President Mohamed Morsy met with 40 civil society organisations on Saturday, pledging that the government would work more closely with them in the future and remove obstacles they have faced. The convention, called Takamul (integration), was held at the Nasr City Fairgrounds and attended by a wide range of groups that focus on charity and service. In his speech Morsy indicated that Takamul marked the beginning of a new partnership between the government and development groups, vowing that initiatives would take place providing material assistance to civil society and the private sector. Morsy also told those in attendance that there was no room in Egypt for the marginalisation of civil society, and claimed that these groups were protected under the new constitution. “I support the role of civil society and the enabling of the community to play its role in the renaissance and development,” said Morsy, according to state-owned MENA. Ibrahim Makram of the Coptic Evangelical Organisation for Social Services (CEOSS) noted that a diverse group of organisations attended the conference, including other Christian groups, Islamic charity groups, and others that were not religiously affiliated. He added that most of the 40 invited groups conducted work focused on serving the poor. Makram indicated that there was a hope that the government would provide more support for those serving the poor, but remained sceptical that human rights advocacy would be prioritised. The conference was held in preparation for a larger forum in March, in which civil society organisations will suggest solutions to different development problems that Egypt faces.
