“Stupidity is all around us, and anyone who denies this fact does not see the whole picture of what is going on in Egypt,” said Gihad Al-Sisi, co-founder of an Alexandria youth initiative called Pens vs. Stupidity. Pens vs. Stupidity was formed in January 2013 by a group of graduates whose passion is reading and writing. They hope to use their passion to change society which, in their view, is dominated by stupidity. “What we mean by stupidity is the silliness, absurdity and folly all around us. We are not talking about individuals who may be intellectually underdeveloped. We are talking about the everyday acts of stupidity that people could easily avoid doing, but insist on going on with in their ordinary lives,” Al-Sisi said. Al-Sisi recently published a book titled Paradium. “To be involved in a new cultural group is not always easy,” said Al-Sisi. One has to respect all mentalities and all the ideas on table. One has to be up to everyone's expectations. But that is what we are all trying to do.” Hossam Sadek, another co-founder, said stupidity refers to acts that could lead to tragic consequences. Such acts include bad driving, since in Egypt “no one abides by the highway code,” and leaving garbage in the streets, ruining any sense of responsibility or public order. Other acts of stupidity include the failure to spread information about health awareness, notably about diseases that could be prevented such as diabetes and hepatitis B and C. Pens vs. Stupidity could be a way to combat such behaviours, Sadek said, using the written word to fight irrational ideas and poor conduct. It was established to protest against bad behaviour and try to change society for the better. The initiative conducts activities to spread awareness of the values it wants to instill in the nation's consciousness, including weekly book clubs, psychological circles, blogs where writers can post their thoughts, monthly book reviews and book-signing events. “Such a wide array of activities that attract many participants proves that young people are thirsty to acquire knowledge in an indirect way and outside the formal educational environment,” Ahmed Nabil, 24, one of the co-founders of the group, told the Weekly. “People want to read, but sometimes they do not know where to start. People want to explore their talents, but do not always know the best road to take. Sometimes all that is needed is for someone to show them the way, which is what we are trying to do,” Nabil said. The initiative appeals to members of different social classes of all ages. At one psychological support group, Shahenda Mohsen, a 55-year-old mother accompanied by her 15-year-old daughter, said, “It had previously never crossed my mind that such groups could help relieve stress. As the divorced mother of four children, I need an outlet to share my troubles with others. “At a circle like this everyone is free to talk about anything and everything. We discuss both personal and professional topics, letting our feelings go. We even try to suggest solutions for societal issues like sexual harassment and the bureaucratic way of thinking,” Mohsen said. The meetings help participants make new friends and explore the inner conflicts that might have caused problems with families or loved ones. “Our ambition this year is to establish a mobile library that can be relocated from one district to another. Everyone would be able to borrow books from it. We hope that schools, universities and cultural centres will help us in this effort,” Nabil said. The writer is a freelance journalist.
