Serageldin Speaks about the Constitution at the BA
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The BA Dialogue Forum, in partnership with the US Roger Williams University (RWU) and the US Providence Public School District (PPSD), held on Monday, 4 July 2011, a lecture by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, entitled “A Constitution for Our Times”, as part of the “Bridging Civilizations in the Classroom Program”.
In his lecture, Serageldin talked about the history of the American Constitution with special emphasis on the American Revolutionary War with the Kingdom of Great Britain, after which the thirteen American colonies declared their independence and formed a new nation, the United States of America, on 4 July 1776.
In light of the 25th of January Revolution, Serageldin tackled the current transitional phase in Egypt. He highlighted the importance of drawing lessons from other countries experiences rather than mirroring their resolutions and constitutions, which were drafted by particular societal forces, under particular circumstances, and in particular countries. The new Egyptian constitution, in his opinion, should keep up with the pace of the 21st century, which transcends the boundaries of nations. He spoke about the challenges facing the democratic transformation in Egypt such as determining the nature of the state and the judicial and economical systems.
It is worth mentioning that Roger Williams University (RWU) is an independent liberal arts university. RWU has dedicated itself to learning, freedom and tolerance; the principles advocated by Roger Williams, founder of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
The complete lecture is available via the BA Webcast Service on the following link.