Mubarak has stepped down.
Through peaceful, patient & persistant demonstrations, the people have won.
I can’t beging to express how moved I am.
Egypt’s path forward won’t be simple or easy, but I trust this is the first of many positive steps towards a peaceful & free future.
He’s gone, alhamdulillah, he’s gone.
I’m not going to pretend I have anything insightful, important or new to say about what’s happening in Egypt. I’m a foreigner & an outsider, but I still can’t tear myself away from following the developments through Twitter/Al Jazeera/Facebook.
I appreciate everyone who has started a conversation about this with me, asked questions, showed doubted and expressed concern.
Here are some recommendations for more information:
Al Jazeera’s live-stream
Al Jazeera staff Twitter accounts
A Primer On Following Egyptian Protests On Twitter from NPR
We Are All Khaled Said Facebook group [my post on the Khaled Said event this summer is here]
Really, that this is happening isn’t much of a surprise. The Egyptian public hasn’t been happy with Mubarak for years [decades!]. I think what’s most striking are the images of places I have frequented many times.
I can’t help but wonder what permanent changes this will bring about, but I hope they’re all for the better.
Kasr al-Nil bridge, connecting Tahrir to the Opera House.
June:
January:
From The New Yorker
Midan Tahrir [the center of the protests]
June:
January:
From Foreign Policy
The friends I’ve heard from in Egypt are all safe, thankfully.
On Saturday there was a protest in Dearborn to show solidarity. They rallied in front of City Hall, which happens to be directly across the street from the museum. I’m happy to be part of everything in some very small way.
From the Free Press
I trust that the coming months will bring a safe, secure and equitable future to Egypt.
This week is CRAZY & I was up after 1am doing work last night, so my NaBloMoPo post was definitely forgotten. Today is just as busy, but I do want to share this quote.
It’s from the Librarians for Human Rights blog:
If I were to summarize everything I learned through research in ICT4D, it would be this: technology—no matter how well designed—is only a magnifier of human intent and capacity. It is not a substitute. If you have a foundation of competent, well-intentioned people, then the appropriate technology can amplify their capacity and lead to amazing achievements. But, in circumstances with negative human intent, as in the case of corrupt government bureaucrats, or minimal capacity, as in the case of people who have been denied a basic education, no amount of technology will turn things around.
It succinctly & clearly sums up many of my thoughts on technology & it’s role in development.
Enjoy today!
As promise, a post full of interesting information-y things!
I love this banned books display from Strode’s College in Surrey. Controversial books were covered in brown paper and the reason they’re banned is written on the front – such as “I am Anti-Catholic” and “I Contain Scenes of Masturbation.”
The Great Book Robbery is a documentary that covers the looting of Palestinian libraries in 1948 – you can watch the trailer online. This ties in with a paper I wrote last year – the targeted distruction of archives & libraries as a form of cultural genocide. Here’s an quote from the film:
60,000 Palestinian books were systematically looted by the newly born State of Israel during the 1948 war. The story of the stolen books is not only at the heart of our project but also the launching pad of a much bigger and wider endeavor: We intend on communicating the scope and depth of the Palestinian tragedy through the destruction of Palestinian culture in 1948.
And a quote from the website:
For decades Zionist and Israeli propaganda described the Palestinians as “people without culture.” Thus, the victorious Israeli state took upon itself to civilise the Palestinians who remained within its borders at the end of the 1948 war: They were forbidden to study their own culture or to remember their immediate past; their memory was seen as a dangerous weapon that had to be suppressed and controlled.
Check out this second grade exam from 1870. I wonder how many 2nd graders in this era would be prepared to answer questions such as “What is true politeness? and give several rules for good manners” or “Describe the different between an Absolute Monarchy, and a Republic” or “Mention two types of plants used for manufacturers, two used for beverages, and two used for medicinal purposes.” Also, check out number 18 – yikes!
I starred this one a few months ago, but it’s still very useful & relevant – a collection of links on copyright, fair use and blogging.
Lastly, I decided to get some reading glasses tonight. I’ve been having some really intense headaches while doing homework this semester & it’s really affecting my productivity. I can’t afford a real eye exam, but the non-prescription glasses from the drugstore are good enough for my needs. Although I felt a little silly trying them on tonight, I can already tell a difference.
Here’s a gratuitious & awkward photo of Gwen & my four-eyed self:
Now it’s back to reading about metadata before [attempting] to go to bed early. Hopefully some pre-bedtime yoga will help ward off my insomnia.
Have a great week!!
Two days ago I saw cherries at the store! I bought a big bowl, soaked them in a vinegar rinse, scrubbed them with antibacterial soap & I’m now enjoying them [& will hopefully not be getting sick from them]. This the first time I’ve had cherries since Bulgaria, when Joel’s host family had trees in their yard. I don’t understand why, since Americans are so intent on planting trees & shrubs & other things in their yards that it’s not something useful like fruit trees.
Krupnik cherries
This past week has been probably the business/craziness/stressful week since I’ve been here. Thankfully, the weekend is close & hopefully I can find some time to relax, unwind & prepare myself for an awesome last 3 weeks.
I can’t believe I leave in 25 days! It’s only now thatI’m getting on my feet and getting my cultural bearings – I’m not ready to go back so soon! However, I AM ready to start running again – it does wonders for my body, my mental health & it’s a chance to be alone, enjoying nature.
This past week I’ve been lucky enough to host another guest – Mariyana, my language trainer from the Peace Corps came from Bulgaria & stayed with us for the week! It was SO amazing to see her again after two years, to help her explore Cairo & to use my Bulgarian again. She went home yesterday afternoon, but we had a great time while she was here. Bonus was the music in the cab ride to/from the airport – Elton John, Eminem, Shakira & Daft Punk. Nile.fm plays all the hits!
Melnik with Mariyana & Rozen, 2008
World Cup fever has definitely come to Egypt! Personally, I know nothing about football & I don’t much care to learn, but the excitement is contagious! Every cafe I’ve been to lately is showing the games, with all chairs facing the tv & all eyes captivated. A cafe near our house even put up flags from all different countries. Even when I’m not watching the game, I know when one’s on from the cheers coming from the cafe across the street.
Managing a Twitter account for the RBSCL has been really great, not only in terms of promoting the library & sharing information about other libraries & archives, but I’ve learned so much about from the Egyptians I follow [the tweeps, if you will]. Right now I’ve been following the story of Khaled Said – a young man who was beaten to death in a cafe in Alexandria. There’s a good summary of the story here & [quite graphic] photos & info here.
The photos make my stomach churn, but in a way I think I needed to see them – just hearing “beaten to death” sounds terrible enough, but without something to anchor my perception to, it’s hard to imagine what that really means. The photos, the face, the story – they give it gravity. The good news is that the government has agreed to a new autopsy.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated event in Egypt – abuse of power, torture and police brutality are a fact of life here. That’s what inspires me so much about the people I’ve come across on Twitter – they don’t stop fighting & they don’t give up. If only I had something more to contribute to this cause – I feel so inadequate & useless. As it is, I’m afraid to go to a protest because I’d probably be arrested, which I’m not opposed to, but I’d like to be able to speak Arabic first. Anyways, you can check out my “Egypt” list on Twitter & see for yourself.
I signed up for an informational webinar on research Fulbrights & have been emailing with a UM professor about auditing Arabic next year. Even if I don’t come back as a Fulbright scholar, or even at all, I think Arabic will serve me well. Also, I’m ready to be fluent in a second language [Bulgarian really isn't all that helpful].
Wow, I apologize for such an un-eloquent post…
At least tomorrow’s Thursday & then it’s the weekend, which will be full of lots of rest & possibly a trip to the beach.
Ciao!
