Share
The second edition of The World Youth Forum will take place from November 3rd to 6th, 2018 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (The Land of Peace). Gathering youth from different regions of the world, the aim of this forum is to discuss various national and international issues that concern and globally influence young people.
This year, the Forum events will revolve around a vision inspired by “The Seven Pillars of the Egyptian Identity”, a book by Egyptian Author Dr. Milad Hanna written for the purpose of emphasizing the unity and harmony of the Egyptian society despite divergences and differences. In keeping with this approach, all the forum events were convened to be held in the light of those pillars that envision the communicative nature of the Egyptian society that has managed throughout the ages to be a linking point between different societies.
About Dr. Milad Hanna:
Dr. Milad Hanna is one of the most prominent political intellectuals in Egypt, he obtained his civil engineering degree from the university of Ain Shams in 1945. He was awarded Doctor of Construction Engineering from Saint Andrews university in Scotland in 1950. In the years that followed, he occupied several academic posts until he was appointed Full Professor of engineering at Ain Shams University in 1984, he was also a member of the Supreme Council of Cultural Affairs in Egypt. Moreover, he received several international awards including three “Egyptian Pride” awards from the assembly of foreign journalists and correspondents in Egypt in 1998, the “Order of the Polar Star” award from the king of Sweden, UNESCO’s “Simon Bolivar” award and the state appreciation prize in social sciences in 1999. He passed away in 2012 aged 88 years old.
Detailed description of the seven pillars as reflected in the book:
The Pharaonic pillar:
The Pharaonic pillar is the first belonging underpinning the Egyptian identity for it’s a great pride for the Egyptians. Its value stems from the fact that it is the first deep-rooted and the first written civilization known to history, from its unique standing among ancient civilizations and from its archaeological evidence spread all around the world.
The Greco-Roman pillar:
The second main pillar of the Egyptian identity is the Greco-Roman pillar. First, the Greek civilization and philosophy have widely influenced the Egyptian intellect and later, Egypt became a mandate of the Roman Empire. The importance of this influence is manifested in the mixing between the Egyptian and Greek alphabet.
The Coptic Pillar:
The third pillar of the Egyptian identity is linked to the Coptic civilization, which was distinguished by the time-honoured theological school in Alexandria. Furthermore, Egypt had remarkably contributed to the Christian civilization through its role in the formulation of the Nicene Creed.
The Islamic Pillar:
The Egyptian identity is also founded on its Islamic belonging. When Islam reached Egypt, it declared that connection between Man and God is direct, and hasn’t imposed any constraints on Egyptian people who continued to practice their inherent rituals in manners that do not violate the tolerant teaching of Islam.
The Arabic pillar:
The Egyptian identity is inseparable from its Arabic identity; Egyptians kept constant contact with the people of the Peninsula even before the Pharaonic reign. In fact, both the ancient Egyptian and the Arabic language share the same origin and there is a great amount of dictionaries containing words that are common between ancient Egyptian and Arabic. The latter linguistic reciprocity is also manifested in popular proverbs and metaphors.
The Mediterranean Pillar:
The Egyptian identity emanates from Egypt’s attachment to the Mediterranean. In fact, all the civilizations that Egypt had known came through this sea. This connection between the Egyptian people and the Mediterranean is quite controversial; people from Alexandria and Port Said tend to share the same psychological constitution as well as some customs and traditions with people from Athens, Larnaca, Genoa and Naples. This common link between Mediterranean cities is the reason a lot of Greek, French and Italian citizens choose to learn Arabic.
The African pillar:
The African identity of Egypt represents a call for a brighter future. Despite the demographic differences between countries in North Africa hence Egypt and countries of South Africa, Egypt has played an inherent role in the history of the latter countries as it supported national liberation movement during the government of president Abdel Nasser. Over the course of history, Egypt has believed in solidarity between neighbouring African countries.
About the Forum:
The World Youth Forum, is a promising youth platform, and part of the National Academy of training NAT in Egypt. It is held yearly under the auspices of president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, is an open and promising platform created by young people to deliver a message of peace and prosperity from Egypt to the rest of the world. The Forum will take place from November 3rd to 6th, 2018 in Sharm El-Sheikh with the participation of youth from different countries of the world. In the presence of numerous presidents, leaders and influencers, this enriched universal platform aims to encourage the youth to express their opinions on various topics and come up with recommendations and initiatives.
STAY IN THE LOOP
