A New Social Contract
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Alexandria— the BA will host on Wednesday, 6 December 2006 a discussion on the Egypt’s Human Development Report 2005 (EHDR), jointly issued by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of Planning and Local Development in February 2006. The report reviews the economic, social, political, and human rights stances in Egypt, stating that Egypt can no longer continue to follow the “status quo” to face the emerging challenges. Hence the theme of the report “a vision for Egypt” in 2015, inspired by the growing aspirations and expectations of all Egyptians for accelerated reform.
Egypt faces a time of choice. The challenge is feasible: to replace the dead weight of human and material privation by an opportunity for forceful and vigorous equity with growth," asserts the Report. Change will require the political will and imagination of both an enlightened leadership and a cooperative nation to redefine the nature of social and political relationships in national life.
The EHDR 2005 is based on two important notions of change:
–A new "social contract" whereby the state encourages further political, social and economic participation from civil society: by extending and integrating institutions that promote democratic practices and are accountable; by raising the quality of public goods and their delivery; and by developing policies that encourage private sector participation in development without adverse distributional effects.
–Cultural and behavioral change such that the values of participation, entrepreneurship, innovation and transparency can prevail. This will require the creation and public dissemination of codes of conduct and accountability for public services, well-designed policies and programs for those basic public institutions that help shape values - schools and the media - the systematic public rewarding of independent thought, tolerance and social responsibility, and the promotion of gender equity.
The event will start at 9:00 hrs. at the West Hall, BA Conference Center.