The right to decide

Ranking the top events of the year is not just an intelligent, fun exercise -- it's a way of determining your priorities

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If there is anything our non- scientific poll proves, it's that what we believe to be true is actually important.

Since it was such an eventful year, there was overwhelming enthusiasm for the idea of a poll to determine what people thought were 2005's most important events.

The results reveal quite a lot. They make clear that we all have the same concerns, the same worries.

We asked people to select the three most significant developments of the year in seven categories. The terminology used made a difference, and determined how people would respond, as did the pollster's ability to remain poker- faced throughout the entire process. An important, or major, event did not necessarily translate into a significant development.

For many people, the hardest part was not choosing the first or second, but the third most important event on each list.

Interestingly, in all the categories except for Culture and Entertainment, men and women chose the same "most significant development". The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Politics; the QIZ agreement in Economics; and Egypt's failure to qualify for the World Cup in Sports.

The only divergence occurred in Culture, where the overall top item was the Beni Sweif tragedy. Women agreed with that assessment, but it came second amongst men after Ahmed Zaki's death.

The items that got the least votes were also the same among men and women in the political, economic and social spheres.

The poll also makes clear how a national consensus on issues that matter can make a world of difference, especially when there is not enough time to deal with all important matters of the day.

What was the most significant development in 2005?

Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/775/sc241.htm