Peace and plenty

Nevine Elibrachy* describes the rationale of one organisation that uses networks of social redistribution as a means of bringing people together in tolerance

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As we all know, the government has been unable to deliver all the services necessary to all areas. NGOs have often been encouraged to lend a hand, specifically in health and educational services. Quite often in rural areas and unplanned communities the Mosque or the Church provides many of these services. In either case, a generous dose of religion is mixed in with the service provided. I have nothing against religion. On the contrary, I consider myself quite religious. Religion left in less learned hands, however, and combined with the ignorance or illiteracy of the recipient, often results in a distortion that is conducive to fundamentalism.

In fact, in the less privileged strata of society, we have a polarisation that is developing. Quite often we find parallel communities, sharing the same neighbourhood but lacking in interaction. Each community is centred on its religious institution, which becomes the nucleus of its existence.

It is precisely this phenomenon that Peace and Plenty, or Kheir wa Baraka, was willing to address. The group was founded and registered as an NGO in 2004. Its main purpose is to try to bridge gaps that may exist by encouraging community development through the interaction of all factions in any given neighbourhood.

Egypt is a country of contrasts, as we are all well aware. On the one hand, there are sectors that generate substantial surpluses, be it on the individual or institutional level. On the other, there exists great need in an expansive level of society. Hotels, factories and high tech offices may generate surplus food (remnants of buffet functions), clothes (overstocked merchandise), and slightly out-dated technology (computers, copiers, etc), all of which would be treasured by so many.

The aim of our organisation is twofold: primarily to help link sectors with surplus to areas of need. By offering viable, well-researched recipient institutions to the donors, our organisation facilitates the task for those businesses looking to fulfil their mission of corporate social responsibility. Redistribution of wealth, at little or no cost to the donor, is the mechanism by which we try to achieve our ultimate goal.

Secondly, through the redistribution of said goods, Peace and Plenty tries to support community service centres both in local Mosques and Churches. By supplying the needs of these centres, avoiding duplication of services, and offering guidance in the direction of the services provided, it becomes possible to encourage interaction amongst community centres. This springs naturally as a result of seeking optimum use of limited resources in serving the entire community.

It is perfectly logical to supply, for example, only one computer centre where all the children of the neighbourhood could enhance their computer skills. This could be set up in one community centre for all to enjoy. In another community centre we may want to help set up, say, literacy classes. Again, it would be stipulated that to make the best use of the resources, one centre would have to serve the entire community. By encouraging the interaction of women and children (since they are the main recipients of community services), we found that communities quite easily became more relaxed towards each other. More camaraderie sprung up, thus helping to reduce imaginary walls that sometimes hold people back from understanding one another.

Through these simple activities, both the vertical wealth related (donor-recipient) gaps as well as horizontal sectarian (recipient-recipient) gaps in society could gradually diminish. Overall, a more tightly knit social fabric should be more resilient to extremism.

* The writer is chairperson of the board of Peace and Plenty.