http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/230241
I am in need of members of the general public to fill out a survey that I have prepared - nothing too formal and will take no more than 15 minutes to fill out. You may remain anonymous should you wish to do so. If you have read Egyptian blogs, or if you are an Egyptian blogger, or if you are interested in this topic, PLEASE do get in touch with me on my email address: emanebed@gmail.com .

Other comments and questions are also welcome. The deadline to fill out the survey is Monday, 16 July 2007. ]]> Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:12:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/230241 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/221043
I will still be based in London, working at the Civility Programme on Middle East reform, and I am definitely looking forward to a new beginning, though my passion and interests remain as always on youth in the Arab World. If you have not had the chance, then be sure to check out some of the latest statistics from the UN that only serve to prove how pressing this issue is. Needless to say, the debate is not new, yet the statistics show how the situation in the Arab region has in fact worsened post- the declaration of the UN MDGs. Reform will not be possible in the region unless we involve young people in the policy debate, but we first ought to inspire them to get involved as the level of apathy has risen tremendously alongside the levels of unemployment and brain drain. ]]> Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:07:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/221043 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/214869
To me, one of the issues at stake here is how the Olympics committee, and one could argue, society at large defines young people. If you read the coverage that this logo has received, it becomes evident that they define young people as children/kids, not as an independent group who has creative ideas and a range of talents. Why didnt we run some sort of competition encouraging young artists to submit their logo ideas and then encorporate the best ones into a logo? Now that would have been a neat idea. Instead, what we have is a logo that apparently resembles one from the children's programme 'Tiswas' of the 70s and 80s. Young people will undoubtedly see right through the logo concept, and it may actually be seen as patronising. The committee could have also taken advantage of the diversity within young people in the UK - the LSE alone prides itself on having over 150 nationalities present on campus. I dont see how the pink and yellow represents any of London's diversity, something that most large cities would dream to have.

Its high time that young people are treated not just an ambivalent group of kids, but a group that can actually make a useful, if not powerful, contribution in the societies around them. Revamping the 2012 Olympics Logo would be a start. ]]> Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:57:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/214869 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/211269
A feeling of patriotism and pride has admittedly come over me, even though I havent seen the film yet. It is high time that the arts, music, and culture of Romania shine again, as the country has seen a history of great artists, musicians, producers, etc, though they havent always been able to express their ideas and/or they havent received the credit that they deserved. I am sure that this is just the beginning of a new era, not only for Romanian cinema but for a renewed sense of what it means to be Romanian - particularly as another Romanian film, Cristian Nemescu's "California Dreamin'", won the Un Certain Regard Prix, also at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Sadly, Cristian was not there to enjoy the fruits of his labour as he died late last year in a car accident in Bucharest - when a British citizen decided to drive 60km (at least) over the speed limit and crash into the taxi that Cristian was in.

Another film that I would recommend is "Cover Boy: L'Ultima Revoluzione" - I watched it last weekend. It depicts the journey of a young Romanian man - from the time of the revolution (and how it affected him) to his making it in today's world (as he goes to Italy to seek a better opportunity). I thought it was indicative of how the revolution was not what it was cut out to be. Many promises of a better life have still not been realised as many now struggle to earn a living - something that was (somehow) guaranteed under the old regime. And like many Romanians that leave the country, the man's only dream is to return to the homeland (a little more wealthy than he left) - having realised that things can be just as bad on the outside, and sometimes, they are even better on the inside. ]]> Mon, 28 May 2007 08:36:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/211269 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/208461
I come in to the LSE library "which is meant to be a studious place", and instead people are talking about the search for Orlando Bloom, the posting of messages, and the poking, all on Facebook. While this is not to say that the network does not have any advantages to becoming a member, but at this point, I feel that it has become just that - just another network, one of the many online. Wait until the next one comes along and steals all of Facebook's members. In an article in the London paper yesterday evening, Facebook was given the credit for starting this new global social phenomenon. Please!! It started a long time ago, with far more worthy causes attached.

I am reading a lot of literature nowadays from Manuel Castells (great book by the way) to Chris Atton to Andrew Chadwick (a must read) on alternative media and the internet, and the power that they can have in changing our notion of community and in instilling change in our social environments. So perhaps that is why I am growing skeptical of Facbook, which seems to me, all about the popularity aspect and not really about trying to make the world a smaller place using low cost technologies and at a faster speed. What could have added value to the alternative media debate has now turned to yet another mainstream medium, making $50 million a year from banner ad sales and sponsorship deals and with its worth far exceeding $2 billion. ]]> Tue, 22 May 2007 12:14:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/208461 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/203521 I dont know much about the politics of Africa, in general, but I do know that many have protested (and continue to do so) against South Africa's lack of leadership and activism in dealing wtih Mugabe. It has even been accused by African press for having a "quasi-imperialist agenda". So, I dont see how playing in South Africa would provide a neutral venue. Also I did some background reading and thought it was ironic to find that it was in fact South Africa that urged back in 2002 cricket organisers to stage games in Zimbabwe, despite calls from the British and Australian governments for a change of venue at the time.

Looking at it more broadly... We have on the one hand, officials from various sports councils constantly saying that politics should stay out of sports, but then on the other hand, individual countries take their own decisions, depending on the context at the time. Australia's recent decision is one example of many. Others include Israel choosing not to compete in the Asian Soccer Cup, but in the European Cup; and when apartheid was the official policy in South Africa, many sports people adopted the conscientious approach that they should not appear in competitive sports there. The 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin is another illustration, perhaps best recognised in retrospect, where a government used the event to strengthen the spread of its ideology (Nazism) through propaganda. These examples and many more seem to me to show that sports and politics, far from being separate, are as connected as a soccer shoe is to the ball - It may only be a game, but its how we play it that counts. ]]> Sun, 13 May 2007 12:05:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/203521 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/201209
I cant believe that I am posting this but if you love your shisha (which I know many of you do!), then be sure to sign the e-petition.
So far, over 6000 people have signed the petition. It does bring me to another point though - the power of lobbying. I am curious to know what people's experiences have been with their own local and/or national governments on lobbying for "small" issues, such as this one. It is somewhat of a foreign concept in the Arab World, for various reasons, but do let me know if you have any experiences. I am currently writing a paper on the Armenian diaspora, part of which focuses on the Armenian lobby in the US and their influence in domestic politics in their "homeland." I will post something once I am done my research on it.
]]> Thu, 10 May 2007 09:08:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/201209 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/201203 online.

The jokes list included ones on Princess Diana, the tsunami, 9/11 and 7/7, paedophilia, disabilities, and the number one on the list were jokes on Islam. They gave examples of each category. One on the tsunami was:
What is the most popular sport in Indonesia?
Body Surfing.
How can we as a society sit there and think its ok to laugh about people who have died or incurred a tragedy in their lives?
Then of course, the number of jokes that have come out on the internet following the tragedy of 9/11 far surpasses any other category.

Islam being at the top of the list didnt come to much surprise and the Danish cartoons crisis was once again brought to the forefront. While in no way am I defending what a group of radical (and/or brainwashed) muslims did in Lebanon or the protest signs held in London of "beheading those who offend Islam", I wonder whether all people who had a strong faith - regardless in what religion base - would not be offended by jokes made on their symbols and ideolgies. Indeed, Arab newspapers have made "jokes" about Jewish beliefs and this is just as sick, if not worse, but why provoke further anguish between what is seen as already hostile groups? One comedian on the programme argued that our freedom of speech must include a freedom to insult as well as to offend others. I wonder if he would say the same thing if a group of Muslim "comedians" made tasteless "jokes" about his own core values. And where should we draw the line? I do not believe that we have a right to offend people, and plus, why would we want to do so? I simply dont get it. Then again, perhaps instead of protesting with strong language banners, muslims should have had their own contest in the West as a response - one that would have asked the reverse: what Muslims' perceptions are of the other groups in their society. I bet our reaction would then have been to launch a new war - The War on Sick Jokes. ]]> Thu, 10 May 2007 08:23:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/201203 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/196905
But it seems that I may have been on the path to something. Mona Eltahawy has experienced a similar phenomenon - her article, once submitted in English to an Arabic newspaper, gets published in 2 versions: one that is "suitable" for English readers and the other for Arabic readers. This type of censorship, is of course, dictated by the newspaper, not by Mona. On the contrary, I thoroughly enjoy reading Mona's articles because she is one of the few Middle Eastern journalists who is not afraid to speak their mind.

Have a look at her analysis- Censorship: What you didn’t see and see what has been left out, when comparing the English and Arabic versions of the same article.

I actually think that if Mona didnt have the solid reputation that she does in the journalism field, her articles would be censored all the more. Arab governments arent ready for a "full right" of freedom of speech because they arent prepared to face the facts. This is not to say that we dont know the facts; we do but how can we begin to change the situation if we arent even allowed to discuss how the situation came about?

I think this is where the power of new media (like the internet) lies - it allows for alternative spaces where people can come together to debate, discuss, and provide their own accounts of the story in question. It has also given rise to methods for avoiding old censorship and control, like in the case of Mona's piece. New media changes us from simply consumers of the news to producers of it, and while this is not to say that new medis in themselves are an antidote to authoritarianism, they will eventually help to bring about a change in Arab societies. It is only a matter of time. ]]> Fri, 04 May 2007 08:17:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/196905 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/196245
By doing so, the LSE Student Union is sending a strong message across - that the right to education is a universal one, and the world should not tolerate any violation of that right. When the motion for the twinning was first put forth, amendements were proposed so that LSE would twin with both a Palestinian and an Israeli university. The amendements failed to gain a majority vote, and the original motion passed without any changes or additions. ]]> Thu, 03 May 2007 10:31:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/196245 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/196195
For Erik Ringmar's Blog - Forget The Footnotes
And here for the book - I'm Blogging This!]]> Thu, 03 May 2007 07:01:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/196195 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/195409
Click here to access the speech. ]]> Wed, 02 May 2007 12:11:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/195409 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/195397
Recently, as part of my work with the Civility Foundation, we organized a conference on "The Role of Civil Society in Advocating Reform in the Arab World." It was very fascinating, with Dr Saad Eddin Ibrahim giving the keynote speech. The sub-themes that were discussed were: youth and Generational Gap in Leadership, Women and Reform, Religion and Reform, and Transparency and Rule of Law. A conference report will be coming out soon, so if you would like a copy, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be sure to send one to you.

I have also been busy writing papers of my Masters degree at the LSE. I wrote one for my new media class on "The Zapatistas and Kifaya: From Offline Rebellion to Online Truth." The aim of the paper was to develop an understanding of the dimensions of the internet that enable it to become an alternative space for new social movements. It has often been said that the Zapatista uprising neatly crystallized the changing nature of political action in an increasingly internet-mediated, transnational environment; and indeed, by demonstrating the potential of ICTs, it has created a long-term shift in social movement politics. What Cleaver (1998) labelled as the "Zapatista Effect" is still being felt a decade later and has inspired other movements, such as Kifaya in Egypt, to adopt many of its strategies. The way that citizens in Egypt, and elsewhere, now conceive of "the truth" in their society is no longer dominated by mainstream media, but citizens' notions of truth seen through the eyes of those that "tell it as it is."

Articles/Books of interest:
Russell, Adrienne (2001) 'The Zapatistas Online: Shifting the Discourse of Globalization'
Gazette 63 (5): 399-413.
Russell, Adrienne (2005) 'Myth and the Zapatista movement: exploring a network identity'
New Media Society 7(4): 559-576.
Dale Eickelman and Jon Anderson (eds.) New Media in the Muslim World: The
Emerging Public Sphere (Bloomington: Indiana University Press).

I will be using this paper as a basis for my upcoming dissertation on New Media and the Struggle for Political Reform in Egypt. Please feel free to send me your ideas, questions, comments!
]]> Wed, 02 May 2007 11:43:00 EDT http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/195397 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/75569 here to read an article in the Washington Post on the weapon of mass destruction of "choice": AK-47.

"The AK-47 has become the world's most prolific and effective combat weapon, a device so cheap and simple that it can be bought in many countries for less than the cost of a live chicken."

I wonder if we were to put all these live chickens together, how many mouths in the developing world we could feed? The same weapon that brought freedom to so many countries in the past has now become one of the world's greatest paradoxes. ]]> Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:45:00 EST http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/75569 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/72287
Check out this New York Times Opinion Piece.

What I would like to know is how this is going to be judged? How does one conclude if a head of state has "governed well" in his time? The good governance agenda is so misused, that I fear it has become a myth.

I especially liked the last point made in the article:
What counts is how the system is structured. To change that, Africa, like elsewhere, needs more than an Ibrahim prize. It needs a permanent source of political pressure from citizens and business groups — not just general disgust, but advocacy for specific reforms. Corruption always carries its own powerful lobby. Honest government needs one as well.

]]> Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:04:00 EST http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/72287 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/72269
Highlights:
- Green Point Market Square was bustling with sellers of all sorts of wooden, copper, and string crafts.
- The views from Table Mountain of all of the city, as this blog picture. Beach Road also had some stunning views of the beach, from its many cafes and restaurants on building balconies.
- The Waterfront, which actually looked like something that came out of Baltimore!
- Long Street, which also reminded me of another US city -> New Orleans! The bars had such a good vibe, with many South African hip hop bands.
- The zebras in the park that was next to the main highway, towards downtown.
- The turtles in our hotel's garden.

Having said all this, there is one thing that I couldn't escape: "Economic Apartheid". While apartheid ended over a decade ago, there are still millons (estimate is at 2 million) of Black South Africans living in townships and earning minimum wage, at the very best. Townships, in my opinion, look worse than refugee camps, at least the ones I have seen in the Middle East. They seem like they are about to collapse any minute. The irony of it is that there are some that don't mind so much where they live, as it provides them with a sense of security and community. The government has responded by beginning to replace townships with building developments, that still allow for neighbours to be neighbours. Why now? Well, the World Cup will be held in Cape Town in 2010. The question that needs to be asked, as one NGO activist told me, what next? While 2010 is providing South Africans with a goal for their works, it is high time that we start thinking of how the next generation of black South Africans will feel a sense of community in Cape Town, as a whole, not just amongst their neighbours. ]]> Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:50:00 EST http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/72269 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667 http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/68847
For this entry, I want to refer to my participation at the OxHA 2006 Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. A new initiative was launched - www.3four50.com. So, check out my blogs (including vblogs!) at 3FOUR50.

About 3FOUR50 - Oxford Health Alliance Initiative:
The name represents the 3 main risk factors (poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking) that cause four chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, some cancers, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes), which in turn is estimated to be responsible for 50% of the world's deaths over the next two decades.



]]> Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:46:00 EST http://EmanEbed.tigblog.org/post/68847 51.5 -0.1166667 51.5 -0.1166667