Nr. 89 - January 2010
Insight
SEKEM‘s Journal for Economy, Culture, and Society in Egypt
Editorial Dear Readers,
Renewable energies are still having a hard time in the Middle East. Egypt is no exception in that regard. The reason lies in fossil fuels still being sold at incredibly low prices - so low that alternative energy sources cannot compete. Until recently gas was often cheaper than bottled mineral water.
Environment
Research
Partnerships
Renewable Energy Sources
University Holds Foundational Event
SEKEM Scandinavia Founded
SEKEM Inaugurates First Solar and Wind Power Plants
Thus change is not easily brought about. But in light of the likely depletion of oil and gas reserves in the future in the Gulf region and North Africa, Egypt, too, has no time to loose. However, as long as the markets do not create the appropriate economic circumstances the governments will have to offer incentives for conventional energy producers to switch. And those who begin considering the new opportunities early will start from a pole position in the decades to come. Recently SEKEM has erected the first plants for the production of solar and wind energy on the rooftops of its administration buildings. They could be the founding stone for an impulse towards lasting change in the sector. A change SEKEM has already succeeded in bringing about once in bio-dynamic farming.
Your Editors
The new plants for the generation of renewable solar and wind power on the roof of the SEKEM administration
Until today there are no feed-in tariffs for clean energy from renewable sources in Egypt. The first legislative proposal is currently being negotiated in the parliament. However the costs to produce energy the conventional way remain artificially low at around 3 Eurocent per kilowatt hour of electricity due to extensive subsidies from the Egyptian government. They have so far precluded renewable energies from taking any substantial hold on the energy market. Against this background the SEKEM Initiative is now taking a significant step forward by inaugurating the first plants for the generation of clean solar and wind energy on the rooftops of its organic food store close to the Cairo administration offices. Both plants have now entered regular use and produce 3,6 kilowatts (solar) and 2 kilowatts (wind) respectively. SEKEM’s new plants do not only contribute to decreasing energy costs at the headquarter’s offices. They are also a visible symbol of the importance SEKEM places in the investments in renewable energies as modern and sustainable energy sources.
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Economy
The initiative intends to invest more in the sector of both generation and usage of sustainable forms of energy. As the production of energy contributes to a significant extent to sustainable development SEKEM would like to enter the Egyptian energy market in the long run not only as a customer but also as a producer. This is supposed increase the ability of the initiative to have a positive and lasting effect on societal development in the country. This way it can also help other partners to enter the sector successfully. The core challenge is still the provision of a legislative and regulative framework for businesses wishing to contribute to the advancement of an area that is still young in Egypt. SEKEM already cooperates with producers of wind and solar power and is now actively looking to expand its network of partners. However, by doing so SEKEM does not intend to reinvent the wheel. If partners will be able to contribute technological know-how a cooperation will be of mutual benefit. SEKEM would then provide the required infrastructure. It has already begun to establish longterm relationships with international partners from the energy sector while being hard at work to contribute to the implementation of a distribution network in Egypt. Its 30-year experience in Egypt as well as the excellent reputation of the SEKEM firms can help with successfully entering the market. As highly qualified personnel is still in short supply SEKEM also offers the required training and research facilities as well as those of the upcoming Heliopolis University. They provide an ideal basis to locally generate the required expertise. For some time to come production costs will remain to be the biggest obstacle. Egypt is in need of both the technical possibilities and the infrastructure to be able to afford the necessary rise in energy prices. SEKEM’s initiative may be seen as an early step in the right direction of opening up a promising sector that will reveal its benefits only in the longer run. Martin Haagen, Bijan Kafi
New Tea Packaging Machine Arrives
SEKEM Ships First Metal Products By the middle of January the first shipment of metal products crafted at the SEKEM Vocational Training Centre had left the initiative’s premises towards Germany. The recipient was SEKEM’s new partner, the TWL Technologie GmbH in Eckernförde in Northern Germany.
The new tea packaging machine IMA C27
Already at the end of December 2009 ISIS was able to receive and install the latest addition to its production lines: the third IMA-C27-series tea packaging machine. The new machine allows the packaging of tea bags with a new paper wrapper. The sealed envelope system is already popular in many other countries and is best suited to the needs of the hospitality sector. Single tea bags can be offered in their individual wrappers in a hygienic and aesthetic way that also protects the aroma. The new machine is now able to pack up to 15.000 tea bags in one hour. It creates four new workplaces directly at the production line and thus also helps SEKEM fulfil its mission of expanding the labour market in a notoriously underdeveloped region of the country. ISIS’ marketing team had eagerly awaited the delivery and setup of the new machine. To the surprise of many turnover of ISIS teas had picked up by 40% towards the end of 2009. The tremendous growth does not only reflect the quality of ISIS’ products but also the remarkable trust consumers have come to place in the SEKEM brand. Demand surpassed all expectations.
The TWL-Technologie GmbH produces storage water heaters and in the long term would like to manufacture the devices in Egypt with the help of SEKEM. It has thus also provided the necessary machines to begin production of the required brass parts. The first flanges that have now been produced will be used for installing heat exchangers inside the heaters themselves. Smaller brass parts will be used for the attachment of corresponding insulation rings. The partners aim to substantially expand production at SEKEM that shall also lead to an entire range of storage water heaters. But even the limited production runs of today already require highly accurate and timely execution - an excellent training that suitably supplements the education of the students at the VTC. Helmy Abouleish had met the CEO of the TWL GmbH in September 2008. Both are now also looking forward to cooperating in the field of solar energy. The new partnership also benefits the education and training of SEKEM students who are presented with “real life cases” to sharpen their skills. Martin Haagen, Bijan Kafi
The new capacity that is available immediately now allows not only to satisfy the demand of today. It also secures ISIS’ ability to provide high quality teas to a market that keeps on growing at a fast pace in the near and also farther future. Christina Boecker
The first products from SEKEM‘s iron works
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Culture
Heliopolis University Opens Dialogue on the Role of the University in Society On 9 and 10 January Egyptian and international academic dignitaries, scientists, and entrepreneurs as well as representatives from the media came together to put together the institutional concept of the Heliopolis University.
The Heliopolis University starts off into the new year by opening itself to the world. For two days under the leadership of Prof. Ibrahim Abouleish all elements of the forthcoming institution were put to a thorough test by a group of seasoned experts: from its philosophy and vision to the organisational structure to the specific curricula of the individual faculties. The invited partners were in agreement that the Heliopolis University aims to be a unique institution both in terms of its focus on sustainable development, practical education instead of pure science, and the combination of theory, research, and practice in the form of a new “educational paradigm”. The need to put down the first concrete plans and concepts made it necessary to call for a 2-day extensive workshop dealing with shape and structure of the institution’s individual faculties. Expectations concerning the level of innovation, the character of knowledge to be taught, and the importance of a lasting impact on society and the individual student all come together in the vision or idea any institution. A university should be at all times conscious about its role in society in both
The first events have begun to take place under the auspices of the Heliopolis University.
history and present. It faces the challenge to translate that heritage into a modern concept that responds to the needs of the people and stakeholders. Crucial to the success of an academic institution is first and foremost its teaching personnel. It shapes the living form of the institution and the careers of its many students through research, teaching style, disciplinary ideology, and the ability to translate complex science into applied knowledge. A precondition for the positive development of the professors and lecturers is full and comprehensive freedom in research and teaching alike. It should be supplemented by targeted ongoing professional education available to all. Flat hierarchies are a basic requirement for a work environment that is conducive to creative production. Aside from the appointment of professors the procedure for selecting students was among the main points on the agenda as it was considered particularly important for the perception of the institution in society. Representatives from businesses in Egypt underlined that a reliable preselection would be of the utmost relevance to their long-term support. It should not only focus on a simple “Numerus Clausus” but also include a profile of the individual aspirant that accurate reflects his or her abilities. A system has now been devised that will place any applicant in challenging real-life situations that resemble actual conditions in businesses and organisations. It will include personal interviews as well as language and knowledge tests. Given such a system, all entrepreneurs agreed, they would be very interested in providing bursaries for exceptional students.
The second day of the event was dedicated to the design of the „core product“ of the Heliopolis University: the curricula that will allow students to obtain recognised certificates. It quickly became clear that it would be of prime importance to establish the right balance between generalist and specialist approaches to education. Theory, research, and practical educational elements should be included on an equal basis. The precise shape of the upcoming “studium fundamentale” - a programme of fundamental studies focussing on the liberal arts - was controversially discussed. Discussants focused on the extent to which additional subjects aside from art should be supplementary to the regular curricula or be integrated into the courses. Various different forms for the integration of practical study periods into the regular taught programmes were also considered: as internships, social projects in the surrounding peasant communities, or summer trainings in the desert under the guidance of Egyptian indigenous peoples. Participants underlined the need to foster a culture of collaborative learning and working. Students could learn this best when working with experienced entrepreneurs and practitioners of a large variety of fields. The university could enter into cooperation parnters with international partners to create “spaces for experience” and participate in inter-institutional activities, for instance with laureates of the „Alternative Nobel Prize“. Svenja Bromberg
You Can visit SEKEM: www.SEKEM-reisen.de www.demeter-reisen.de
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Culture
Norwegian SEKEM Support Association Founded with Extensive Event Programme New Scandinavian support association joins other European groups supporting the SEKEM initiative.
A new SEKEM support association has been founded in the first week of December 2009 in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. Bearing the name “SEKEM Scandinavia” the new group joins forces with multiple existing societies across Europe. Together with organisations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland there are now five groups of “SEKEM friends” actively supporting the initiative through innovative ideas, practical assistance, and financial support. Several of the large scale projects of the past years have been realised with substantial support from individuals organised in any of these groups including the “13-villages-project”, an extensive poverty alleviation initiative co-financed by the European Commission. Ragnhild Nilsen from Norway had worked on the idea of an independent Norwegian society for a long time. Its inauguration was now celebrated within the framework of an extensive range of events held at various locations over several days. The events also served as the backdrop for the presentation of some first publications. Prof. Ibrahim Abouleish travelled to Oslo to take part in some of the celebrations. He was joined by representatives from other societies such as Corien Hoek (Holland) and Marion Spielmann (Austria). The programme comprised events open to the academic and general public and included speeches, workshops and plenaries in several locations and at multiple institutions. The „Oslo University College“, the „Anthroposophical University College at Frogner“, and the „UMB“ (University of Life Sciences and Agriculture) were involved in the events that also included discussions with students, professors, and other academic staff. The speech held at the UMB by Prof. Abouleish on “SEKEM: How to run a profitable agricultural business contributing to sustainability and socio-cultural development” attracted a great number of scientists, students, and other visitors. First on the agenda was again the topic of the Heliopolis University and its impending foundation. Talks centring around the question of how international academic institutions could assist in its development lead to a number of contacts in science and research to be developed in the coming months. The organisers had mobilised the entire spectrum of proactive public relations and the events attracted extensive attention. As usual the public events again featured a wide range of products from the various SEKEM firms and - for the first time - a number of “clean textiles” such as towels made from organic cotton and produced at Naturetex. Also avail-
Prof. Ibrahim Abouleish also visited the anthroposophical initiative at Jaerna and met with representatives.
able were a number of informational and educational materials aimed at visitors interested in the economic aspects of the SEKEM venture. Ragnhild Nilsen had initially developed the towels as a “commercial supplement” to the social and cultural development goals of the Norwegian society. They have already gone on sale nationwide in many large retail chains and are used by major hotels as well. Prof. Ibrahim Abouleish in Oslo also met with the Egyptian Ambassador to Norway, Tamer A. Khalil, as well as the Norwegian Minister for Energy and Development, Erik Solheim. He also supported the initiative Global Fair Trade through a speech underlining the urgent need to transform globalization into a development that is beneficial also for the poor specifically through fairer trade agreements. His tour was eventually concluded by a visit to the award ceremony of the “Alternative Nobel Prize” in Stockholm and a brief excursion to the anthroposophical initiative at Jaerna where he met with representatives for a discussion and an exchange of experience. Christina Boecker
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More information: http://www.sekemscandinavia.com http://www.sekem-freunde.de http://www.sekemoesterreich.at http://www.sekemvrienden.nl/ Page 4
News
New Online Portal for Anthroposophic Medicine
Professional Education at the SEKEM Bakery
Doctors, therapists, and patients in search of professional information on anthroposophic medicine in the English language now have a new Internet-based resource at their disposal. The new online portal is named AnthroMedLibrary and is run by the organisation „Physicians Association for Anthroposophic Medicine (PAAM)“ in the USA and is supported by the health magazine Lilipoh Publishing. The new site is publicly available at www.anthromed.org.
Already at the beginning of the new year master baker Peter Fischer from Allensbach, Switzerland led a threeday professional education course at the SEKEM bakery. Fischer who regularly works at an institution for curative care had been a guest on the SEKEM Farm for 8 days to familiarize himself with the initiative and its manifold social projects.
It is the goal of the portal to make available „a resource on anthroposophic medicine as it exists in global comparison and to steadily expand the offering also to improve public perception of anthroposophic medicine with the general public“ Lilipoh writes in a press release. The site offers full-text search and can be used at no charge. At this time its database includes more than 500 lectures, articles, and books, clinical studies, and research materials. Some
It was the aim of the education project to introduce Egyptian bakers to a more extensive range of bread varieties common in Europe but largely unknown in North Africa and the Middle East. In the future they are also to be produced at the bakery that supplies all co-workers’ canteens and the initiative’s „Organic and MoreShops“ in Egypt.
running machines require a very careful preparation of raw materials to be used. The new pellet process first presses the herbs and then grinds them again to granules. This allows a higher weight per individual volume unit and also promotes a more equal quality of the final product. The past years have brought tea bag packaging machines that run faster and faster and thus require more and more precise preparation of the herbs and spices to be used. The new machine can now process approximately 50-100kg of herbs per hour. Co-workers at Lotus have already been introduced to the new machine and will now be able to expand their product range yet again with a new variety. Christophe Floride
The tangible results of the training exercise eventually included Ciabatta, coarse-ground bread made from rye, as well as “Laugenbrezeln”, a specific type of pastry typical to regions of Southern Germany. Sandra Pöttrich
clinical trials and associated documents are only available to medical doctors. Anthroposophic doctors and international anthroposophic medical organisations will receive access to the database states Lilipoh. The new website is also interested in featuring articles and other contributions by international practitioners including researchers and specialised medical doctors and researchers. The organisers are hoping for substantial contributions to the portal by its users in the future: „We explicitly invite practitioners and therapists in all areas of anthroposophic medicine to contribute their work and studies for publication on our pages“ the organisers state. Source: NNA (translation by SEKEM Insight)
SEKEM Inaugurates New Pellet Production Plant In January 2010 SEKEM’s firm Lotus could inaugurate a new pellet production plant for herbs on its premises near Belbeis. The new machine now allows to prepare the individual portions of light herbs such as chamomile or tilia buds even better for packaging on the tea bag packaging line. The highly complex, sensitive, and fast-
Imprint: Publisher: SEKEM, Egypt The editorial team of SEKEM Insight would like to thank all correspondents who have contributed to this edition. Editors: Christina Boecker Bijan Kafi Contact: SEKEM-Insight c/o Sekem Holding P.O.Box 2834 El Horreya, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt
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