Ideas to Promote Egyptian Soft Power

On 19^th of February 2018, the Council organized a seminar on the promotion of Egyptian soft power, with the participation of Ambassador Dr. Mounir Zahran, Chairman of the Council, Ambassador Dr. Ezzat Saad, Director of the Council and a number of members of the Council of experts and former ambassadors, including Minister Hisham Zazaoua, former Minister of Tourism and Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr. Samir Ghareeb, Member of the Council and First Undersecretary of the former Ministry of Culture, Ms. Mona Zaki, Founder and President of Soft Power Production Corporation, Mr. Raouf Kamal, Member of the Council of Experts for Science and Technology, and Mr. Hassan Al-Mastakawy, and Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Anis Salem, a member of ECFA.

The seminar took place in five sessions including:

• The role of culture and arts in promoting Egyptian soft power, the role of tourism in promoting Egyptian soft power, the role of science and technology in promoting Egyptian soft power, the role of youth and sport in promoting Egyptian soft power, the role of diplomacy in promoting soft power in Egypt. The seminar concluded by stressing on:

• Egypt has a great potential of soft power, which needs to be developed and invested in the interest of economic and social development to serve the sectors of culture, media, science, arts, education, health, science and technology, tourism and promotion at the same time.

• The need to rationalize the means of social communication, especially as they fall within the parameters of soft power and need to rationalize and control the service of society in the framework of adherence to the rules of ethics and public order and respect for ideals and traditions and purification of the impurities of extremism.

• It is necessary to formulate a national strategy involving the institutions of the State concerned for the use of soft power, the optimal use of the objectives of economic and social development, and in particular the achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals by 2030.

•   Building on the existing foundations for the promotion of soft power, including Al-Azhar and the Egyptian churches to evaluate the religious discourse in favour of building society on rational basis and respect for the rule of law and the fight against terrorism and extremist groups.

• The revival of specialized national councils and the implementation of studies and recommendations.

•   Activate public diplomacy by deploying soft power.

•   Modernization of cultural cooperation agreements, and the re-establishment of the Golden Age to the television.

•  The need to develop a comprehensive strategy for all tools of soft power to develop, both in the areas of culture or arts and Islam, tourism and human development and maximize the role of soft powers in the promotion of human development and modernization and reform of education and scientific research in Egypt from the stages of pre-education to university education.

• Periodic review of Egypt’s foreign policy along the lines of other countries.

• The need to train diplomats at all levels and work on developing both approach and content.