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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 23 - 29 November 2000 Issue No.509 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 23 - 29 November 2000 Issue No.509
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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One of the three main sponsors of the First Arab Women's Summit is the Hariri Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded in Lebanon by Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri. Al-Hariri is well known for his philanthropic activities, particularly in the reconstruction of Lebanon, education and general social welfare. Bahiyya Al-Hariri, his sister, is a member of the Lebanese parliament and is on the board of the Hariri Foundation. In Cairo to head the foundation's delegation to the conference, she spoke to Dahlia Hammouda about her evaluation of the summit and the humanitarian causes the Hariri Foundation champions
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The power of principles
How did the idea of the summit emerge?
The idea came to us almost a year ago and the aim at the time was to arrive at a unified Arab document before the Beijing +5 conference was held. The mechanisms of holding such an event are far from simple. It took a lot of time to go through the official procedures. I presented the idea in a letter to the Arab League and (Egypt's) National Council for Women (NCW) after I attended the first conference of the NCW in March under the patronage of President Hosni Mubarak. I also suggested the idea of an Arab Women's Day. I think that this year we achieved a lot -- the women's summit, the committee on women's issues in the Arab Parliamentary Union, Arab Women's Day, the decision to hold regular summit conferences. I think what we have achieved in 2000 opens the door to ushering in the new century in a scientific way.How do you evaluate the Cairo Declaration?
I honestly never thought that this summit would take place with such a huge attendance. Working under the aegis of the Arab League and under the patronage of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak was instrumental to the conference's success. Immediately after the conference ended, I met with Arab women parliamentarians to plan for the continuation of work. Let's consider the high level of participation in itself a promising sign that the Arab world now realises the importance of uniting. The discussions were very democratic and we were continuously stressing the concept of acceptance of the other. All the discussions, as well as the initiatives and reservations, will be documented. The final communiqué is not an emotional one, but one that will live on. The heated issue was the Intifada which was of great concern to us -- how to come up with an optimal way to deal with the cause of Palestinian women, state, people and rights. I think this conference and this declaration is definitely a united step forward. The main achievements of the declaration are determining the focal issues that are going to be worked on, the holding of the summit on a regular basis and the establishment of an Arab technological network dealing with women's issues.
The summit is a ground-breaking meeting unlike any other. I urge the media to deal with us with hope, not with suspicion. For example, a major Arabic-language newspaper falsely reported that the Arab women's summit equated itself with the recent Arab men's summit in Cairo by distributing the final communiqué a day ahead of its official release. This is completely untrue. We were deliberating on the declaration until very late the night before its announcement and by no means did anyone leak any information. I think the media should seek the truth and I ask our media to give us a chance now and judge us later.There were differences between the delegations during discussions of the concluding document. What was the nature of those differences?
Everyone has a right to his or her opinion or position that might differ from another's. During the conference, there was total freedom of expression and we were considerate of everyone's opinions. Reservations and initiatives of the delegations were taken note of and documented as part of the conference's official paperwork. But we also had to look for and highlight the points that unite us, staying away as much as possible from those that separate and divide. As for the declaration, its provisions had to be unanimous. We did not want to be buried even before we got started.What is to be expected from the Year of the Arab Woman?
We expect to work on the six main points announced in the declaration. Statistics show that 45 million Arab women are illiterate, which is truly shameful. We will immediately embark on a unified plan to eradicate illiteracy in the Arab region.What is the nature of work of the Hariri Foundation and what are the other causes it supports?
The Hariri Foundation was established in 1979 through one man's initiative -- Rafiq Al-Hariri. His first scheme was to wage a war against ignorance, oppression and deprivation through education. It is also a form of resistance that we consider necessary in a country completely destroyed by Israel and internal conflict. There was no security and no chance for any kind of planning of any sort. So the foundation was set up with the goal of reinstating equality, social equity and equal opportunity, in addition to providing educational scholarships at reputable institutions in Lebanon and abroad to students who are outstanding but financially incapable. Alongside this, there were rescue and resistance efforts during the many emergencies that swept the country. The foundation contributed in no small part to rebuilding infrastructure in many cities. We had to continue; to claim the land by living on it because Israel had one objective: to remove us from our land.
The foundation was behind the scientific city at Kafr Falous in the south of the country. We built a medical and educational complex containing a high school, vocational school, an engineering college, medical college, a large sports centre and a rehabilitation centre. Of course, the Israelis sabotaged the complex because they just can't let such an advanced project exist in southern Lebanon. They used the internal conflict and sectarian divisions to bring down the project. But this did not stop us. When Sidon was liberated from the Jews, we rebuilt the city.
I think the foundation is a good example of how civil society institutions and non-governmental organisations could develop to play a key role in helping build a country.The positions you hold are diverse: a member of the Lebanese parliament, head of the parliamentary committee on education, a member of the board of the Hariri Foundation and United Nations goodwill ambassador. Which is dearest to your heart?
You have forgotten the most important role of all -- I am also a mother, a wife and a sister. I am very proud to be the sister of Rafiq Al-Hariri and it is the dearest title to my heart. I also like being Umm Nader [the mother of Nader]. As for the rest of these roles, they are only responsibilities that I hope I am able to fulfill in a satisfactory manner.Interviewed by Dahlia Hammouda
Relates stories:
The rising voice of Arab women
See Comments from the summit
Conference highlights
Redefining Arab women's priorities 16 - 22 November 2000
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