The Colloquium is organized by the Italian Archaeological Centre under the patronage of the Italian Embassy, the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Fayoum Governorate and the Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt, and with the sponsorship and collaboration of the Italian Cultural Institute, the Development Cooperation Office of the Italian Embassy, the Egyptian Italian Environmental Cooperation Program and the UNESCO Cairo Office.

The meeting will be held from Sunday, October 31st 2010 to Tuesday, November 2nd at the Hotel “Auberge du lac” by the Qarun Lake . The opening section will be held in the Conference Hall of the Fayum Governorate.

The main purpose of the conference is to host a debate on the urgent question of the rescue and safeguarding of the archaeological sites and natural environments of the Fayum, but without overlooking the urgent needs and demand of local people; on the contrary, the goal is to seek their support to find an integrated way to face the complex problems of the region, where – as in almost all the areas in Egypt – environmental, historical and archaeological problems and perspectives are connected with safeguarding, preservation and sustainable development.

Participants to the Colloquium include: Egyptologists, archaeologists, experts of protected areas, environment, ecology, site management, museology, eco-tourism and sustainable development.

The Colloquium is divided into four main sessions:

I) THE FAYUM TODAY - introductive communications on the general situation of the region

II) THE FAYUM IN THE PAST:  archaeology, geo-archaeology and palaeo-environment

III) THE FAYUM IN THE FUTURE: a) site management, b) museums and c) eco-tourism

IV) THE FAYUM DECLARATION: discussion and signing of a common document containing a multiphase safeguarding and development project.   

Each  speech will be 20 minutes long; time for discussion will be left at the end of each session.

Colleagues, scholars and people who wish to attend the conference are welcome.

For the accommodation, two hotels have been selected and contacted by the organizers:

- Auberge du Lac, the 5 stars hotel on the Qarun lake which will host the conference. Info and reservation: 084  6981200;

- Zad el Musafr, a well known eco-lodge at Tunis , with a limited number of rooms (the approximate cost for a double room with private toilet is 95 EGP). Info and reservation: 084/6820180 - 010/6395590

For further general information about the conference please contact the Italian Archaeological Centre at the following addresses: rosanna.pirelli@esteri.it; missioni.iiccairo@esteri.it; stagista5.cairo@esteri.it or call 002 02 25790129.

• Read the programme

• Leaflet of the event

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CLOSING EVENT OF THE PROJECT IMIS Plus -
Integrated Migration Information System - second phase
IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE COOPERATION BETWEEN ITALY AND EGYPT.

Cairo, 21^st September 2010

The closing ceremony of the project IMIS Plus - Integrated Migration Information System phase II was held today in the presence of the advisor of the Minister of Manpower and Emigration, Mrs Magda Abdel Rahman, of the Couns. Nicolò Tassoni Estense, representative of the Embassy of Italy and of Mr Luigi Carta, IMIS project manager of the International Organization for Migration. The latter, as the implementing agency, has provided support to the Emigration and Egyptians Abroad Sector (EEAS) in order to manage an integrated information system on migration for the promotion of regular migration flows and the strengthening of socio-economic ties with Egyptians abroad.

During the event the positive achievements of the project have been presented in the light of the noteworthy relevance of this initiative being Egypt, within the Mediterranean region, one of the main providers of manpower with the subsequent need of monitoring the flows of Egyptian workers abroad. On the part of the Egyptian authorities, along with the appreciation of the results achieved, a continued commitment to manage the information system while maximizing the knowhow and information achieved during the project, has been assured.

CALL FOR PROPOSAL

Italian Egyptian Debt for Development Swap

Italian NGO Program.

Deadline September 30, 2010.

• Call for Proposal

• Annex A

Edison: Exploring a New Field in Egypt

As of 2010, the energy giant is investing in community development projects

Edison, one of Italy's top energy companies with operations in the procurement, production and sale of electric power and natural gas, has decided to invest in a community development project lead by the Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries (COSPE).  The project, 'Fight against Poverty and Promotion of Social Inclusion', mostly referred to as 'the Giza Project', is looking to promote access to rights and ensure equal opportunities for disadvantaged children and women. 

Two of Edison's External Relations and Communications team, Francesca Magliulo and Lucia Caltagirona paid a visit on the 27^th, 28^th, and 29^th of June, to the four communities targeted by the project, Abu el Nomros, Abu Ragwan, Dessamy, and El Saff, located in the governorates of Helwan and 6^th of October

During their trip, the Edison delegation assisted to an award ceremony marking the end of a computer course for children and youth, visited a rehabilitation center for disabled children, two kinder gardens, and two women literacy classes, and were even the witness to two children rights committees meetings.

Along with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, and different NGOs including Movimento per l'Autosviluppo, l'Interscambio e la Solidarieta (MAIS), New Vision Association for Development (NVD), and the Community Development Associations (CDA) of the four communities, Edison, after having recently sealed the new Abu Qir Concession deal with the Egyptian Petroleum Corporation, is now also on board with COSPE and its partners, ready to fight against poverty and promote social inclusion.

Pre-event press release

Wednesday June 23, 2010

 MEHENET PROJECT OFFICIAL LAUNCH

Mental health promotion in Egypt: the Italian-Egyptian partnership

 On June 27, 2010 Italy and Egypt will jointly present the Italian-funded initiative MEHENET – Mental Health Network - at Kafr el Dawar New Hospital, Behera Governorate, 9:00 am, on the occasion of the opening of the first training program for mental health professionals envisaged by the project.

The plenary session - that will be opened by Mrs. Ginevra Letizia, Italian Cooperation Attaché – will convene distinguished representatives of MEHENET project partners: Prof. Nasser Loza, Mental Health Secretariat -MoH, Dr. Aza Dessoki, Director of the Primary Health Care Department -MoH, Dr. Khalid Saeed, Regional Advisor for Mental Health and Substance Abuse of the WHO/EMRO and Dr. Youssry Mabrouk, Undersecretary for Health of the Behera Governorate.

Representatives of Health Regional Agencies of Lazio and Apulia Regions – Italian implementing agencies – will present scope and objectives of the initiative, which marks a key step towards mental health promotion in Egypt.

In the framework of newly adopted Mental Health Bill, MEHENET intends to contribute to the development of community services for mental health integrated with the primary care and to the psycho-social rehabilitation of people affected by psychiatric disorders.  More specifically, being a pilot project, it aims at defining and implementing a district-level model of mental health services organization to be firstly adopted in Kafr el Dawar District and eventually extended at national scale.

The initiative is promoted within the Support Program for Regional Cooperation in the Mediterranean Area, jointly funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economic Development and Italian Regions to enhance cooperation with central and local administrations of Mediterranean countries.

Media are invited to attend the event.

Contacts for the event:

- Ms. Carlotta Colli, Office of Development Cooperation of the Italian Embassy in Cairo, carlotta.colli@esteri.it

- Dr. Eman Sorour, Mental Health Secretariat, Egyptian Ministry of Health, l50ror@hotmail.com

Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters Programme (PPRD South)

Launching web portal

Much more than a Programme web site

Today, 14 April 2010, the EU-funded Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters (PPRD South) is officially launching its web portal. In addition to providing proper visibility to the activities and to the outputs of the Programme, the PPRD South web portal is designed to serve as an interactive multilingual – English, French and Arabic - working tool for all the people interested in civil protection cooperation between Europe and the Mediterranean and Balkan region.

The portal is based on collaborative editing, with national civil protection authorities from each of the PPRD South Partner Countries responsible for their respective country sections. The PPRD South web portal is also open to a wide range of civil protection stakeholders and experts. Users can post news items concerning their national civil protection systems, civil protection initiatives carried out in the country, lessons learned and good practices.

This information exchange mechanism will improve the circulation of civil protection information in the region and will allow civil protection players to be better informed on existing capacities, recent experiences, and civil protection issues, tools and methods at stake in the Euro-Mediterranean area.

On the occasion of the launch of the web portal, we published on the Home page five statements by the General Directors of the PPRD South Consortium organisations (Italian, Algerian, Egyptian and French Civil Protection Authorities together with UNISDR). The statements briefly summarise the importance of this information sharing initiative for the Mediterranean disaster risk management context.

Please visit the PPRD South web portal at www.euromedcp.eu, discover the opportunities offered by the new tool and start exchanging the civil protection information that you deem important for other civil protection experts to know.

Create your account, log in and post news items or articles related to your country.

The more people use and contribute to this portal, the better the outcome.

On 16th and 17th of March, the Ambassador of Italy, Claudio Pacifico, together with the Chairman of ARC (Agricultural Research Center), Ayman Abou HADID, will introduce an high level meeting for the presentation of two Italian-Egyptian Projects (Activation of Integrated Productive System Italy-Egypt, SPIIE, and Integration of Logistic and Transport ITALMED), financed by the Italian Government, and some Italian Regional Administrations.

 The Italian Embassy, in coordination with Regione Puglia and the executing agencies of the two projects (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute, MAI-Bari, and Levant Port Authority, LPA) has invited to the ceremony four Egyptian ministers: H.E. the ministers of International Cooperation, Fayza ABOULNAGA, of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Amin ABAZA, of Trade and Industry, Rachid Mohamed RACHID, of Transport, Alaa El Din Mohamed FAHMY. Along with them, other relevant personalities will intervene with speeches and reports containing data regarding the project target areas.

SPIIE and ITALMED projects are related mainly to the possibility to enhance and develop the trading flow of horticultural fresh products between Egypt and Italy, through the transfer of advances ICT applications for data collection, the exchange of missions of Egyptian and Italian experts, the improvement of means of transport of the products - mainly the maritime ones – and the development of procedures quickening and stimulating the export system.

The meeting will include a first welcome session that will be followed by seminars and technical meetings. After the welcome session, a coffee break will give the interested journalists the opportunity to ask for interviews to the represented personalities. It would be appreciated that requests for interviews will be made two days before the meeting.

Time of the event:   09:30  A.M. -  16th of March 2010

Venue of the event: Ramsis Hilton Hotel Ballroom - 1115 Cornish El-Nil, Cairo

Presentation of the book

"Alexandria Beyond the Myth"

Archaeology Architecture Urban Change

edited by Luisa Ferro and Cristina Pallini

13th February 2010 - Alexandria

Bibliotheca Alexandrina - Auditorium, h. 7 p.m.

Welcome to Participants

H.E. Claudio Pacifico The Italian Ambassador in Egypt

Rosanna Pirelli Director, Italian Archaeological Centre

Presentations

Mohamed Awad Director, the Alexandria and Mediterranean Research Centre

Maurizio Boriani Director, Department of Architectural Design, Milan Polytechnic

Attilio Petruccioli Director, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Bari Polytechnic

Angelo Torricelli Dean, Faculty of Civil Architecture, Milan Polytechnic

The book presentation will be attended by Luisa Ferro, Cristina Pallini (Milan Polytechnic), Paolo Gallo (Turin University), Cécile Shaalan (CEAlex)

The book is a collection of research studies and projects by architects, planners and archaeologists, seeking to give a more definite shape to the vast amount of knowledge acquired and to map out the future prospects of Alexandria, a town at a crossroads between East and West.

The significance of “Beyond the Myth” lies in a projection of its immanence, an idea of reconstruction and repopulation of the city, and its relations to the various geographical scales. With unprejudiced eyes, by assuming that identity is based on the patiently acquired ability to understand and see beyond the surface of things and beyond the limitations of commonplace dualities such as local and global, city and megalopolis, old and new.

Contributors to the book are Yasser Aref, Angelo Torricelli, Cecile Shalaan, Luisa Ferro, Lola Ottolini, Harry Tzalas, Paolo Gallo, Cristina Pallini, Annalisa Scaccabarozzi, Mariangela Turchiarulo, Francesca Bonfante,  Vincenzo Donato.

“Disaster Risk Reduction:

mechanisms and methodologies in Civil Protection”

First PPRD South (Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters) workshop for high-level officials - Sonesta Hotel – Cairo, Egypt, 10-11 February 2010. Chaired by Mr. Agostino Miozzo, Director General of the Volunteer, Institutional and International Relations Office, Italian Civil Protection Department. 

Solidarity with Overland 12

 The Italian Foreign Office, through the Italian Development Cooperation, has decided to support a project to enhance health for mothers and children and for the prevention and cure of some of the principal diseases that hit the African continent, by supporting the "Overland 12: in Black Africa's Heart" expedition which will cross Africa from the 4th of January until the June 2010.

The expedition will leave from Morocco and, by crossing thirty countries, it will cover the continent from the west coast to the south and then return upwards through the center of the continent so as to finalize the journey in Egypt after traveling more than 42 thousand km with 6 Iveco vehicles. The cooperation project that is intended to be carried out through the Overland expedition aims to reduce motherhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and to prevent and cure the main diseases that plague the African continent such as Aids, malaria, cholera and leprosy. This will be possible through the involvement of a doctor (who will provide sanitary assistance and training to the personnel of sanitary infrastructures) and an operator responsible for the screening of educational healthcare and social documentaries (by using the model of the CinemArena project in as many countries possible).

The participation in Overland's 2010 expedition offers a great opportunity: the expedition will pass through many of the sites where the Italian Cooperation is already present and many others where no sort of assistance has ever been developed. These places are rural areas, away from the capital cities, where the population has usually no access to the information diffused on radio, television and internet. It will be like this how it will be possible to reach a large part of the african population whose life is characterized by poverty, diseases and indigence.

To prevent the spreading of the main diseases that affect the continent, these being Aids, malaria, cholera and leprosy, it has been decided to use the principles of the Italian project "CinemArena", which brings the italian and international cinema in the isolated areas of Africa. Therefore, an operator will be travelling with Overland so as to organize the screening of movies, preceded of a short clip which promotes the prevention if these diseases. Based on the past experiences in Mozambique, Morocco, Lebanon, Angola and Ethiopia, hundreds of people who usually do not have access to information come to see these screenings attracted by the power of the images.

Recruiting of a Consultancy Company to support the “Italian Egyptian Debt for Development Swap Programme Phase 2” Communication and Visibility Activities. Deadline: 09/09/2009, h. 3:30 p.m.

In the framework of the project “The Redesign of the Egyptian museum, Midan Tahrir”, financed by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Embassy of Italy in Cairo -Development Cooperation Office, have the honor to invite You to the Opening Ceremony of the training Courses for Egyptian Curators and Conservators in the field of Museology and Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

The ceremony will be held in Cairo on the 4^th of May at 11.30 a.m. at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, 3, el Adel Abu Bakr St., Zamalek.

The ceremony will be introduced by Prof. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Prof. Giuseppe Proietti, Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, H. E. Claudio Pacifico, Ambassador of Italy. Reception to follow.

13 Italian firefighting vehicles to the

Alexandria Civil Defense and Fire Brigade

In the frame of the Commodity Aid Programme of the Italian Cooperation, the Alexandria Civil Defense and Fire Brigade received a grant for the purchase of 13 firefighting vehicles made in Italy, which amount is € 2.1 Million. At this regard, the day 28/11/2007, in the premises of the Ministry of International Cooperation, the supply contract was signed by Mrs. Zahia M. Abu Zeid, First undersecretary for European Cooperation Sector of the Ministry of International Cooperation, by General Atef Hassan Zaki Gad, Director of the Civil Defence Department in Alexandria, and Mr. Annibale Angelozzi, the Italian Expert of the Commodity Aid Programme in Egypt.

The Italian – Egyptian Commodity Aid Programme, started on 1994 with a current budget of € 36 Mio., is an important Programme that provides soft loans for the purchase of essential Italian-made goods and related services, including spare parts and row material. It is primarily, but not exclusively, targeting the sectors of agriculture, irrigation, energy, industry, public health, and environment. The funds are provided to the public and private sector. 

Participation of “The Other Egypt” to the Focus Group

with the Egyptian Prime Minister H.E. Ahmed Nazif. (Milan, 17 of July)

On behalf of the Director, we all are very pleased to inform you about the results of the Focus Group “Mediterranean Tourism Cooperation” held in Milan with the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif and the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Zoheir Garanah, and the Minister of International Cooperation, Mrs. Fayza Mohamed Aboulnaga. It was a very important Meeting with the selected participation, besides “The Other Egypt”, of the most important Italian and Egyptian Tour Operator and Travel Agencies focused to improve the tourism cooperation between both countries. After the presentation of H.E. Ahmed Nazif, the speech of the Director of “The Other Egypt” Project, Arch. Vincenzo Valenti, was mainly focused:

• - to express the excellent work realized in strong cooperation with the Governorates of New Valley, Minya, Matrouh, Red Sea, Fayoum involved in our Project;

• - to underline the importance of promoting and developing new tourist destinations inside the mentioned Governorates in a sustainable approach extending and improving  the traditional and present Egyptian tourist offering;

• - to inform about the concrete results of our activities (conferences and workshops, training activities, agreements which have been signed, implementation of the “Tourism Development Centres”, new tourist itineraries and packages, the web-site www.theotheregypt.net, etc.);

• - to inform about the promotional activities of “The Other Egypt” towards the Italian tourist market;

• - to underline the strategic role of the training activities for the local tourist development  promoting new courses for the incoming year 2008.