My dears, there is nothing like a good cause. I have been following the activities of Al-Madad Foundation, which does wonderful work for children of the Arab world who have been traumatised both physically and mentally by the direct experience of occupation. Earlier this year the foundation held an event for the children of Iraq. The latest in its series of commendable efforts comes on 22 November, where Al-Madad is hosting a gala dinner at the Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai for the Children of Palestine. The event will feature the very best in Arabic and fusion culture, including: A concert by the great Arab jazz-fusion musician Simon Shaheen and his band Qantara, an exhibition of new work by the UAE artist Yusef Dueik, a fashion show by Iraqi designer Hana Sadiq, and a collection of thought- provoking photographs from Palestine by Rula Halawani, head of the Birzeit University Photographic Department. To those of you moved by the Palestinian cause, supporting the event is something not to be missed. Wonderful news for classical Arabic music lovers! A press conference was held recently at the Cairo Opera House to announce the launch of the 13th Arabic Music Festival to be held from 20 to 29 November at the opera venues in Cairo and Alexandria. In conjunction with the festival, this year's conference will revolve around "Traditional and Modernised Arabic Music and the Musical Education through the Children Song". The conference, led by head of the Opera Media Office Mohamed Hosni featured Secretary-General of the festival Ratiba El-Hefni, composers Helmi Bakr and Gamal Salama, media figure Wagdi El-Hakim as well as professors of Arabic music at the Arab Music Institute. This year, the festival introduces a huge number of Egyptian singers including Mohamed Tharwat, Ahmed Ibrahim, Hasnaa El-Toni, Amal Maher, Mohamed El-Ezabi, Agfan, Riham Abdel- Hakim, Maye Farouk, Mohamed El-Helw as well as Rima Khashish and Nedaa Abu Mourad from Lebanon, Shadi Gamil and Safwan Bahlawan from Syria and Mustafa Dakhla from Palestine. The opening ceremony will be crowned with an operetta about the life and musical works of late veteran composer Zakariya Ahmed, who happens to be the grandfather of our dear Al- Ahram Weekly colleague Amira El-Noshokaty. The operetta is created by El-Hefni, written by poet Bahaa Jahin and directed by Jihan Moursi. There are current negotiations with veteran actor Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz to play the role of the late composer. The festival's 13th round has chosen the qanoun as the instrument of this year and will present solo recitals by gifted qanoun players such as Iman Hemssi from Lebanon, Khalil Kordoman from Turkey and Sayed Ragab and Maged Sorour from Egypt. El-Hefni also announced names of the honourees for this year's round who are the former director of the opera house Samir Farag, Tunisian singer Lotfi Boushnaq, composer Mohamed Ali Souliman, violinist Abdel-Azim Halim, Saudi singer and composer Abdel- Rab Idris, late composer Zakariya Ahmed, late lyricist Beram El-Tonsi and Arabic calligrapher Abdel-Rahman Aboush. Under the auspices of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, a workshop on "Egypt International Financial Services Centre: The Irish Experience" was organised by the Egyptian European Council (EEC) and the Irish Embassy to Egypt at the Nile Hilton Hotel. Participants were high officials, Egyptian and European experts in business, banking, finance, capital markets, investment and development including Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ashraf Rashid, Director of International Development Ireland LTD David Lovegrove, President of EEC Ibrahim Kamel, Vice-President of EEC Ihab Sorour and Irish Ambassador to Egypt Richard O'Brien, who co-hosted the conference. The Weekly would like to extend its congratulations to the American University in Cairo (AUC) for its appointment of Ashraf El- Fiqi as the vice-president for students affairs. El-Fiqi, an associate professor of physics at AUC, is the former department chair for the university's physics department. He will assume his new duties as of 1 January, succeeding professor Farouk El-Hitami, who served as vice-president for student affairs since 2000. El-Hitami, former dean of AUC's school of business, economics and communication, will continue his distinguished service with AUC in a new position as senior adviser to the president. El-Fiqi joined AUC as a visiting professor in 1990. He was the physics unit head from 1996 to 2000 and the physics department chair from 2000 to 2004. Prior to joining AUC, he was an associate professor of engineering physics at Cairo University from 1988-90. El-Fiqi, 55, is married with three children. On the occasion of the Italian Army Day, a cocktail party was held at the Italian Embassy in Garden City. Among the attendees were Romanian Ambassador Marcel Dinu, Admiral of the Italian Marine Angelino Tommaso and his wife. At the newly opened River Hall at El-Sawy Cultural Centre in Zamalek, Iraqi oud maestro Nasseer Shamma was awarded the annual prize of the Iraqi Association for Artistic and Musical Creativity Dar Al-Qessa. He was handed the prize by President of the association Mohamed Rashid. The honouring ceremony, naturally, involved performances of a number of Shamma 's most popular compositions. photos: Khatchig Wanis I am so proud, my dears, of the National Culinary Team of Egypt that achieved the excellent result of fourth place in the Culinary Olympic Bronze Medals at the IKA Culinary Olympics held in Germany from 16-21 October. The Egyptian team competed among 32 nations for the honour of Culinary Olympics medals within four different categories and scored bronze awards in all categories. It was the second time that the Egyptian Chefs Association (ECA) made it possible for Egypt to compete at an international culinary competition. The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners (HRAAP) headed by Mohamed Zaraa has issued one of its six legal training guidelines on the methods of defending human rights. The aim of the guidelines is to improve the experiences and performance of lawyers, in addition to provide the citizens of information on how to defend their legal rights. Zaraa believes that the accumulated experiences of the HRAAP in defending the rights of the detainees should be available to society as a whole, and to lawyers and the other human rights organisations and lawyers in particular. The most recent guideline publication, entitled "Citizen's rights and the duties of the authority in the criminal procedures law", includes comprehensive legal information on the right of the citizen when arrested and so as to help the detainee to defend himself and be informed of his legal and judiciary rights particularly his right not to be exposed to psychological or physical assaults.
