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Land Center For Human Rights Calls On Social Development Conference to Probe Egypt Development Predicament.
The Land Center for Human Rights publishes a new report entitled "Victims of Government Policies and the Impasse of Rural Development". The publication of the report coincides with the convocation of a conference on the social development, scheduled to be held in Cairo on October 18, 1999, under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The conference will discuss the problems and constraints facing the process of development in Egypt. It would also develop new strategies to enhance social and economic development.
What are the reasons behind the falling living standards in Egypt, with poverty exacerbating, particularly among rural population? This question remains untouched despite the numerous government strategies and conferences on the issue of development. LCHR's report seeks to put such questions on the agenda of national interest and development conferences .
The report also deals with the traditional role of the governmental institutions working in this field. It therefore focuses on the role of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development, and the Ministry Local Administration. As they have failed to achieve any of the nation’s economic and human development objectives, the report deems them inefficient. They are incapable to cope with the changes witnessed by Egypt and the rest of the world.
The report clarifies that the development strategies that pay no attention to local initiative have been outdated. The conditions of farmers in Egypt indicate that farmers, under the pressures of poverty and the need to meet the rising cost of living, have to borrow from banks at interest rates they cannot afford. Failing to pay back their debts on time, they would face the choice of selling their plots of land and/or turning to wage labor. Participation in public affairs, such as the national development schemes, are reduced to the minimum .
In view of this fact, we may ask the attendants to the conference: What is the objective of development schemes ?
LCHR's report, thus, seeks to unveil the real aims behind any scheme for development, particularly in rural areas. The first step to be taken, however, is to understand the real conditions of the people and determine the objective of development in light of their needs and the obstacles facing them .
The report examines the history of social development in Egypt from 1908 onwards. The process of development was institutionalized with the establishment of the Egyptian Society for Social Studies in 1930.
The report also examines the performance of governmental institutions in this field. The policies adopted by the ministries of education and agriculture are cases in point. The former constructed a number of schools in rural areas. In 1946, The Higher Committee for the Elimination of Poverty, Illiteracy & Endemic Disease was established. The Committee's aim was to carry through rural development schemes, in which it proved successful. The report also covers the development process of the 1960s. It demonstrates the political circumstance in which the Law No.32 of 1964 was issued.
The report monitors the progress achieved by the centers of Integrated Social Services project initiated during the 1980s. More information was also drawn from the development projects and programs carried out at the time.
In doing so, the LCHR report seeks to examine the history of the process of development culminated in the establishment of the Social Development Fund in 1991 by a Presidential Decree No.40/1991. It also covers the amendments introduced by the law No. 153/1999 on Public Associations. On its final part, the report monitors the progress of two of the Social Development societies.
The government established one of these societies, while the other was a private association. The former operates in Upper Egypt and the latter in the Delta region. Their performance, however, is obsolete, and, therefore, they fail to cope with new policies adopted by the government, that primarily intended to integrate Egypt's economy into the international economic system.
However, as the government withdraws from certain sectors of social organization, it tends to tighten its grip on public associations. The process reaches a peak in the case of Human Rights organizations.
We believe that the law 153/1999 contradicts all the expectations of activists. They thought the law would remove the restrictions hindering the activities of NGOs. On the contrary, the government passed a law, practically, imposes more restrictions on the activities of public associations
The development that the government likes to talk about can not be achieved while we are fully isolated from the world in which we live - a world in which all repressive governments failed the test of survival. Such dictatorships have failed because they did not allow their nations to freely express their views regarding their problems
None of the intended developmental aims would materialize unless the restrictions imposed on public freedoms are removed; the genuine democratic principles are applied and citizens enjoy their freedom of expression.
The report affirms that human rights have become the slogan of a world that witnesses a real revolution in the field of communication and information technology. The previous concepts of development should, therefore, be altered to adapt with these changes. Transparency, equality before the law, and freedom of expression have become of vital importance for the achievement of social and economic development.
The report also stresses that the government should respect the law. This cannot be guaranteed in the absence of genuine democratic institutions .
LCHR's report affirms that participation in public affairs is vital to the achievement of development. The public is not a mere means for development but also is the principal objective of development. Hence, democracy has become a national demand to overcome all obstacles, which hinder the development and the prosperity of our society .
In fact Egypt is not a poor country. The country only suffers from a deep-rooted mismanagement problem. This problem results in the unjust distribution of social wealth and misallocation of resources. The country, consequently, is classified among the poorest in the world, with the average income per person in Egypt estimated at US $790 a year, compared to US $16,000 in Israel.
Other reports indicate that there are 21 million Egyptians suffering under severe poverty conditions. They are not able to meet their essential needs of medical treatment, food and clothing. The greatest number of those is concentrated in rural areas.
The question yet to be answered is: what the government did to limit the deteriorating conditions of living? Would it suffice to say that the government attempts to attain some a level of justice for income distribution? Would it suffice to establish new ministries, hold conferences and programs to tackle this problem? Would such rhetoric protect the rights of farmers social and economic rights?
The report concludes with remarks, reaffirming the main objective as build up an ideal atmosphere for fruitful discussion of rural development. It targets those who mainly concerned with the future of this country. It aims to draw the attention of the conferees that would design with the minister the new strategies of social work in the country.
We only try to express our opinions in a civilized and objective manner through using all possible means. Our aim, after all, is to have new Alternative Development different from that put forward by the government. A development that makes its main objective to fill the gaps in the government social polices; improve the nation’s capabilities and participation and; above all enable us to overtake the process of international advancement .
We appreciate all the efforts exerted. However, the people are yearning to see new kind of development. In this kind of development, human constitute the essence. Such a form of development should prevent the rising level of poverty, support the democratic system and effective participation of citizens. This development should highlight the fact that no hope for change would be realized without depending on participation from the mass of people.
We are in need for enlightened minds to open the door wide for a better way of thinking. Those enlightened minds should believe in peoples’ capability to design development programs and realize them with minimal training and awareness. Those minds should appreciate technological progress reached on a world scale as the key for future human development.
This development should be performed with the aim to provide people with the highest possible standard of living.
The report tries to encourage every good citizen to prod all the concerned institutions to face the real problems facing society. It asks them to work together to change the archaic concepts of development. Such a change is intended to encourage us to be more talented and creative and to participate in the developments going around us.
We yearn to new concepts of development that concentrate on fair distribution of information, knowledge and income. We look for the concepts that could resurrect our society and highlight our values instead of disregarding them.
Our opinion is that the kind of development to which we aspire will put an end to the rising level of poverty. It is a development, which could add a real value to local alternatives. It undoubtedly would help us to be affective participants instead of victims of international advances in the coming century.