WATANI International
22 March 2009
Blue Star in Mombassa
The Egyptian cargo ship Blue Star docked at the Kenyan port of Mombassa on its way back to Egypt. Pirates off the Somali coast had hijacked the ship last January and only released it some two weeks ago when an agreement was reached with the Egyptian side. The ship’s 28-man crew, all Egyptians, are in good shape.
Anti-tuberculosis march
The newly appointed Minister of State for Family and Population Affairs Moushira Khattab last week led an anti-tuberculosis mass rally. Up to 100,000 Egyptians took part in the symbolic march, aimed at raising the public awareness of TB. Film stars, singers and UN goodwill ambassadors in Egypt all chimed in. Dr Khattab said Egypt was working hard to achieve the Millennium Goals of eradicating TB by 2015.
$95,000 grant
In support of a Justice Initiative project that will provide leadership training for women, raise awareness about their constitutional rights and encourage political participation, the OneWoman Initiative, a public-private partnership with the US Government, offered a $95,000 grant to the Egyptian Association for Human and Environmental Development (EAHED). The grant was handed to (EAHED) earlier this month in a celebration held in Qalyubiya and attended by governor of Qalyubiya Adly Hussein and US ambassador to Cairo Margaret Scobey.
The 18-month project, Mary Fikry writes, will target Banha and Toukh in the Delta governorate of Qalyubiya. The grant funds will serve to educate 3,000 Egyptians on women’s rights, conduct 20 symposiums, and train 100 women to conduct their own rights awareness programmes. They will be trained to run for leadership positions on local councils. Some 2,000 women will obtain ID cards, allowing them to access basic services and to vote.
Outsourcing
Xceed, a Telecom Egypt company(TE) that was established in 2001 to act as the IT arm for TE, has been recognised by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) on the Global outsourcing 100 sub-lists as one of the best rising companies in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Communications Minister Tarek Kamel is seeking to achieve $1.1 billion in exports of global outsourcing industry by the target year of 2011.
Indian delegation
A multi product trade delegation comprising 26 business persons and companies from the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India [EEPC INDIA] paid a recent visit to Cairo to explore avenues for trade and commerce between India and Egypt. The delegation represented Indian companies in the sectors of automotive components, industrial machinery and equipment, drilling rigs and mining equipment, electric and power equipment, lighting fixtures, plastic machinery, diesel engines, construction-scaffolding, cables, as well as municipal waste handling systems.
Outstanding
The United Nations has awarded Dr Mahmoud Fathallah its annual prize for individuals with outstanding work in the areas of population and health. He was chosen from among 81 candidates from different parts of the world. Dr Fathallah is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Assiut University’s Faculty of Medicine.
Poetry forum
The second Cairo International Arab Poetry Forum was held at the Cairo Opera House last Sunday. Poets and scholars from 23 Arab and non-Arab countries took part in the three-day event. Some 35 research papers were discussed, centring mainly on the issue of experimentation and innovation in poetry.