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H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak appointed Honorary Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador

Alexandria, 13 January 2005—H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria, was appointed Honorary Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador during the bicentenary celebration of the famous Danish writer, Hans Christian Andersen (HCA), organized at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) in collaboration with the Danish Embassy in Egypt, on Thursday, 13 January 2005. The event, attended by H.R.H. Prince Joachim of Denmark, also marked the launch of the Arabic version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tales collection.

During the celebration, H.E. Mrs. Mubarak welcomed the gathering of 200 people, including diplomats, scholars, and Friends of the Library of Alexandria. She stated that it is only fitting to celebrate the bicentennial of Hans Christian Andersen, for he was a man of genius who touched all children in the world, and who continues to touch the child within every one of us as adults.

H.E. Mrs. Mubarak emphasized the importance of children’s literature, stating that it is a "fundamental instrument for the development of the next generation". She highlighted the role Hans Christian Andersen played as a "great man possessed of an imagination of a genius, a master of story-telling art, who dedicated his art and energy to create an unmatched legacy for children of all ages".

Her Excellency thanked the HCA Foundation for its donation of the collection of Hans Christian Andersen’s works in Arabic, which will make his tales accessible to many more of Egypt’s children. She pointed out how it is fitting that the gift be made in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, for it is a “gift that is more than children’s literature. It is also a gesture that celebrates intercultural dialogue and openness, in an institution dedicated to tolerance, dialogue and understanding”.

“Books are the magic gateways through which we discover unknown truths, visit strange lands and explore cultures other than our own,” she affirmed, stating that there is a “rare quality in great children’s stories that transcends space and time, that breaks the bonds of language and locale, that somehow calls to the universal in all cultures and that subtly underscores our common humanity”.

H.E. Mrs. Mubarak pointed out that this celebration is an “affirmation of the universal and of our common humanity, in face of those who would call for the clash of civilizations”. She called for the “modest instrument of children’s stories to make its contribution to disarming the powerful forces of obscurantism and Xenophobia”, stating that books “will help new generations become the catalysts of change and the agents of the promotion of a learning civilization where the culture of peace shall flourish, and where we can celebrate our diversity as well as our common humanity”.

The event was also attended by H.E. Dr. Amr Salama, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; General Abdel Salam El-Mahgoub, Governor of Alexandria; Dr. Mohammed Abdellah, President of Alexandria University; H.E. Mrs. Tove Fergo, Danish Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs; Ambassador Bjarne Sørensen, Danish Ambassador to Egypt; and Mr. Erland Kolding Nielsen, Director of the Royal Library of Denmark.

Ambassador Bjarne Sørensen asserted that HCA 2005 Foundation aims to promote increased awareness of HCA and his authorship in the Arab world, and thus further public awareness of Denmark and Danish cultural heritage in the Middle East. He pointed out that Egypt has been chosen as a key country in the worldwide celebration of the Andersen bicentenary, and the “Bibliotheca Alexandrina is to be the pivotal in opening the door to the Arabic world”.

H.E. Mrs. Tove Fergo expressed her pleasure at how the HCA bicentenary is becoming a worldwide celebration, confirming that it will be “one of the greatest and most ambitious worldwide cultural events in 2005”, for Andersen was “one of the foremost ambassadors of international cultural dialogue of his time”. She added that he is often described as “the essence of Danish culture” and how the Danes are proud to share their cultural heritage with the world. She welcomed the many new translations of Andersen’s work, including the new translation into Arabic.

Mr. Christian Have, Director for Public Affairs at the HCA 2005 Foundation, then shed light on the worldwide celebrations of the bicentenary of Hans Christian Andersen.

Mr. Erland Kolding Nielsen expressed the great pleasure of the Royal Library of Denmark in the launching of the Arabic version of HCA’s works. He noted that the translation was funded by the HCA 2005 Foundation, and was carried out by the Iraqi born writer, Mrs. Duna Ghali, in cooperation with Mr. Stig Rasmussen, Head of the Department of Oriental and Judaica Collections at the Royal Library, and a specialist in Arabic language and literature. He spoke of how, unlike previous translations, this translation is made directly from Danish.

He also spoke of how the book’s 23 tales will reach far and wide in the Arab world through its inclusion in the “Book Free for All” program. Through this program, a selected book is distributed, every month, via nine Arabic newspapers in eight countries. A larger edition comprising more of HCA’s tales with in-depth presentation of his art and analyses of his fairy tales is also planned to be published. He concluded his speech with Andersen’s quote: “To travel is to live”, adding that this goes for literary works as well.

Last but not least came H.R.H Prince Joachim’s words, where he affirmed Hans Christian Andersen’s extraordinary talent, and how his works have reached every corner and every culture of the world. He spoke of how HCA wrote more than 150 fairy-tales, in addition to novels, plays, poems, letters, and travel books. HCA “had so much to say about life. He wrote to understand himself—the story of his life—and the world he lived in”, stated His Royal Highness.

On the appointment of HE. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak as Honorary HCA Ambassador, H.R.H. Prince Joachim pointed out Her Excellency’s participation in a “wide range of international and regional activities and conferences hosted by the UN, WHO, UNESCO and UNICEF concerning the rights of women and children, as well as issues of health, peace and development”, adding that “she is highly acclaimed for her social commitment and for promoting reading in Egypt”.

The close of the celebration was marked by H.R.H. Prince Joachim presenting the HCA 2005 Foundation plaque to H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak. Among the Honorary HCA Ambassadors chosen by the HCA 2005 Foundation are Mrs. Luisa Durán de Lagos, the First Lady of Chile and Mr. Gilberto Gil, Brazilian Minister for Culture.

Later in the evening, during a reception given by the General Consul of Denmark at the Alexandria Club, H.R.H. Prince Joachim appointed Dr. Ismail Serageldin as Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador. He stated that Dr. Serageldin “as the Director of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina not only promotes the sciences and the humanities but also focuses on humanitarian causes, development issues, and intercultural dialogue”.

This celebration at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina comes within the framework of the HCA bicentenary worldwide celebrations. Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish writer who combined folk legends, moral teachings and humor with his own great imagination and produced fairy-tales that were not merely meant for children but for adults as well. Among some of his famous writings are The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and the Pea.

It is worth noting that Hans Christian Andersen Ambassadors are celebrated artists, politicians, athletes and business people from around the world, who are asked by the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation to represent the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen. They are to contribute to creating awareness of the celebration in their home country, for instance with their presence at different events related to Hans Christian Andersen 2005 and by sharing their own view of Hans Christian Andersen with the world.

For more information on the HCA 2005 celebrations, visit: www.hca2005.com.

H.E. Mrs. Mubarak during her speech	H.R.H. Prince Joachim presents the HCA 2005 Plaque to H.E. Mrs. Mubarak	The HCA Ceremony