The Second Day of "Youth: A Revolution of Change" Conference at the BA
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The second day of "Youth: A Revolution of Change" conference witnessed the participation of 600 young people from Egypt and various Arab countries in a panel discussion entitled: "The Current Situation after the 25th of January Revolution: Challenges and Aspirations.”
Activist Ali Mekkawy, one of the organizers of the conference, started the seminar with a tribute to the heroes of the 25th January revolution. Participants included Fadia Jasmi, a social activist in the field of human rights in Tunisia, Ghada Ismail, a program coordinator in Yemen, Baraa Magdy, a political activist in the 6th April movement, Mohamed El Younsi, the founder of "Youth without Borders" network in Algeria, and Amr Al-Gendy, an Egyptian engineer.
Fadia Jasmi (Tunisia) expressed her concerns about the growing culture of mistrust, and hoped that youth would focus more on the restructuring of Egypt and the Arab countries at large. Ghada Ismail (Yemen) anticipated a radical change in the current situation in Yemen similar to what took place in Egypt and Tunisia. Baraa Magdi praised Egyptian youth’s high sense of responsibility and commitment, which has grown more than ever before. He mentioned that construction is much more difficult than destruction, and described the revolution as a radical and comprehensive process that imposes political, social and economic demands. He also noted that there has been a number of demands raised by the youth in the 25th January revolution, some of which have not yet been realized, such as the release of all political detainees and the formation of a coalition government.
Muhammad Alyounisy (Algeria) praised the Egyptian revolution on behalf of all Algerians, and referred to the wave of radical transformation in the Arab world after a long era of corrupt authoritarian rule. He emphasized Algerian people’s demands, namely the empowerment of youth, freedom of expression, political participation and awareness as well as more job opportunities for youth.
Amr Algendy discussed the concept of individual responsibility, and stressed on each person’s commitment towards building a new Egypt. He called for raising the awareness of youth about the main objectives of the 25th of January Revolution and their role in combating corruption for a better future.
The conference witnessed several interventions from Egyptian and Arab participants representing their aspirations for a better future for Egypt and the Arab World, some of which are: the unity of Egyptian youth, their respect to individual responsibility and the rights of others to take part in the decision making process.
Following the panel discussions, the participants divided themselves into four workshops to discuss four themes: Arab issues, economy, social policy and civil society. Each group proposed their recommendations regarding each theme. Some youth initiatives and projects, that have been successfully implemented in other Arab countries, were also presented. The youth documented all the ideas and proposals raised in these workshops to be presented to the concerned authorities. They also suggested the formation of a committee to oversee the implementation of all proposed projects and reforms.
To read about the proceedings of the first day, please click here.