Cairo, October 29, 2012 – Egypt’s transition from military-backed autocracy to a democratic system of government under a new Islamist president comes under the spotlight at two public debates in Cairo this week.
The discussions mark the launch of the second season of the New Arab Debates (NAD), this time in Arabic as well as English.
Both debates will be recorded at Al-Azhar Conference Centre in Greater Cairo and will discuss the motion: “This House believes democracy has had a disappointing start in Egypt”.
Award-winning former BBC television journalist and presenter Tim Sebastian, who will continue to moderate the English debate, says the upcoming discussion will allow young Egyptians give a preliminary verdict on the “new Egypt” and the rulers they have voted into power.
“President Mohamed Mursi has completed 100 days in office as Egypt’s first democratically elected leader. Has he started to make a difference? Will a more just and equal society begin to emerge? How much free speech does the system allow? Just some of the questions our next debate will be raising,” he says of Wednesday’s discussion.
Sebastian will be joined by renowned Egyptian TV presenter Mai El Sherbiny, who will moderate the Arabic version of the same motion on Nov. 1 — but with different speakers and audience.
Under the format, both moderators will question two panelists — one supporting the motion and the other opposing it – and invite the audience of university students and political activists to quiz the speakers before asking guests to decide the issue by electronic vote.
The New Arab Debates are funded by the British and Swedish governments and encompass an extensive outreach campaign in schools and universities with the aim of encouraging young people to participate in the political dialogue and development of their countries.
Caroline Alcock, head of the Arab Partnership Participation Fund at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, says the ministry decided to support the second phase of the NAD series after the successful results achieved by the pilot project.
She added: “This second phase will extend the project’s reach to new audiences, including those who prefer debate in Arabic. The aim is to spread the culture of debating and ensure that a wide range of voices is heard”.
The series will be transmitted for the second year on Deutche Welle TV in Arabic and English along with its global network of partner channels.
Christoph Lanz, Deutche Welle’s Multimedia Director Global, says the NAD gives “viewers in the Western world a chance to understand” the democratic discussions going on in the region, and “to witness the intensity of discussing values like freedom and democracy”.