and

invite you to a briefing: 

"Establishing a New Political Party in Egypt: A First Hand Account"

________________________

 featuring:

 Dr. Ahmed Abou-bakr

and

Tayseer Fahmy

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Dr. Abou-bakr will speak about he and his wife’s (actress Tayseer Fahmy) experiences as protestors during the revolution, Tayseer's decision to run for the Maglis al-Shaab (People’s Assembly), their joint decision to establish a party (making her the first woman to lead a political party in Egypt), the challenges creating a new party presented, and their experiences during the elections. 

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Ahmed Abou-bakr is a member of the Board of Directors of the Equality & Development Party, a liberal Egyptian political party he co-founded with his wife (Egyptian actress Tayseer Fahmy) in the spring and summer of 2011. Inspired by the youth of Tahrir Square and determined to help build a future in Egypt that prioritizes and balances the need for economic development with the parallel need to ensure equality among all Egyptians regardless of class, religion, gender, or race, the Equality & Development Party was formed and formally approved as an Egyptian political party in September 2011. It is the first party in modern Egyptian history to be led by a woman (Tayseer Fahmy). The party is also part of the “Revolution Continues Coalition” comprised of 7 like-minded liberal parties.

A former Olympian who ran the 100M dash for the UAR, Abou-bakr immigrated to the US after finishing his undergraduate degree in economics at Ein Shams University in Cairo. He earned his MA from the University of Missouri in marketing and PhD from Washington State University in agricultural economics. Abou-bakr spent the early part of his career acting as a US-Middle East liaison on matters of economic and agricultural development. In the 1980’s, he returned to Egypt, and by the early 1990s was heavily involved in the Egyptian television industry. He is the President and Chairman of  il-Tayseer Film Corporation and has produced a number of highly acclaimed, award-winning Arabic television drama series. His productions have reached an audience of over 200 million viewers throughout the Arabic speaking world, and aim to influence society through drama by focusing on issues such as women’s rights, judicial rights, and freedom of speech. They also seek to foster cross-cultural understanding between the Middle East and the west.  

Tayseer Fahmy is the president of the Equality & Development Party. Active in the Egyptian Revolution, Fahmy was inspired after the fall of Mubarak to personally fund and lead a number of ‘Democracy Trains’ throughout Egypt, educating people in poor and rural communities about the democratic process. Fahmy campaigned for a seat in the Maglis al-Shaab (People’s Assembly) in the fall 2011, running against the Muslim Brotherhood in the district that included Tahrir Square. She is the first woman in the Arab World to lead a political party.

Fahmy is a campaigner and advocate of women’s rights in Egypt. She also promotes the belief that “Egypt is for all Egyptians”, a phrase that has come to typify her belief in equality across all people in the nation regardless of religion, class, race or gender.

Tayseer Fahmy is a career actress and Egyptian celebrity. Upon graduating Cairo University with a degree in Performing Arts, she began a long and prolific career in Arabic film, television and theater. She has been in approximately 25 feature films, 100 television series, and 12 theater productions. As an actress she is very well respected in the industry and known for taking roles that highlight important social issues. She has won numerous Best Actress awards during her 30-year career. Inspired by the youth of the revolution, Fahmy joined the protests and spoke on a number of Arabic speaking television news stations against the Mubarak regime. Although her outspoken stance placed her at great personal risk and led to a number of death threats from Mubarak loyalists, Fahmy was inspired to carry on after the revolution and has become an active politician and rights advocate.

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Monday, February 13, 2012

2:00pm - ICC 241 (CCAS Boardroom)

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Seating is limited.

For a map showing the location of the ICC building, please visit: http://maps.georgetown.edu/interculturalcenter/

For more information, please visit: http://acmcu.georgetown.edu