Wonder seal Part of the dolphin show presented on Eid Al-Adha at the Media Production City in Sixth of October was a performance by a talented seal. Sherif Sonbol shot the mammal as it presented the finale at the feet of the audience. CityStars cinema witnessed two thrilling private screenings this week. The first was of Al-Dada Dodi (Dodi, the Nanny), starring actress Yasmeen Abdel-Aziz, actor Salah Abdallah and six children who are acting for the first time. The film was scripted by Ali Idris and directed by Nader Salaheddin. The second screening was for the movie Rami Al-Eetsami (Rami, the Protester), starring actor Ahmed Eid, actress Aiten Amer and singer Riko, and was scripted by Loay El-Sayed and directed by Sami Rafi. Another private screening took place at Good News Grand Hyatt cinema for the film Ramadan Mabrouk Abul-Alamein Hamouda, starring comedian Mohamed Heneidi, Lebanese actress Serene Abdel-Nour and actress Laila Taher. The film was scripted by Youssef Maati, directed by Wael Ehsan and produced by Good News. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid Al-Rehab Lions Club presided over by Mahmoud El-Maghrabi organised a seminar hosting US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey. The ambassador talked about reinforcing the Egyptian- American relations in various fields. The seminar was crowned by the presence of a galaxy of ambassadors, high-profile figures and celebrities such as veteran actress Ragaa El-Geddawi and actress Nahla Salama. Scobey was awarded the club shield in recognition of her political role as the US ambassador to Egypt. photos: Ayman Barayez On the occasion of celebrating the United Arab Emirates' 37th National Day, Emirati Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Al-Zoabi held a lavish celebration at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel. Attending the lavish celebration were Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Minister of Housing and New Urban Development Ahmed El-Maghrabi, Minister of Labour Aisha Abdel-Hadi, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, Moroccan Ambassador to Egypt Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali, Omani Ambassador to Egypt Abdel-Aziz Al-Hanaai and his Bahraini counterpart Khalil Al-Zowadi, Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Hisham Al-Nazer as well as veteran actors Mahmoud Yassin, Khaled Zaki and young actor Hani Salama. The Association for Women's Total Advancement and Development (AWTAD), a Cairo-based women's association led by a group of businesswomen who believe in the importance of empowering women in Egypt, held its first conference under the title "Activating the Civil Society Organisations Role in Development" at the Conrad Cairo Hotel. A plethora of ministers and public figures in addition to corporate managers, representatives of civil society and those interested in women's issues were among the attendees. The conference called for activating and encouraging the public work and social development for the large Egyptian corporations. On the same level, the conference highlighted the successful foundations in the US and their role in changing their country's economic and social map. Guest speakers from US presented the third dimension of philanthropy and public work. AWTAD co-founder and co-chair Rania Azzab stressed the importance of the corporate social responsibility as a means to support social and economic development in Egypt by empowering women. In honour of the Syrian stars in Egypt who recently participated in the Damascus International Film Festival, actress Nadia El-Guindi held an exceptionally glamorous celebration for Syrian actors at her residence. Among the attendees were veteran Syrian actors Assad Fadda, Gamal Suleiman, Syrian actress Susan Negmeddin, and talented Syrian singer Asala accompanied by her Egyptian husband director Tarek El-Erian. This is in addition to Egyptian actress Sawsan Badr, actor Sherif Mounir and ART prominent presenter Safaa Abul- Seoud. Guests were mesmerised by the enchanting voices of singers Hani Shaker and Asala. Singer-cum-actor Hamada Hilal and Asma Samih tied the knot in a glamorous celebration at the JW Marriott with the extensive attendance of celebrities and high- profile figures who celebrated with the couple their joy on that special day. Among the attendees were gorgeous actress Ghada Adel and her husband director Magdi El-Hawari, singers Latifa, Maye Kassab, Mohamed Fouad, Mohamed Hamaki, Tamer Hosni, Hani Shaker and Hakim, comic actors Samir Ghanem, Mohamed Heneidi, Mohamed Saad, Hani Ramzi and Ashraf Abdel-Baqi as well as actors Magdi Kamel, Mustafa Shaaban, Hussein El-Imam and his wife actress Sahar Rami, actresses Maha Ahmed and Donia Samir Ghanem, head of the Egyptian Association of Cinema Critics and Writers Mamdouh El-Leithi and his son TV presenter Amr El-Leithi and the Nubian pop star Mohamed Mounir. On the occasion of the establishment of the Italian-Egyptian Friendship Association, headed by Farid Saleh Othman a lavish reception was held at the Italian Club. Attending the reception were Italian Ambassador to Egypt Claudio Pacifico, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nihad Abdel-Latif, head of the Egyptian Writers' Union Mohamed Salmawi and chairman of Egypt's Italian Club Pietro Bajocchi, who all enjoyed listening to the operatic musical pieces performed by maestro Gaber El-Beltagui. Celebrating Eid Al-Adha, producer and tourism expert Adel Hosni held a lavish dinner at his boat in Doqqi for Egyptian and Syrian celebrities. The dinner was attended by a bevy of luminaries and media figures including Soheir Shalabi, retired actress Shahira, actress Nahla Salama, talented Syrian actor Gamal Suleiman as well as actor Samir Sabri. The entire revenues of the annual party organised by Masr Al-Gadida Rotary Club, presided over by Mohamed Shawqi, was allocated to undertake the charitable projects at Al-Zawiya Al-Hamra popular district. The party was attended by a galaxy of stars and public figures and was featured by pop singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab who donated her fees of the party to the projects. She was granted the club's shield in recognition of her philanthropic gestures. The Opera House Cultural Salon held at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria hosted veteran comedian Mohamed Sobhi in a long open discussion with his audience whose members asked him about his recent art works as well as his political and artistic views. The discussion was conducted by journalist Osama Heikal. On 13 December, the Sailing the Nile for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign 2008 was set to reach its final destination in Cairo at the Gezira Gardens. The campaign is a joint effort between the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, headed by Ambassador Mushira Khattab, the Youth Association for Population and Development and the UN in Egypt, aiming to raise awareness and enhance civil society participation in efforts to achieve the millennium development goals through volunteerism. Key speakers at the event were Governor of Cairo Abdel-Azim Wazeer, Aziza Helmi, council advisor and director of the Children at Risk Programme at the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, James W Rawley, resident coordinator for the UN, and Japanese Ambassador in Cairo Kaoru Ishikawa. The event included various activities, namely, a seminar on sexual harassment and women's rights by the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights, handicraft workshops, a performance by the Hala Group for street theatre, art and photo exhibitions, in addition to musical concerts performed by Ana Masri and Black Theama bands. The campaign started off in Alexandria on 18 October 2008 and since then has passed through the governorates of Aswan, Qena, Sohag, Assiut, Minya, Beni Sweif and the city of Luxor. Throughout the campaign, various activities were conducted and organised by local partners and volunteers, which included opening ceremonies attended by the governor of each governorate, and key speakers, press conferences, medical caravans, lectures on viral hepatitis, HIV and Aids, avian influenza, sexual harassment and education reform. Within the framework of the cultural forum organised by the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces (GOCP), headed by Ahmed Megahed, a lecture attended by Al-Ahram Weekly's Mahmoud Bakr titled "The Global Financial Crisis and Citizen Ownership Programme" was delivered by Chief- Editor of Al-Ahram Al-Iqtisadi economy magazine Essam Refaat at the GOCP branch in Giza. In Paris, Al-Ahram Weekly 's very own caricaturist Georges Bahgory participated in one of the world's most recognised exhibitions titled "Cartooning for Peace". It gathered a number of the world's most renowned caricaturists including, among others, Plantu, Ronario, Fiaz, Kroll and Abu Arafa, who all met with former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan who acted as the exhibition's honorary president.
