SEKEM Insight 09.2010

Nr. 97 - September 2010

Insight

SEKEM‘s Journal for Economy, Culture, and Society in Egypt

Editorial Dear Readers,

September 14th to 19th saw the Anniversary Conference of the “Alternative Nobel Prize” at Bonn, Germany. Its events met with great acclaim in the German and international media. Not only a number of journalists had arrived to meet laureates for interviews.

The recipients of the award also participated in a series of events in and around Bonn many of which were broadcast on national TV and radio. Jakob von Uexküll, the founder of the „Right Livelihood Award“, was also welcome guest to prime-time shows.

Ibrahim and Helmy Abouleish participated in events open to the public and gave multiple interviews. Many of these are now available on the Internet, for instance the WDR feature “Resonances” and a radio production produced by Deutschlandfunk Cologne. Several comprehensive productions on the prize itself are also available, for instance by the Bavarian and Hessian regional radio stations.

We have selected several of these broadcast and compiled a list of them for you in this issue. This way you too can participate in some of the week’s events even if you could not personally be there.

Your Team of Editors

Community

Future

Media

Social Life in SEKEM

Distinguished Activists Discuss Education

Interviews and New Reporting

Community in Diversity SEKEM allows everyone shaping life and work at the initiative a place in the community as co-worker or co-creator.

Individual and Society: at SEKEM everyone in the community has the opportunity to productively contribute to its development, as this pupil at a centre for special education.

A

s symbolized by the new “Sustainability Flower”, sustainable development in SEKEM unfolds along four dimensions of cultural life, social life, and economic life with all being embedded in ecologically sound practice of work and life. In the initiative, the cultural life encompasses educational, cultural, and religious activities while the social life (or “life of rights”) includes the conventions and societal regulations by which the

SEKEM community of people has chosen to govern itself.

This month SEKEM Insight continues its series of introductory articles on the four related chapters of the recently released “SEKEM Report on Sustainable Development 2009”. In September, we focus on the social life.

The dimension of “social life” is entirely about the community of people within the SEKEM initiative, and the agreements and social structure SEKEM Insight | September 2010 | Page 1

Economy

it has determined to give itself and its daily practice of life and work.

Additionally, the term “social life” also refers to the role SEKEM as a national and global actors plays in the community of peoples on a national, regional, and international level.

The position of the individual in society shapes human social relationships while at the same time the laws of a society both encourage and limit individual opportunities. In a fair and just society the individual human being is recognized with regard to his or her human rights, is considered equal in front of the law, and granted equal opportunities of participation. The establishment of a fair mode of cooperation of human beings on a global level, today and in the future, can be regarded as one key prerequisite for mankind’s peaceful development.

SEKEM Code of Conduct In August 2009, SEKEM established a Code of Conduct as a comprehensive overview of the framework of values that have always guided its activities. It applies to all SEKEM initiatives and its cooperation partners are expected to follow its principles as well. The Code contains commitments on legal compliance, business ethics and anti-corruption, labour standards and human rights, as well as environmental responsibility. The Code also outlines staff responsibilities and standard procedures that ensure that the regulations it stipulates are in fact adhered to.

State and Development: a static and a progressive value correspond to each indicator of the social life and the rights life according to a simple system of “traffic lights”.

rapidly changing world market prices.

The Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) has certified a large share of the product portfolio of SEKEM’s various commercial ventures.

Products not covered by the Fairtrade label are subject to other quality certifications - for instance Demeter - that likewise require compliance with international human rights frameworks in all cases and under all circumstances.

Health and Safety at Work In Egypt the SEKEM group of companies aims to lead by example specifically by providing a safe working environment to all its employees including health insurance and the provision of additional medical services.

All SEKEM companies are applying a “Health & Safety Management System” certified to the international standard OHSAS 18001 and a dedicated team in each company works to ensure its implementation and progressive improvement. The fully equipped SEKEM Medical Centre offers its medical services to all employees. It furthermore extends these services to the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and regions.

Fair Trade and Human Rights The SEKEM Code of Conduct explicitly states a commitment to protect and advocate human rights in all activities and spheres of influence of all SEKEM firms and social initiatives. To ensure human rights adherence along the value chain the SEKEM companies strictly enforce the Fairtrade standard’s principles. With regard to contracted farmers and suppliers they are being implemented through fair prices and long-term cultivation contracts securing greater independence from

Cultural Diversity and Gender Equality SEKEM promotes every individual’s right to equal treatment and the equality of women in society and the workplace. In all SEKEM institutions intercultural and religious differences are respected and valued with both Muslim and Christian rituals being practiced. At the beginning of 2009, SEKEM took part in the United Nations UNIFEM program “One Business Community...Equal Opportunity“.

As a result of this assessment, ISIS was pronounced best company for women to work at and was awarded the “Gender Equality Award 2009”. It scored better than all other competing Egyptian firms.

Diversity at SEKEM also refers to the creation of meaningful and productive work for employees suffering from handicaps. A special educational programme supervises their progress and provides assistance when needed.

Community Spirit at SEKEM SEKEM aims to develop community spirit among all its co-workers. It intends to not “only” provide them with adequate work conditions and financial remuneration but also strives to cater to everyone’s perception of sense and purpose in the workplace. Such a sense of belonging and motivation is not only important for good team-work but also the basis to advance individual development.

Additional to weekly meetings to which all co-workers may contribute, SEKEM is also regularly examining and publishing statistical data in its annual reports to improve employee satisfaction in all companies.

Global Corporate Citizenship On a political level SEKEM representatives work to bring sustainable development onto political agendas and improve policy-making on a national as well as international level.

Its topics of expertise remain sustainable agriculture and its potential to solve global problems and combat climate change, social entrepreneurship, and research and innovation for a green economy.

Magdalena Kloibhofer

SEKEM Insight | September 2010 | Page 2

Culture

Better Sustainability also in Education Laureates of the „Alternative Nobel Prize“ discuss their visions of more sustainable education at the Alanus University. that the current Western education system seems unsuitable for this task. It seems overly concerned with the advancement of critical thinking and the accumulation of intellectual knowledge, remarks Sulak Sivaraksa, who was awarded the “Alternative Nobel Prize” in 1995. For the Buddhist Descartes’ famous motto “Cogito ergo sum - I think therefore I am” symbolizes a dangerous concept of an overly individualistic world view solely oriented towards intellectual self-perception.

Martin Pacheco, Patrick van Rensburg, Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish, Sulak Sivaraksa, Swami Agnivesh, Prof.

Dr. Marcelo da Veiga, Dr. Ponna Wignaraja, Prof. Dr. Raúl Montenegro with students of the university.

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ight individuals are on stage, taking each other by their hands, trying to touch the other’s body with their clasped hands. The one who scores most “hits” wins. One of the eight is Alyn Ware, peace activist from New Zealand and recipient of the “Alternative Nobel Prize”. His practical exercise illustrates a true “handson” approach to conflict resolution. In fact, the winner of the game is the couple who does not fight with each other but achieves consensus with each of the two touching each other one after the other.

Abouleish around 300 participants and seven other recipients of the “Right Livelihood Award” discussed prospects for sustainable education.

The prize’s recipients are influential pioneers of global social and environmental movements and have been honoured by the Right Livelihood Foundation because they support a future worth living in through outstanding and often highly innovative ways of social, economic, scientific, or economic advancement.

During a 2-day event entitled “Rethinking Education” at the Alanus University, Bonn, also attended by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish Ware contirbuted his unique insights into the practice and the successes of peace education in New Zealand - work for which he was awarded the prestigious award in 2009. In doing so he demonstrated the importance of education in shaping a better future for everyone.

There is no doubt that education plays an important role in solving the global environmental and social problems of today. “But what kind of education do we need in order to help preserve the natural and social foundations of the world and responsibly shape our own future?” This, according to Marcelo da Veiga, Rector of the University Alanus, is one of the salient issues of today.

Over the course of the two days together with Ware and Ibrahim

The understanding was shared by many of the participating laureates

Sustainability, also in Education

Nicanor Perlas of the Philippines who works for fair globalization and who received the prize in 2003 together with Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish of Egypt also sees the danger “that education today is not about man but serves the economy, technology and the markets.“ Many education institutions merely provide to students the skills required by them to survive in the globalized economic system and to “adapt to a materialistic and technology-focused world.” Both argue for giving higher priority to intellectual and spiritual elements in education.

Only then, thinks Perlas, “can real values be formed”, one of the most important conditions for social and environmental advancement. The goal of any sustainable education must thus be to “advance human development”, he says. It must enable us “to understand who we are and what our role is in this world.”

Learning to Ask Ones Own Questions The event, which was open to students and the general public, met with great acclaim. “We can all make a difference but we need to ask ourselves what it is that we intend to achieve with our lives.” This insight is nothing new for Clara von Recklinghausen, a SEKEM Insight | September 2010 | Page 3

Culture

business student at Alanus University who participated in the event. She is now resolved to begin to more consciously investigate the community she lives in, and to open up to its opportunities more pro-actively. For Mathias Wanner, psychology student from Münster, the event above all succeeded in providing him with “concrete insights into the thinking of very active, very experienced people”. To bring students into direct and personal interaction with the many visionaries among the laureates and to allow for the discussion of their concepts and project achievements is one of the major aims of the university’s educational principles, according to rector da Veiga.

Student Tania Zuur who travelled from Sweden to attend the event and to experience the Nobel Prize winners pursues a very unique and innovative approach to studying. She belongs to an international group of young people who organize their studies without associating themselves with academic institutions in any formal way. “Everyone needs to identify his or her own questions, find a suitable scientific field of work, and then look for the appropriate institution and a supervisor from whom he or she may learn something.” If self-development is of primary importance, an academic diploma is unnecessary, she finds.

Role of Universities Today What role do universities play in the global education system today? Raul Montenegro, environmental activist from Argentina sees them as “factories in which cultural clones are produced.” Nicanor Perlas too is highly critical of the recent development of many universities into institutions that seem to begin to mainly train young students to effectively function in the globalized economy. In his view, however, the task of studying should rather focus on the encouragement of students and scientists to reflect on concepts frequently taken for granted and to question existing systems of belief. The mission of universities

Close encounters between the young and old: students talk to Dr. Ponna Wignaraja at the Alanus University.

is “to produce rebels “, as Swami Agnivesh, an activists from India and winner of 2004 pointed out in his final statement.

to offer a “Fundamental Studies” programme so far unheard of in the Arab world, Abouleish greatly relied on the experience of the Alanus University.

To innovate, stressed Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish, you also need the liberal arts and philosophy in addition to research in the exact sciences. In 2003 he had received the prize on behalf of SEKEM for the business model of the initiative that combines commercial success with social and cultural development. The Heliopolis University of Sustainable Development, his most recent educational project and final element in a number of educational institutions already created by SEKEM, explicitly adopts an interdisciplinary approach combining the exact sciences with the humanities and cultural studies.

Heliopolis University Opening in 2011

“Our planet is suffering from too much ‘linear thinking’”, says Abouleish, a world view that is promoted by scientific study if conducted alone. “We need art and philosophy to develop the imagination, to be able to see the world anew and come up with fresh ideas.” In his view this is the only way to long-term sustainable development and the potential for substantial change. He confesses that when developing the educational model of Heliopolis University, which intends

Based in Ismailia just east of Cairo the institution is scheduled to open in October 2011. It will be in search of far-sighted responses and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues in fields such as climate change, resource scarcity, population growth, or extreme poverty. It therefore aims to conduct mainly practiceoriented research to tackle the major challenges of the 21st Century to all of mankind. Abouleish is of the opinion that more academic institutions dedicated to fostering sustainable development are needed, specifically in Egypt. Thus the academic non-profit institution has explicitly dedicated its work to the goal of sustainable development and consequently intends to provide “sustainable education”, too.

Alanus University with material by Bijan Kafi

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More information: Alanus University www.alanus.edu Heliopolis University http://bit.ly/bYgD7l

SEKEM Insight | September 2010 | Page 4

Impressions

Impressions from SEKEM

ATOS Pharma, SEKEM’s phytopharmaceutical enterprise, was founded in 1986. The company produces pharmaceuticals based on natural ingredients and dietary supplements which are sold in Egypt and Middle East countries.

In recent years ATOS has very intensively cooperated with the Egyptian Industrial Modernization Centre (IMC) in order to stay competitive. Related projects included a completely revised salary structure for the company’s staff as well as improvements to the utilization of machinery, increases to productivity, and the reduction of waste generated by production.

Overall, the company today produces 55 different products. They include, for example, syrups, tablets, capsules, drops, and herbal infusions. 198 employees are presently working for the company, which generates about 14 percent of the total sales of the SEKEM Group and continues to grow. ATOS is responsible for about 15 percent of the waste produced by SEKEM. All commercial flights from ATOS employees are already being compensated by through “carbon offsetting” (CO2 certificates), and the waste water that comes from ATOS’ production is used for irrigation of non-agricultural plants adjacent to its site.

SEKEM Insight | September 2010 | Page 5

News in Brief

„One-World-Award“ Awarded at Rapunzel Festival

International Press Conference with SEKEM Representatives

“Alternative Nobel Prize” Attracts Media Attention

In the framework of a festive gala with over 700 invited guests from all over the world the laureates of this year’s 2. International „One World Award“ have been honoured on 17.

September2010. The Swiss entomologist, Dr. Hans Rudolf Herren and the Kenyan peasant Rachel Agola, will receive the artistic OWA statue from Joseph Wilhelm and a cash prize of 25,000 Euro – donated by RAPUNZEL The jury honours Bhaskar H. Save for his important role as an ambassador of organic agriculture in India. The so-called „One World „VIP“-Award“ is awarded for the first time this year going to an extraordinary individual who has worked to tremendous global impact, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Wangari Matu Maathai from Kenya. SEKEM‘s CEO Helmy Abouleish participated as finalist.

The General Anthroposophical Society, the School for Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum, and the Rudolf Steiner Archives are inviting to an International Press-Conference where culturally creative representatives of Anthroposophy from all continents will also be present.

Representatives of SEKEM will be participating in a round table on „Initiative – a Precondition for Fostering Peace”.

Opportunity for talk will be given after the event that is to take place on 4.

October in Dornach, Switzerland.

„A business caring for research, education, the arts, public health, and the protection of human rights, that provides thousands of employees with work, income, and a new perspective on life, that protects the environment, and even flourishes economically: it sounds like a miracle.”, the German radio station WDR3 wrote on occasion of a recent interview with Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish on SEKEM’s development.

„Globalisation only has a future if our resources are responsibly used and shared: materially and economically, spiritually and socially.“, said Joseph Wilhelm, founder and member of the board of RAPUNZEL Naturkost. „Our five ‚OWA’-finalists contribute to doing exactly this through their extraordinary achievements.“ The challenge of finding ways to benefit from the opportunities of globalization with the goal of making this world a better and fairer place and to preserve our planet as the basis of all life – this fact inspired organic pioneer Joseph Wilhelm, founder and Managing Director of RAPUNZEL Naturkost, to initiate the international “One World Award” in 2008. The “One World Award” is endowed with a prize money of 25,000 Euro and is awarded biannually under the auspices of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).

The press conference is part of the preparations for the 150. birthday celebrations in 2011. Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925), one of the most influential reformers of the 20th century, continues to inspire contemporary artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists throughout the world. He stood for a holistic understanding of the human being and Earth, founded Waldorf schools, and was the pioneer of biodynamic agriculture. His innovations shape our current cultural and everyday life in a number of ways, whether this expresses itself in a different approach to understanding nature and technology, medicine, cosmetics, or architecture. More than a thousand Waldorf schools, Kindergartens, and several hundred social-therapy centres worldwide as well as banks, clinics, and agricultural enterprises are to be found on all continents. They attest to the lasting impact of Steiner’s ideas.

At the turn of the 21st Century, Rudolf Steiner’s future-oriented impulses towards ecological responsibility, the relationship between work and money, a comprehensive understanding of human health, and the prevention of social inequities are gaining new urgency.

Source: One-World-Award

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More information: www.one-world-award.de

Source: Rudolf-Steiner-Archive

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More information: www.rudolf-steiner-2011.com

Together with various other radio and TV productions on the anniversary week of the “Alternative Nobel Prize” the interview is now available for access on the Internet. We have selected several additional features on individual laureates such as Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish, Helmy Abouleish, and the prize itself, and compiled the following list.

Links marked * refer to interviews with Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish.

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WDR Resonanzen http://bit.ly/aHRFKu Bayrischer Rundfunk http://bit.ly/b3Cst7 Hessischer Rundfunk http://bit.ly/aaVBvb Deutschlandfunk Köln http://bit.ly/bphPCa

Masthead: The editors of SEKEM Insight wish to thank all contributors to this issue.

Editors: Christina Boecker Bijan Kafi Contact: SEKEM-Insight c/o SEKEM Holding P.O.Box 2834, El Horreya, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt insight@SEKEM.com Pictures: 2,3: Alanus University; 1,5: Bijan Kafi No republication without written consent by the publisher.

SEKEM Insight | September 2010 | Page 6