Participants Discussed Results of the Human Development Report of Egypt in 2008 in a Seminar at the BA
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Alexandria—
The BA Dialogue Forum held its bimonthly seminar on Saturday, 24 May 2008, entitled “Results of the Human Development Report 2008”. Speaker were Dr. Sahar El Tawila, Director, Social Contract Studies Center, Information and Decision Support Centre; Dr. Fadya Elwan, Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University; and Dr. Heba Handoussa, Economist and Former Director, Economic Research Forum. The Seminar was chaired by Dr. Maged Osman, Director, Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre (CIDSC), and was attended by General Adel Labib, Governor of Alexandria.
Dr. Maged Osman stated that the 2008 Report is the tenth in a series of reports for Egypt during the past 15 years. This year’s report is entitled “The New Social Contract: the Role of Civil Society”, while the previous report was entitled: "Towards a New Social Contract" and the subject of the 2004 Report was decentralization. The complete Human Development Report for Egypt is published on the Internet.
Dr. Heba Handoussa briefed the 2008 report, which was conducted by 15 researchers. She spoke about the importance of activating the role of civil society organizations to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, through amending the NGOs law, eliminating legal procedural obstacles facing the establishment of NGOs.
Dr. Sahar El Tawila pointed out that the level of human development in Egypt has risen since 1993. She added that five governorates remained on top of Human Development Report in Egypt, namely: Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, Port Said and Damietta. On the other hand Fayoum, Minya, Sohag, Assiut and Beni Suef were the less developed according to the report; with high rates of illiteracy and poverty in relation to the total population in addition to a rise in the rate of population growth. She also reviewed what has been accomplished in generalizing primary education, reducing child mortality rates, improving reproductive health, and other topics.
Dr. Fadya Elwan reviewed the role of civil society in promoting early education programs in Egypt, as a recommendation of the Human Development Report in 2008. She highlighted some of the successful experiences of civil societies organizations in providing early education services; nurseries and kindergartens and added that those organizations have access to poor areas, and are more flexible and innovative in providing such services.