PIC Alexandria Repercussions of the Global Financial Crisis on Trade & Investment  |  | 
| Guests Speakers during the first session. |
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On February 18-19, 2009, PIC Alexandria hosted a conference to discuss the Repercussions of the International Financial Crisis on Industry and Trade in Egypt. The event was organized in cooperation with a local NGO “The Fruit of Development Association”. The conference aimed at initiating social dialogue about the subject problem and highlighting the role of Civil Society Organizations in mitigating the expected negative impacts on the economy, labor market and trade in Egypt. Distinguished speakers gave presentations covering several aspects of the problem including: Ambassador Hagar Al Islambouly, Head of External Relations Sector at the Library of Alexandria; Chancellor Hamdy Abdel Alim of the Arab Economic Council; Dr. Zeinab Shahin of the Ministry of Social Solidarity; Mr. Alaa Hassaballh representing private sector, and Mr. Mamdouh El Wali, Senior Economic Journalist, represented the media. On the second day, the attendees were divided into three working groups to brainstorm about areas of support and activities that could be carried out by Civil Society Organizations. At the last session, the recommendations committee presented eight ideas that were agreed upon by the participants in addition to an action plan draft.
HIV/AIDS Training of Trainers | | 
| Professional Health workers during the training. |
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The sixth goal in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) focuses on “combat HIV/
AIDS, malaria, and other diseases”. In that context, and in cooperation with the Egyptian Society for fighting AIDS, PIC Alexandria hosted four training sessions targeting dentists and general practitioners
from the Ministry of Health during the month of June 2009. The sessions aimed at building the capacity of
workers in the health service sector in order to enable them to provide the appropriate care for the patients. These efforts will help reduce the disease prevalence, raise awareness about the preventive precautions, and how to best deal with the affected individuals. The training program was carried out by Dr. Ibrahim El Kabbash, Professor at University of Alexandria and Advisor to the National Program for Fighting AIDS. UN Environment Day Celebration | | 
| Professor El Rai giving an illustrated presentation about climate change. |
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Several studies placed Alexandria and the Northern coast in Egypt among the most vulnerable geographic locations in the world that will be affected by climate change. In cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program, PIC Alexandria organized and hosted a number of sessions during the month of May 2009 that aimed at raising public awareness regarding environmental issues and engaging Civil Society members in Alexandria in a dialogue. During one of the sessions, Professor Aly El Raei from Alexandria University gave an informative presentation illustrated with satellite photos for these locations and a detailed description of the expected damage. A couple of sessions were dedicated to discuss the role of media and art in informing the public and engaging society members. Famous artists like Safeya El Emary & Khaled Saleh, journalists, and prominent media figures participated in the dialogue and volunteered to participate in a national public awareness campaign. During one of the sessions, Chancellor Abel Aziz El Guindy, Chairman of the “Friends of the Environment Society” in Alexandria shared with the audience the experience of his society in updating the related legislations and highlighted the significant role that NGOs can play in monitoring and preventing any environmental violations through legal channels.
Cairo PIC
Corporate Social Responsibility Conference | | 
| Dr. Badrawy, Keynote Speaker during the event. |
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To discuss the impact of the global financial crisis on the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Cairo PIC co-organized and hosted a conference on May 31, 2009. The event was held in cooperation with Dreamers of Tomorrow, a local Youth NGO and Badrawy Foundation for Education and Development. The conference aimed at: fostering increased links between Civil Society representatives and Private Sector firms; and, emphasizing the role of Corporate Social Responsibility in facing the challenges created by the current financial crisis. The event was attended by civil society, media and private sector representatives. The Director of the Institute of National Planning Dr. Fadia Abdel Salam launched the event and urged the participants to draw an action plan based on the recommendations reached at the final session. Dr. Hossam Badrawy, Keynote speaker, discussed “Corporate Social Responsibility” as an effective development tool and highlighted its positive impact on civil society, the private, and public sectors. Dr. Amr Queiss, Professor at AUC, gave a presentation on CSR as a marketing tool; while Dr. Gamal El Khateeb, Sustainable Development Expert, shared some successful models of partnerships between civil society and private sector. During the sessions, a number of successful models in this practice were presented by representatives from Unilever, P&G and Vodafone. In the final session, the recommendation was made to rethink CSR as a positive partnering tool benefiting both sides and contributing to the development of the Egyptian economy and local communities.
Consultations With CSOs on the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy | | 
| Ms. Saadah during the presentation. |
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On May 24, 2009, Cairo PIC hosted the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy Consultations session. The Bank’s proposed policy is based on four instructive principles: the maximum access to information, negative list, clear and transparent process and appeal process. A diversified list of Egyptian Civil Society representatives and active stakeholders were invited to participate at the session and give their feedback. Ms. Fadia Saadah, Manager, Operations Policy and Country Services at the World Bank in Washington gave a presentation on the draft of the new Disclosure Policy. During her presentation, Ms. Saadah explained to the participants the suggested additions to the existing policy. The consultations were equally an opportunity for the participants to express views about the World Bank in general and their views about the development process. The World Bank team engaged in lively discussions with the attendees and responded to the queries, issues and concerns that they raised.
E-Waste Management Forum | | 
| Dr. Hossam Allam from CEDARE during the presentation. |
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The past two decades have witnessed an increased momentum in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector. While this momentum has contributed to increased socio-economic development, the growing quantity of electronic waste (E-waste) has raised alarming signals as such waste poses serious environmental and health hazards. Therefore, the need to build capacities for the proper and safe handling methods for E-waste is urgently required. Within this context, PIC Egypt is partnering with the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region & Europe (CEDARE) and other national and international organizations and private sector firms in this initiative. The PIC is helping in increasing awareness on proper management and recycling of E-waste in local communities, in addition to facilitating the engagement of NGOs in the process. As a member of the E-Waste Management Initiative, PIC Egypt was able to engage NGOs and media during the related forum that took place in Cairo on February 9-10, 2009.toAssiut PIC Business Skills Training for Youth | | 
| Youth participants during the working session. |
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Appropriate training is one of the important tools to address the challenge of the mismatch between job opportunities in the Egyptian labor market and the required skills mix of the job seekers. Within this context, Assiut PIC in cooperation with “Dreamers of Tomorrow Association” NGO organized a two-day training on April 15-16, 2009 that targeted young graduates. Professional trainers and business experts from Private Sector companies volunteered to train youth on business skills. The training aimed at equipping the participants with necessary skills in: decision making & problem solving, budgeting & fiscal studies, project management, marketing and business planning. The second day of the training witnessed a lively engagement of the participants in a business simulation model aiming at engaging them in a hands-on experience through developing a project and applying the steps learnt during the theoretical part. The participants expressed their great enthusiasm to apply the acquired knowledge. Information sessions for NGOs in Assiut | | 
| NGOs representatives during the presentation. |
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Two-day event was held in Assiut PIC on March 11-12, 2009, to introduce a number of local NGOs to the World Bank program and activities in Egypt. The sessions were driven by large demand from NGOs in Assiut after the successful event that took place on November 2008. The participants were introduced to the World Bank history, mandate and efforts in the field of development. The presentation also included the areas and channels of cooperation between the World Bank and Civil Society. The participants also requested to sustain constant channels of dialogue and cooperation with the World Bank.
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