Connecting people
In an exclusive interview John Grote, director of the British Council in Egypt, talks to Fatemah Farag about shared humanity
The British Council's first overseas representative was in Egypt in 1938. Could you comment on the significance of this choice?
In 1934 a committee was set up [the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries, established by the British Foreign Office] which gave birth to the British Council. Some say the first office was in Egypt, others that the first office was in Portugal. This was at the time of the build up towards World War II and the offices were set up in countries that reports from British Embassies warned were falling under Nazi influence, even though these countries were thought to be friends of Britain.
North Africa of course was a concern as was Portugal. It was too late for Spain which had already fallen under the influence of Franco.
The inception of the British Council -- from as early as 1934 -- had a clear political mandate, namely to promote British culture, science, education and technology. Today, in explaining the mission, you have spoken of "cross-cultural interaction and understanding". Could you explain the shift?
I think the shift is very significant. I think it reflects a change in British self-perception; from Great Britain and the Empire of 1938 to a small country on the edge of Europe in 2003.
In 1938 the British would have had the self- confidence -- or arrogance -- to say we knew all the answers. If you look at the logo that is stamped within the British Council publications of that time you will find written "Truth will Triumph". We knew "truth" and we would "triumph". All that was needed was to tell the world of the beauties of Britain and they would be impressed. The reality was somewhat different.
But more significantly, the British Council, from day one, always tried to work within the country that hosted it. It tended to reflect that country and what it wanted from Britain, not vice versa. When I was in Singapore in 1996, we decided to publish a book commemorating 50 years of the British Council in that country. The author organised the book in terms of the historical development of Singapore, showing how the activities of the British Council had changed reflecting the different stages of development of that country.
I have worked for the British Council for nearly 30 years and the organisation and the people it employs believe in the excitement that can be gained in cross-fertilisation of cultures. From sports to ballet and from pop music to science, I think the British have learned in the post-colonial period that societies become more vibrant when open to outside influences.
The British Council
John Grote
photos: Randa Shaath
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For example, we have a project with an Egyptian dance instructor, Nora Amin, who teaches young girls. We hooked her up with a dance instructor in the UK doing similar work. The interaction between both resulted in a programme of nine young Egyptian girls who dance, representing their hopes, fears and perceptions of Egyptian culture.
Both sides have benefited a great deal from this kind of interaction.
You point to different perceptions in a post- colonial era. Yet many would argue -- especially after the British involvement in the invasion and occupation of Iraq -- that we are not too remote from those times. What kind of a challenge does this pose to your work?
I would like to make it clear that the British Council is not a political body. I found -- in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of war in Iraq -- that there were concerns expressed by the people that we work with as to whether we would be able to continue our work. We re-opened our offices within five days of the war because we felt that the environment was right for our kind of work. People do not hold us responsible for British foreign policy. We are concerned with the long-term relationship between people.
Of course the anger of the Egyptian people makes it difficult, but at the same time even more important for us is to do our work. It is too easy at times like these for people to fall back on stereotypes. The British Council's work is designed to get people to realise that 99.9 per cent of lives are the same for people everywhere and that it is a small percentage which is different culturally.
After 9/11 we started a programme of activity geared towards young people in the region and the UK titled "Connecting Futures". The idea is to highlight that to invest in the future we need to know one another; that the Other is not frightening. Last year we had three young British scientists working with students in Egypt: two in Sinai and one in Aswan. The official reason was joint research, but the real reason, in my opinion [for their internships], was to get to know the Other. Young ladies in Aswan -- all covered -- invited the British scientists into their homes, and one year later, at the same time as the outbreak of the war, the women were on their way to Scotland to do other research there. The friendships that were forged survived.
We also had five Egyptian journalists working at British newspapers on an exchange programme at the time of the outbreak of the war. One had to return, but the rest stayed on and had the opportunity to talk to their colleagues at the British papers and explain to them what they should be looking at.
What I am saying is that, in reality, we are all human beings and all likable, and if we can only build a structure that allows us to interact we can create a mechanism that gives people the opportunity to double check what their leaders are telling them.
This is about recognising the common humanity of all of us.
Has the aftermath of 9/11, and now the occupation of Iraq, affected Egyptian demand for British education?
The demand was never massive. There were 1,200 Egyptians studying in the UK and the number is now down to 800. This probably means that those who finish and leave are not being replaced very fast. I am not aware of any incidents of Egyptian students being discriminated against in the UK. And it is very difficult to sort out why demand has dropped. Is it because of the cost and the fact that the Egyptian pound now buys much less; is it because the education system in Britain is no longer that appealing or is it the war?
However, we administer Foreign Office scholarships and every year we get around 1000 applicants. We have just closed this year's application period and received the same amount of people, which is an indication that people want to go if they can get funding.
How do you manage a cultural institution such as the British Council when there is so much to be done?
To make an impact we were required to choose a number of areas upon which to focus. When I first came I felt we were trying to do too much. We have chosen, therefore, to focus on education and skills. Not only English, but management and vocational skills.
We are targeting our efforts at young people under the age of 35 -- people who have left school or college and are entering the job market. For example, with the vocational skills programme we work with the Social Fund for Development (SFD) and provide services in the areas of tourism and the construction industry. Just a few weeks ago we held a conference which brought people from across the nation together with specialists from the European Union (EU). We have an adult literacy programme and a primary health education programme.
We do not fund these projects -- they are funded either by the SFD or the EU. And we are not saying Britain has all the answers. Again this is not a colonial push. We are just sharing experiences.
Take a look at the garden towards the back of the building. It was designed by a British specialist, with the help of an Egyptian botanist and Egyptian science school teachers. The result is a garden that can be used as an educational tool for students.
I am not into the high profile type of activity. For example, the Royal Shakespeare Company is not high on my agenda. I would love to bring them, but they cost around 150,000 British pounds. "High art" needs sponsors and that requires private sector sponsors.
We feel that within our budget it is more significant to bring British and Egyptian artists together -- that is more valuable.
We have of course acquired a Henry Moore statue for the garden, but that is on loan and we can keep it as long as we can pay the insurance, which is much more affordable than buying it.
The idea is to create a network through which friendships can flow.
