritage on social change, the example of India (where I served in Egypt's diplomatic mission for several years) is useful. I saw cows roaming the streets of Delhi, where, according to Hindu social and religious traditions, cows are sacred and do not form part of India's animal wealth (despite the malnutrition rampant among the Indian population). Similarly, social costs for Egyptian families are determined to a great extent by social customs, as reflected, for instance, in tendencies to show off and to give priority to certain items of expenditure. The pilgrimage and umra alone account for the bulk of the billions of pounds spent by Egyptians every year, which shows that the social aspect of development has a profound impact on lifestyle and the development of civil society as a whole.
As a country largely shaped by its history, with an identity forged by its religious and social customs and traditions, Egypt was in dire need of such a conference. Among other issues, the NCSD dealt with voluntary work and civil society institutions, as well as with human development and related areas. The decision to change the name of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Insurance to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Development, for example, is a very commendable one. The following observations however, should be taken into consideration.
First, development is a comprehensive process; therefore, all its aspects must be addressed at once. Second, geo-economists see Egypt as a huge reservoir of human resources, which could supply the domestic and Arab market with highly qualified cadres. For this reason, human development is a priority and social development issues deserve considerable attention. Third, we have been speaking of population growth in quantitative terms; it is now time to undertake rigorous and accurate research efforts to improve the population qualitatively.
The resolutions passed during the NCSD reveal its comprehensive approach to issues of social change in Egypt in both the long and short terms. In the long term, there are academic endeavours related to values, traditions, folklore and education, as well as the role of religious institutions, the school and the family in forging national identity, collective memory and national consciousness, all of which call for efforts at the levels of culture, education and health. In the short term, on the other hand, there is a need for a new law which regulates the work of NGOs and civil society institutions generally. In the past half-century or so, Egyptian society has witnessed radical changes warranting general revision and new, constitutional legislation to regulate relations between the state and civil society.
In the final statement issued by the NCSD, the prime minister explained the government's perspectives for the future and its approaches to issues of prime concern. He elaborated on issues the president had touched on in the ten guidelines he listed for social development. The prime minister dealt in depth with population growth and ways of boosting economic growth. He explained the government's plans for social action in all fields.
The NCSD may prove to be one of the most important events of the past decade or so, but only if it serves as a turning point. The seeds of nongovernmental work were sown in Egypt at the end of the 19th century, when scores of associations designed to meet developmental and humanitarian needs were established. Today, without minimising the need for outstanding economists and politicians, our society is in great need of sociologists. It is their task to shape Egypt's development, preserving equilibrium between economic change and political reform, on one hand, and the development of civil society and voluntary work, on the other.
*The writer is an expert on Egyptian political history and a top-ranking diplomat.
