1 - 7 February 2001
Issue No.519
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 1 - 7 February 2001 Issue No.519 |
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The greatest investment
MRS SUZANNE Mubarak attended a celebration on Monday marking the 10th anniversary of the Reading for All Festival. The event, organised by the Ministry of Culture at the Cairo International Conference Centre, commemorated the programme's achievements in the field of reading, writing and publishing of books for all ages, as well as the establishment of new libraries in all the governorates of Egypt.
Mrs Mubarak spoke of how the idea of the festival was conceived. "Ten years ago, it had become very clear that with the advent of the new century, humankind's only path to a new world of justice, freedom and equality lay in one magic word: knowledge." In light of this understanding, she said, the national campaign for Reading for All was born, expanding to become "a call for the spiritual and intellectual building of the Egyptian individual."
The national campaign for reading -- considered the most important cultural project of the past 50 years -- has become a model emulated by other countries, as well as by international organisations the world over. "The Egyptian experience has been transformed from a sincere national effort to an international experiment carrying Egypt's name," Mrs Mubarak said.
photos: Mustafa Atia & Mohamed Abdel-Fattah
Mrs Mubarak has been both the initiator of the project and the driving force behind its success. "The child who joined our campaign when he was ten years old is now 20 -- part of a new generation that has acquired new, civilised demeanour which will help in shaping a new nation we all aspire to," she said.
Following her speech, Mrs Mubarak congratulated the children who won the national children's competition in writing and drawing. Ten figures from various ministries and institutions who have worked in the Reading for All project over the years and who contributed to its success were also honoured.
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