Promising partnerships
NGOs are at the head of institutions required to contribute to the national effort of modernising Egypt. Dahlia Hammouda reports from the annual NGO conference
Non-governmental organisations need to modernise their programmes so they can be more effective partners in development. This was the gist of discussions at the fourth annual conference for the General Union of Civil Societies and Institutions held at the Galaa Theatre on Monday.
Presided over by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, the two-day conference underlined the need for more effective participation on the part of NGOs in the fields of birth control, education, unemployment and women's rights. These organisations are characterised by their ability to work at the grassroots, Mrs Mubarak said, and their capacity to convey to policy-makers the ambitions and hopes of a large portion of the population cannot be overlooked.
Mrs Mubarak described the current atmosphere in Egypt as ripe for the work of civil society. The country's NGOs operate within a vast infrastructure of thousands of various volunteer institutions, she said.
"Egyptian society respects dialogue, values tolerance, accepts diversity and has a deep understanding of democratic concepts. There also exists a legal framework that encourages voluntary work," Mrs Mubarak said.
The focus of the conference was how civil society can contribute to an extremely vital process -- modernising Egypt. "Our internal situation, and conditions in the outside world, have necessitated modernising our thinking and attitudes in order to advance our society in all fields, at all levels and with the participation of all our citizens," Mrs Mubarak said.
Modernisation efforts should be comprehensive and integrated. "Members of our civil society must develop their programmes and work styles and be prepared to offer new initiatives and visions," she said.
The General Union of Civil Societies and Institutions' choice of discussion topics for the workshops reflected the major challenges that have emerged as the country's political leadership strives to secure a better life for all Egyptians.
Foremost amongst these problems is over-population, which has been given the highest priority by the president. The second key issue is that of educating the greatest possible number of people in the country.
The participation of civil society in educational projects goes back a long way. In 1878, the Islamic Charitable Society built the first girls elementary school. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first Egyptian university was established as a private institution through volunteer efforts.
"Civil society organisations have always been trailblazers in the educational field. Their contribution is continuing and very much needed," Mrs Mubarak said.
The experience of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in cooperating with NGOs in a number of vital fields, such as girls education, represents an example of successful cooperation, she said.
The next important issue that needs civil society's contributions is unemployment, according to Mrs Mubarak. Through micro self-employment projects, NGOs can successfully help to alleviate the problem of unemployment in the country.
Mrs Mubarak hailed the work of the National Council for Women in this domain. She said the council had successfully partnered itself with the government and civil institutions to execute a small-loans programme for families with women at their head. Now they are also working to raise women's awareness of their political and legal rights and to issue identification documents and voting cards for women.
Mrs Mubarak said it was necessary to raise public awareness regarding the importance of voluntary work and the values of modernisation in Egyptian society, saying modernising Egypt is not a motto to merely be repeated, but an invitation to all the country's institutions to fulfil their roles within a unified national plan.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 19 - 25 December 2002 (Issue No. 617)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/617/eg2.htm