CAIRO - Hours after the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak Friday evening and after celebrations that lasted till the wee hours, hundreds of thousands of young Egyptians started to call for immediate social changes: changes from within. "It's a new start for all of us and our country," said Ahmed Zakaria, 24, who spent the last three weeks between Al Tahrir Square, his home and office, but mostly in Tahrir. Zakaria is one of millions of young Egyptians who did not know any other President in Egypt. "I now feel it's my country. I feel I belong here now more than ever. I'll stop all the wrong things that I used to do," he told The Egyptian Gazette. Zakaria and around another 80,000 youngsters have joined in 'El-Masry El-Gedeed' (The New Egyptian) page on Facebook, which calls on Egyptians to change their behaviour and attitudes toward their country. Facebook has played a genuine role in the revolution, with hundreds of pages and groups created in the past days or so since Mubarak's resignation, calling for Egyptians to be positive and proactive in rebuilding their country. The calls for change include cleaning Al Tahrir Square and other local streets, respecting traffic laws and reacting firmly against any infringements of the country's laws. The whole idea is for people to be positively engaged. "I feel hopeful," Nelly Hossam, 22, told this newspaper with tears of happiness in her eyes. "It's time for us to lead this country, to lift it from the misery it has been suffering from for years. We – the sons and daughters of this country – won't wait for others to map out our future for us; we'll do it ourselves.” Nelly was in Al Tahrir Square yesterday morning with her sister and brother, taking part in the 'Clean Al Tahrir' campaign, which, at the time of going to press, already had over 4,000 supporters. Another group of young Egyptians have started a campaign to fight bribery and corruption, while others are calling for showing solidarity with the Egyptian economy and Stock Exchange by buying shares and making deposits in foreign currencies. The 18-day revolution is viewed as a window of hope by the vast majority of Egyptians: the start of a new era without nepotism, corruption, social injustice and fraud. “The people of this country are more aware and smarter than anyone ever expected. We are working on containing the consequences of the revolution,” Sarah Mahmoud, a 27-year-old activist, said. “From now on, we'll all see the other side of Egypt and Egyptians: a bright, hopeful and promising side that includes us all. I now feel that I count, my voice is heard and no-one will ever take this away from us.” Although it all started with and was triggered by online calls, Hassan Ahmed, from el-Menoufia Governorate in the Nile Delta, lived far from the cyber world. He travelled all the way from his governorate to Cairo to be in the very heart of what was happening. “Two days ago, I had absolutely no hope of getting the job I dreamed of, but it's all different now,” said the 23-year-old university student, who has been sleeping in Al Tahrir since last Tuesday. “I'm from a humble family, who know no 'important people', and that's why I – and many others like me – kept my head lowered and my ambitions limited. But everything's changed now.”
