As a token of our support for Lebanon, an Egyptian delegation including politicians, businessmen and artists headed to Beirut in an expression of solidarity. They were welcomed last Friday by the Lebanese MP Bahiya Al-Hariri, sister of the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon Rafiq Al-Hariri and her brother Shafiq. Members of the delegation -- in addition to the Egyptian Ambassador in Beirut Hussein Derar, head of the Egyptian-Lebanese Friendship Association Fathallah Fawzi and a galaxy of businessmen such as Ghazy Nasser, Kamil Shamoun, actresses Safiya El-Emari, Youssef Shaaban, Sami El- Adl -- visited the cemetery where El-Hariri is buried. Today, Al-Mawred Al- Thaqafy (Culture Resource) will inaugurate its Al- Genaina Theatre, a semi- open-air theatre at Al-Azhar Park. Located alongside the Ayoubi Wall on the Western border of Al-Azhar, the theatre accommodates 250 seats and will seek to attract a wide audience of young people by presenting a variety of music and theatre programmes all year round. Tonight's opening programme will include four concerts featuring saxophonist Tawfiq Farroukh, along with The Absolute Orchestra from Lebanon, Palestinian oud player and composer Khaled Jubran, accompanied by Lilac ensemble and the Syrian Hewar group performing modern Arabic music. And celebrating the 75th anniversary of vernacular poet Salah Jaheen, popular Egyptian singer Ali El- Haggar will perform Jaheen's "The Quatrains". On the occasion of celebrating the Labour Day, the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces (GOCP), headed by Mustafa Elwie, is launching a month of cultural events to be held at all its venues across Egypt's governorates. The programme includes lectures on literary works, the culture of human rights and the importance of work as well as dance shows by the GOCP folk dance troupe and Arabic music concerts. At the Greek Campus of the American University in Cairo, AUCians celebrated International Day. Events of the day included a flag parade, exhibition of national costumes as well as the sale of traditional dishes and handicrafts. Among the participants were Vice-President for Student Affairs Ashraf El-Fiqi, Associate Vice- President and Dean of International Students Jane Montasser as well as Director of International Students Services Tomader Rifaat. And while we will miss Mamdouh El-Damati, former director-general of the Egyptian Museum we are thrilled by the fact that he has been invited to teach Egyptology as a visiting professor at Basil University, Switzerland.
