Mona Mowafi discusses Egypt's future at a talk at CMES

October 28, 2011

By Geoffrey Allen

There was a strong turnout at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies for Mona Mowafi’s afternoon talk on October 18, 2011, “From Neighborhood Watch to Neighborhood Development: Transforming Revolutionary Energy to Rebuild Egypt from the Ground Up.” Mowafi completed her doctorate in Social Epidemiology at Harvard’s School of Public Health where she is now a research fellow. Her public health research analyzes the effect of living conditions on health in Egypt and the Arab world, with a focus on obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). She is working to promote economic and social development in Egypt and chairs NEGMA, a social innovation competition. Ms. Mowafi is also developing a project on social entrepreneurship and transformative philanthropy in the Arab world.

Mowafi opened her discussion at CMES by emphasizing the need to transform revolutionary energy into real social and economic change for Egypt. She related the gripping process of protest and repression that characterized the Egyptian revolution. Widespread media coverage of the crowds in Tahrir created what Mowafi described as “feelings of alignment and connection.”  Mowafi argued that the Egyptian pursuit of values such as dignity, equality, and justice, which was met with repression, paralleled the experiences of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Next, Mowafi examined the response of the Egyptian people on the local level to the violence of the revolution. Neighborhood groups organized to protect their homes from hordes of looters sent by then president Mubarak. This collective effort, according to Mowafi, represented a revitalization of the social and geographic cohesion of Egypt’s neighborhoods which had deteriorated under Mubarak’s long reign.

It is this community action which gives Mowafi hope for Egypt’s future as the current military rule continues and many doubt they will easily relinquish power. When asked about the future prospects of Egypt she lists several reasons why she believes the military’s efforts will fail. Principle amongst these is the fact that in her eyes “the Egyptian psyche has changed indelibly,” with the people gathering in the streets and publicly demanding change and refusing to budge on the overarching goals of the revolution. She adds that “the rebirth of the Egyptian joke” represents another aspect of this greater cultural awakening as Egyptians start to regain their once famous sense of humor. Mowafi argues that “local developments are as important as those in the macro-politics sphere,” and that while things may seem to be at a standstill in the larger political struggle, change continues to actively occur within neighborhoods.

Mowafi outlined a plan she hopes could harness this community energy and address Egypt’s pressing unemployment crisis. She described a neighborhood jobs program based on a private/public partnership similar to the AmeriCorps program, and highlighted the benefits of individuals working in their own community and the greater social and political impact of such action. Public health, Egypt’s obesity problem in particular, also factors into Mowafi’s designs. Citing data from studies conducted in Cairo she argues that obesity is often tied to community conditions beyond basic socio-economy and neighborhood level development and that community programs could help combat obesity and isolate its causes. Mowafi’s employment program aspires to not only create jobs, but improve the health of the community while furthering its democratic political and social desires.

While responding to questions, Mowafi emphasized her main argument for the future of Egypt. She articulated again that “political infighting is occurring at top levels while impressive work is being done on the ground level.” She strongly feels that a program that harnesses this vast energy would have great potential for success.