Non-governmental organisations seek a greater role in the development process, reports Reem Leila In her opening address to the General Federation for NGOs' seventh annual conference, held under the slogan of the "Role of NGOs in Empowering the Egyptian Family", Mrs Suzanne Mubarak said Egypt had taken concrete steps towards a comprehensive social development. Mrs Mubarak told attendees at the 14 February conference, including Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Chairman of the General Federation for NGOs Abdel-Aziz Hegazi, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, and Minister of State for Family and Population Mushira Khattab, that progress must be based on improving the standard of basic social services, making it possible for all sectors of society to positively and effectively participate in the social development process while affirming the importance of "the family as a unit within the society". She stressed that political stability and economic development require the affirmation of certain social values. Affirming that the role of social partners (NGOs) has become a major factor, Mrs Mubarak said that partnership lies at the heart of the social development process. The more activities of NGOs are directed towards defending human rights, protecting the environment and acting to upgrade living standards, the more society's social standards will develop, she said. Mrs Mubarak described Egypt as ripe for the work of civil society. The country's NGOs operate within a vast infrastructure of thousands of volunteer institutions, she said. The focus of the conference was on how civil society can contribute to the vital process of modernising Egypt. "Our internal situation and conditions in the outside world have necessitated modernising our thinking and attitudes in order to advance our society in all fields, at all levels and with the participation of all our citizens." NGOs, she continued, by expressing a true spirit of integration between human beings become a major component of the world's "conscience". "Our experience has proven that the nation's prosperity is closely related to the scope of social activity, which has become the criterion of progress and an indication of cultural maturity," she said, recalling that the first Egyptian NGO was established in 1821. The General Federation for NGOs, she argued, should focus on developing a comprehensive understanding of the concept and dimensions of social activity, directing social services to the most needy sectors, coordinating between various voluntary organisations and specifying their communication channels with the government and helping NGOs define their priorities and implement their policies. "Promoting the principles of voluntary work in empowering women in various fields of life is an essential requirement to improve the status of the Egyptian families and society as a whole. According to several research studies, women are the sole bread winners for 30 per cent of the Egyptian families." Mrs Mubarak pointed out that divorces have increased from 13 per cent in 2004 to 40 per cent in 2008, undermining family ties. "We need to face this phenomenon urgently in order to end child labour, street children, and the marriage of young girls to elderly men," argued Mrs Mubarak. Following the speech Mrs Mubarak singled out 11 NGOs, out of Egypt's 27,000 civil society organisations, for their outstanding performance. During the conference Abdel-Aziz Hegazi, chairman of the General Federation for NGOs, presented Mrs Mubarak with the armature of the federation in an expression of gratitude for her continuous support of the work of NGOs. Addressing the gathering, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi said "social development is no longer a marginal affair but a national responsibility." "We are looking forward to the General Federation for NGOs playing a more significant role, especially after government policy has affirmed the importance of social factors. We must make use of the increasing awareness of the importance of the role played by NGOs to formulate a comprehensive social policy that can serve as a constitution for social care and development." Meselhi said it remained necessary to raise public awareness of the importance of voluntary work. "Modernising Egypt is not a motto to be repeated but an invitation to all the country's institutions to fulfil their roles within a unified national plan," Meselhi said. Minister Khattab highlighted the ministry's work in evaluating society's current values. The ministry, said Khattab, is establishing policies, strategies and operational work plans related to family empowerment and well-being, working across different sectors -- education, health, labour, economic development, investment and information -- in coordination with all relevant ministries. "We will seek to establish a new and broader vision that addresses the quality of life as experienced by Egyptian families. Our aim is to create a new socio-cultural environment, one that fosters belief among the public that a better life, with more opportunities for everyone, is available," she said.
