In the framework of the Italian Commitment in support to the Egyptian Reform of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), aimed at enhancing  Egyptian Human Resources Development,  a celebration is been held at the Don Bosco's premises on 16^th October 2006 at 11.00 with the participation of the Italian Ambassador, H.E. Antonio Badini, the Governor of Cairo, H.E. Abdel Azim Morsi Wazir, the Minister of Education, H.E. Yousry El Gamal, the Minister of Manpower and Migration, H.E. Aicha Abdel Hadi and  representatives of the Italian-Egyptian private sector.

The Italian Technical and Vocational Institute” Don Bosco" is extending its educational secondary activities and will offer, starting from the next academic year, University Courses in Italian, Arabic and English, with European final accreditation.

The enrichment of the Don Bosco educational activities with the academic offers of the International Telematic Uninettuno University, a Consortium of some of the most renowned Italian and Euro Mediterranean Universities,   will allow the completion of a learning path which, thanks to the joined efforts of the Italian and Egyptian Government and the Italian-Egyptian private sector, is able to provide skilled labor force, high qualified technicians and competitive managers for both the National and the  International work market.

Moreover, the Italian approach in the field of human resources development and support to the educational reform is designed to provide an integrated system of action where, together with the high standard educational offers, job opportunities are provided to young Egyptians.

Locally, thanks to the commitment of the private entrepreneurs to employ the participants to the courses; in Italy job opportunities are offered thanks to the activities of the International Mobility Project, financed by the Italian Ministry of Labor and implemented in Egypt in cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower and Migration, which provides the match-making between Egyptian offer and Italian demand.

During the event, awards and scholarships are been awarded to proficient    students.

The Ambassador of Italy kindly has invited the press representative to attend the event.

Address:  Don Bosco Salesian Institute-2, Abdel Kader Taha str, Rod El Farag, Shoubra.

MRI - Master in International Relations

2006-07 MRI Program Call for Application
 

The deadline is October 5, 2006. The knowledge of both Italian and English is required in order to attend the lectures. Foreign students (EU and overseas) are going to be evaluated by their CV. The MRI provides them for grants, according to the result of the evaluation process.

The Master in International Relations (MRI) course grew out of the over ten years cooperation between the University of Bologna and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MRI is an intensive program of advanced international studies promoted by the Faculty of Political Science, Department of Politics, Institutions and History at the University of Bologna, that is the best one in Italy, according to the CENSIS classification. Also the committee of evaluation made by the Minister of Education has kept to our faculty the top of the nation ranking list for the research. The course is taught over a 12 month period from November to October, with two semesters (winter and spring) and a final conclusive stage (summer-autumn).

The MRI has been recognized as a Level II Master, a qualification granted to very few masters courses in international studies in Italy. A level II masters guarantees a high level of training and a prestigious professional qualification.  The MRI is designed for all those interested in a diplomatic career as well as those keen to develop a professional grounding in international organizations, public institutions, non-governmental organizations and companies with an international bias.

The MRI offers a strong interdisciplinary approach that draws on political science, law, economics and history to analyse international, transnational and global phenomena. Over more than ten years of activity, the content has been completely changed and is constantly under renewal. The new teaching program is still subdivided into two areas  - diplomatic and internationalist - and the students who are accepted must enrol in one of them, though there is a internationalist course that is shared between the two.
Besides enhancing the teaching of international law, area-studies and strategic studies, the course focuses on certain specific fields in the analysis of foreign affairs, international cooperation, and contemporary global issues.

These studies also draw on the work carried out by the Osservatorio di Politica Estera (Observatory of Foreign Affairs) launched by the MIR on the web page http://foreignpolicy.it/

A learning process is also taught to prepare the student for research work and, above all, the professional pragmatic character of the MRI.The number of stage positions on offer has been enlarged thanks to the positive feedback from the experience of recent years. Being open to students from different study backgrounds, the MRI offers a course of lectures designed to prepare the student for the subsequent course. Foreign students are going to be evaluated by their CV. The MRI provides them for grants, according to the result of the evaluation process.

The MIR is divided in two areas: diplomatic area and internationalist area.
 
The diplomatic area is designed for those who wish to take up a career in international and EU organizations and for those who intend to train as diplomats in the Italian diplomatic corp. Special attention is given the teaching of subjects deemed necessary by government ministries for access to a diplomatic career, especially the Italian one. The course is worth two points for those who sit the exam for a diplomatic career in the Italian diplomatic corp.

The internationalist area is designed for those who intend to work for governmental and non-governmental international organizations, private multinational groups, non-profit private organizations with an international vocation, and research institutes/centres.

A famous Chinese proverb hoped we might “live in interesting times”. It’s unlikely those who study international relations will be able to complain of living in boring times. In our day not only has history not “ended” but international politics has for some time stopped being the exclusive business of governments and diplomats, bringing itself increasingly to the attention of public opinion. Terrorism, globalization, strategy and human rights are all fairly familiar concepts for most people regardless of their professional standing or geographical area of origin. If our lives are increasingly globalized and internationalized, however, it is more difficult than ever to grasp the root causes and long-term consequences of international affairs. At the same time, there is a growing need for highly qualified professionals able to analyse world affairs with modern instruments and techniques. It is to those graduates interested in acquiring such skills that the Master in International Relations (MIR) is aimed.

In the frame of the Commodity Aid Programme funded by the Italian Cooperation, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population received a grant for the purchase of 23 ambulances made in Italy, worth € 1.09 Million. The supply contract was signed yesterday, by Mrs. Zahia M. Abu Zeid, First undersecretary for European Cooperation of the Ministry of International Cooperation, by Mr. Nasser Hassan Rasmi, First undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Population and Mr. Annibale Angelozzi,  Italian Expert of the Commodity Aid Programme in Egypt.

The Italian – Egyptian Commodity Aid Programme, started on 1994 with a budget of € 34 million, aims at supporting the development of Egyptian public institutions and private enterprises, through the financial support for the supply of Italian-made goods and related services. Target sectors of the programme are: agriculture, irrigation, energy, industry, public health and environment.

EGYPT ICT TRUST FUND

Call for Proposals for Community Development Projects Using ICT

Egypt ICT Trust Fund invites NGOs / CSAs / SMEs to apply for ICT projects to serve community in different areas: SMEs, Education / Literacy, Skills, Health / Disabilities, Agriculture, etc.

Please find all details on:

NGO Tender

LAUNCH OF THE ITALIAN CREDIT LINE

The Italian Government confirms once again its commitment in supporting the Egyptian Government’s reforms for the economic and social development.

The Italian support has already achieved great results with the Microcredit Programs and the Debt Swap Programme, both focused to the grass-root population needs and intended to develop a full sense of ownership.

The Italian Government is currently committed in the strengthening of Egyptian private sector, by enhancing the SMEs through the reactivation of the “Program supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in Egypt”.

This Program established a credit line worth Euro 10.033.000 aimed at providing the SMEs and Joint Ventures with financial aids trough soft loans at convenient conditions to be disbursed by the Egyptian Banking System.

The new credit line presents a renewed mechanism that will facilitate the access to the credit and will shorten the procedure to insure the implementation of the Program. Through this Program, SMEs that usually have difficulties to have access to the credit and consequently to rise competitiveness, will be able to access to soft loans to acquire Italian equipment, kow how and technology. In this context, the Program will have a positive effect on social stability by the creation of new job opportunities and economic growth.

Considering  this event as the result of joint efforts and a significant opportunity to strengthen the economic relations between the two Countries, the Italian Embassy has organized, with the collaboration of National Bank of Egypt and UNIDO, a launch workshop that will be held on April 12 with the main objective to present the renewed credit line, its mechanism, the procedure to access to the credit, the terms and conditions and the potential beneficiaries.

The Italian Ambassador H.E. Antonio Badini with a Representative of the Minister of International Cooperation, the Chairman of NBE, Mr. Hassien Abdel Aziz and the First Undersecretary  of Ministry of Industry, Dr. Hany Barakat, will officially open the event.

UNIDO and NBE will lead the technical session by presenting the credit line and providing an accurate description of its new mechanism and implementation.

Encouraged by the success of the last year fashion shows, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Economic- Commercial section of the Embassy of Italy, in collaboration with the Hotel Ramses Hilton and under the patronage of Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, have organized a new Defile' of the 2006 Spring-Summer collection of the renewed Italian stylist Renato Balestra.

Among the most famous international artists, Renato Balestra marked with his style the latest decades of the Italian Haute Couture. The famous stylist has also contributed in exporting Made in Italy in the world, thanks to his refined and formal elegance yet always enriched by extravagant details that lend an unmistakable Italian look.

His trademark appears on some thirty different collections that go from "Ready to Wear" to a complete Haute Couture collection for man and woman, accessories, furniture and household objects. Two fashion Shows will be held, both of them with humanitarian aims and will take place on the 4th and 5th of April. The evening of the 4th of April, will take place in the Residence of the Embassy of Italy and the proceeds will be entirely devolved to the Italian Hospital Umberto I of Cairo.

The Hospital was funded in 1903 by the Italian Charity Society and has always worked in a very important social field, helping the Egyptian population and the Italian community, resident in Egypt. The Hospital Umberto I has become a prestigious medical centre thanks to the efforts of the personnel and the generous donations of the members of the funding Society.

In the framework of the initiatives carried out by the Italian and the Egyptian Governments in the field of migration, a Seminar will be held on March 14th titled

“The role of media and public communication in informing Egyptian youth of the risks of illegal migration”

(Baron Hotel,8 El Sahari Institute st, El Orouba-Heliopolis, h.10.00)

 The event organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower in cooperation with the Italian Embassy and the IOM, is part of the activities of the IDOM project financed by the Italian government. The IDOM Project (Information Dissemination on Migration) is mainly focused, thanks to a mass information campaign, to increase the awareness of potential Egyptian illegal migrants on the dangers of illegal migration and on highlighting the legal alternatives.

The Seminar will include different sessions which will tackle educational, political, media/information and security aspects related to the issue of illegal migration. The results of a socio-statistical survey, aimed at defining the profile of the potential illegal migrant and carried out in 8 Egyptian Governorates, will be presented and discussed. The event will see the participation of representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower and Immigration, the IOM Chief of Mission and representatives of the Italian Embassy- Cooperation for Development Office as well as University professors of media and communications.

On the Occasion of the

International Women’s Day

 The Social Research Center (SRC) and the Gender And Development (GAD) Sub-Group of the Donor Assistance Group (DAG) are pleased to invite you to the event on

Women’s Economic Empowerment: the Road to Decision Making

To be held on

Wednesday, 8^th of March, 2006 at 10 a.m.

Graciously hosted by

The Italian Cultural Center, 3, El Sheikh El Marsafi, Zamalek, Cairo

 -o0o-

The agenda is as follows:

10:00 – 10:02                Welcome by Director of the Italian Cultural Center

10:02 – 10:25                Ms. Naglaa Arafa, GAD Co-chair  

                                    Dr. Hoda Rashad, General Director, SRC

                                    Mr. Helmy Abo El Aish, Director, Industrial Modernization Program

10:25 – 10:40                Key Note Address by Dr. Farhkonda Hassan, Secretary General, National Council for Women (NCW)

10:40 – 12:40             Panel on the National Survey on “Skills Requirement in the Labor Market, A Gender Perspective” UNIFEM/UNDP/SRC

Moderator:      Samir Radwan, Executive Director, Economic Research Forum

Speaker:          Dr. Heba Nassar, Vice Dean, Faculty of Economics and Political Science and Research Professor, SRC

Panelists:       

-          Dr. Zeinab Safar, Technical advisor Women’s Business Center (NWC)

-          Dr. Hoda Badran, Chair person, Arab Alliance for Women

-      Mr. Omar El Farouk, Director General, Human Community    Development  Group, Social Fund for Development

-         Ms. Nehal El Megharbel, Manager, Research and Policy Support Unit, Industrial Modernization Program (T.B.C.)

Open Discussion

12:40 – 01:30              Buffet (buffet prepared and hosted by Future Women for delicious food/”Nissa’ al Mustaqbal li ash’ha al ma’kolat”, women beneficiaries of the Italian Cooperation Project implemented by COSPE in Abu El Nomros)

12:30 – 05:00              Exhibition and fair by women beneficiaries of donors’ projects (such as USAID, UNDP, Italian Cooperation, WHO, WFP, IFC etc.)

                        During the exhibition, Women from different projects will present their success stories and the lessons to be learned.

 The Exhibition will be open to all visitors until 5 p.m.

Anti-FGM Village Declarations Empowering Egyptian Rural Families to Abandon a long lived Harmful Tradition

Benban Anti- FGM Declaration in Aswan… A Critical Turning Point in the Lives of Egyptian Women

When speaking with the Project Field Coordinator, lately, on the impact that the Declaration had on the village of Benban in Aswan located on the West bank of the Nile she said "At the beginning of the project I couldn't address more than 10 people in a seminar, furthermore, I had to play a low key profile in order not to instigate the hostility of the people in the village.  Women were convinced of abandoning FGM but they couldn't speak, as they feared the social pressure and they preferred to spare themselves any embarrassment in seminars or trainings.  They came up with solutions like I will hide from my family the fact that I did not circumcise her and lie to my mother in laws about this matter.  Today after the Benban Anti FGM Declaration was announced, the same women are so loud and strong that no one can stop them from saying NO..  to FGM!"

In a meeting with the women in Benban Village 6 months after announcing their Declaration, the most noticeable or flagrant thing observed by the project team was the tone of the meeting "loud" and "confident".  A woman carrying her daughter on her shoulder told her fellows eloquently "You know the most important outcome from the declaration was the influence on men: they started listening to our problems that are caused by FGM.  Now husbands can say NO to their mothers about FGM because we have a credible source that provided us with information.  The extensive awareness sessions and the comprehensive manual about FGM produced by the project answered the most important questions on the religious and medical sides, because no one wants to do harm to his/her child or make God angry at us for breaking his commandments." 

Other women added " we want a center in our village that will offer us counseling services on childhood issues not only FGM, we want to know about nutrition, and basic health tips for improving the lives of our children."

Community Doctors Supporting Anti-FGM National Movement 

In a country where most incidences of FGM are practiced by doctors or service providers, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) had to address the Ministry of Health and Population personnel with this problem, especially that the Ministry has a decree issued 1996 prohibiting doctors from practicing FGM in public Hospitals or clinics.  Yet the decree abided to existing social pressures at the time, thus leaving a loophole for doctors to practice.  The dialogue with the medical community was opened by the NCCM Secretary General, Ambassador Moushira Khattab along with supporters from the UN families and the donor community, yet the decree remained and the MOHP only issued an explanatory note for doctors letting them know that if they practice FGM they could be severely punished.

The FGM Free Village Model Project started working directly with the doctors located in the project villages and addressed them with the problem. A training was held in collaboration with the Egyptian Fertility Care Society for doctors from all the Upper Egypt governorates on Anti FGM messages from all perspectives (medical, social, religious, and legal).  The results came to our surprise very fulfilling as there are many doctors who despise the practice thus considering it a real crime committed toward the girl child.   

Some of the comments and stories that we gathered from the doctors in the field included things like "We heard from different sources about the Minister's decree on FGM, but we didn't know if it was activated. The free village model project created a national conscious movement against FGM, thus we got to know of the decree."  Another doctor added "This project confirmed my feelings against FGM thus it supported me to take a serious stance against the practice." Other stories shared by doctors from Aswan and Sohag governorates were very touching as they reflected the amount of pain and fear that girls go thru before and after the FGM incident.  One doctor from Aswan said "I couldn't believe the cases I saw when I was receiving my training in the General Hospital, I have seen totally mutilated girls to the extent that they were not able to urinate properly." Others added comments like "those are the young girls, but we also saw women who feared any kind of intercourse with their husbands as the genital part of the body is always associated with pain, fear and violence."  During this intense dialogue the project team asked the doctors attending "why do doctors practice FGM if they know the amount of suffering that is inflicted on young girls?"  One of them said "physicians are part of the community… they don't come from outer space, therefore they are subjected to the social pressure especially if they come from rural backgrounds where FGM is taken for granted, since their mothers or sisters support the practice.  Now we know and feel more committed because we have facts from a comprehensive perspective."       

Policy Makers Supporting A Community Movement

The free village model introduced a live model of coordination and collaboration between government institutions, NGOs, young volunteers, media and international organizations.  The NCCM under the auspices of Egypt's First Lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak founded the solid grounds for ensuring partnership and real chemistry among all above mentioned organizations in order to magnify the benefits of all financial and human resources available for the anti-FGM cause.  The Governors in Upper Egypt formulated decrees for ensuring that Egypt's Anti FGM strategies are supported with implementation steps at the grass root level. 

During the Project Team Visit to Aswan lately we met with the Secretary General of the Governor's office and below are some of his insightful comments: 

The Secretary General said "I have to admit the important role played by the civil society in this project, because they know the demands of the communities more than any one else since simple rural people confide in NGOs on so many issues.  The dialogue and partnership with the civil society today has shown such a great impact on development issues that neither one of us is willing to break this model.  Policies and strategies should not be established in ivory towers, we need to establish them to make the lives of people better and not just to put them for the sake of being a decision or policy makers."  Then the project team asked the Secretary General on the Decree issued by the governor for punishing or banning doctors who practice FGM, and he said "the decree would not have been taken seriously if the project wouldn't have worked so hard on the advocacy campaign against FGM.  Winning the community leaders and allies inside the villages was the clue to this decree.  When people started accepting the idea of abandoning the practice or even uttering their voices against FGM, then it was appropriate for the governor to issue a decree punishing physicians who practice.  Furthermore, one of the natives in Aswan (young project volunteer) reported a doctor practicing, and this meant to me that locals seriously want to stop FGM as it is haunting the lives of their young girls, thus the doctor reported is currently being interrogated and stopped until all interrogations are finalized."  The Secretary General added to his interview an insightful comment on voluntarism in Aswan after the declaration "This project has helped young people to become volunteers from a development perspective, while previously we affiliated volunteers only with charity organizations or with pensioners who usually support these organizations.  We need to make the young generation feel responsible and committed to developing their country the way they want and not others.  Young people are inspired by new ideas and change therefore investing in them on issues like FGM is the right thing."

After sharing the thoughts of people in Benban Village of Aswan governorate, it is important to note that the first declaration instigated similar insights from their neighboring governorates in Minya, Sohag, Beni Suef, Qena, Assiut and other parts of the same governorate.  Furthermore, within this expanding national movement (in Upper and Lower Egypt) against FGM, Egyptian media devices has also consolidated this national voice by coming to an overall consensus in the media channels thus saying NO.. To FGM!

Article by Mona Amin, National Project Coordinator for the FGM-Free Village Model and pictures by Simona Galbiati, UNDP Programme Officer