Nr. 87 - November 2009
Insight
SEKEM‘s Journal for Economy, Culture, and Society in Egypt
Editorial Dear Reader,
for many years once a month SEKEM Insight has been trying to let co-workers, friends, and partners catch a glimpse of what is going on inside the initiative. Over the years the role of the newsletter has changed: more pictures, longer articles, guest writers, and a greater emphasis on „green“ topics have enlarged and altered both its form and its content. 4 years have passed since SEKEM Insight has been visually overhauled for the last time. With this year’s 11th issue the newsletter receives a more thorough makeover. A fresh layout brings more colours, text that is easier to read and even more images. SEKEM Insight also opens to the world in terms of its content. A greater number of articles will deal with issues of sustainability and the “green sector”. SEKEM Insight’s new aim will be to put more emphasis on the collaborative work of SEKEM and its partners for their common goals in Egypt and abroad. It will take a while until all glitches have been ironed out. We hope that SEKEM Insight will then be an even more pleasurable read for you. Let us know if you miss something and tell us what you like or dislike. We value all input that we receive at insight@sekem.com.
Your Team of Editors
Environment
Economy
Culture
Helmy Abouleish and Al Gore in Kopenhagen
The Date Harvest has Begun
Eurythmy at the Alexandria Festival
Helmy Abouleish and Al Gore Discuss Climate Change
Helmy Abouleish talks about the impact of agriculture on climate change at a summit on the topic in New York
They first met at the UN Summit on Climate Change at the end of September in New York. There, Helmy Abouleish, CEO of the SEKEM Holding, and Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States of America, were both attending a press conference on the summit. A mutual basis was easily found: their untiring commitment to protect the climate and the conviction that agriculture should play a more prominent role in the struggle to fight climate change. Both met again on 27 and 28 October in the Middle East. Helmy Abouleish met Gore in Dubai and brought him to Cairo where Gore was supposed to attend “Egypt’s Business Summit on Climate Change” organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. On the flight the two had four hours to exchange their experiences and latest scientific results in climate protection. “Al Gore is very pragmatic but always has an anecdote to tell. I found him to be very inspiring,” says Helmy Abouleish. The most Continued on page 4
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Economy
At SEKEM the Date Harvest has Begun Especially during wintertime when days are short and rainy the sombre weather has a negative influence on the mood of many. It is the time of the year when dried fruit become popular again.
main source of income for many of the oasis-dwelling groups of Egyptians. Until only recently, many of them lived very isolated lives in remote villages that were difficult to reach and its cultures largely disconnected from the rest of Egypt. For farmer Zouhier bio-dynamic agriculture today is the only sustainable method of farming and for a simple reason. It has not only retained the quality of its soils but even improved them over the past years. He has now begun to also grow liquorice and other spices that he can later sell to SEKEM in the shades of the giant palm trees scattered about his plantations.
SEKEMs co-workers need their skills to work in the lofty heights of the date palm trees
Dried fruits protect the aroma and the sweetness of the sun-spoiled summer days. No wonder that demand for SEKEM’s dates increases during the wintertime and right before the Christmas holidays. Sweet to the taste and especially rich in easily digestible carbon hydrates dried fruits are the perfect energy supply during work or leisure time and have been valued for millennia in many countries of the Middle East for their delicious taste. In fact, a traditional dish made from dates and milk is used to conclude the ritual annual feasting during the month of Ramadan (Islamic month of feasting). The dates that leave SEKEM’s packaging plant are from the WesternEgyptian oases such as the “Oasis Siwa”, hence the name “Siwa Dates”. This specific Egyptian variety is known to be very juicy and sweet. For ages the dates grown in oases have been the
To provide for the best possible quality Zouhier has to carefully tend to his dates throughout the entire year. Already in summer when the spadices show the first signs of the later fruits they are being packaged beginning at the top of the tree using nets to protect them from insects. Only the female trees bear fruit and in September when it is time for the harvest Zouhier and his neighbours from the oasis climb each of the trees again to collect the dates.
tinue to develop. Sometimes a white residue may appear on the surface of the fruits: crystallised fructose. At ISIS the hard work has now only just begun. Many days during the year are spent by co-workers removing the kernels from the dates and carefully examining them for damage from insects. Only the highest quality fruits are picked and packaged for customers in Egypt and overseas. Squashed dates are only used for syrups and other by-products. The dates are now checked again both manually and in the laboratory. The examiners check for the complete removal of the kernel, cleanness, and microbiological or chemical residue. Depending on the preference of the customer the dates are filled with nuts and packaged in cartons or in baskets made from natural fibres. They are then sold in bulk to supermarkets in Egypt, and the neighbouring Arab countries such as Dubai or Saudi Arabia. However, more and more are also being shipped to organic food stores in Germany or Austria. Christina Boecker
The fruits - still red and bitter - are then laid out to dry directly on the site to develop their own sweetness while their skin turns brown and crumples. On the SEKEM Farm in the facilities of ISIS the dates are then carefully washed and dried again, now in large ovens. The temperature inside is carefully controlled by quality engineers to make sure that the drying level of the fruits is optimal and provides for a maximum shelf life of several months without any reduction in quality. Therefore the dried fruit cannot attract mold or perish - only their sugars con-
Packaging of dates in ISIS‘ refrigerated storage facilities
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Economy
Congress on Eco-Social Business Shows Practical Ways out of Modern Crises Helmy Abouleish, Franz Alt and Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, discuss eco-social ways out the crises of poverty and climate change
Helmy Abouleish is convinced that organic agriculture can solve the problem of climate change. The CEO of the SEKEM Holding used plenty of practical examples to illustrate his point at the preparatory conference of the „Vision Summit 09“ in Berlin, for instance, how Egyptian soils can be fertilised through organic compost and CO2-equivalent emissions can be sequestered or entirely avoided. The preconference on eco-social business organised by the Federal Association Organic Food and Organic Products (BNN) Production and Trade on 7 November 2009 in Berlin brought together a great number of thinkers and practitioners from economics, industries, politics, and the media. From 4 – 9 November the Vision Summit presented projects, ideas, and visions that carry forward the impulse of social entrepreneurship to solve social problems through economic means. It was the aim of the congress to incite change and provide participants with practical solutions to urgent problems without focussing only on theoretical analysis, says BNN’s CEO Elke Röder. Thomas Jorberg, Speaker of the Directorate of the GLSBank, also spoke of “limitations in thinking” when referring to the deficits in fighting climate change and tackling other urgent problems of today: „We have demonstrated great resolve in fighting the financial crisis. We could easily direct the same enthusiasm into fighting other problems of today.
There is no lack in material or financial means.“ According to Jorberg the economic world view unnaturally skews reality in a destructive way that will have negative consequences even when viewed only from an entrepreneurial standpoint: „The idea of a ‘return on investment on any cost’ does not make sense at all, even from an entirely economic standpoint. As an entrepreneur I first and foremost have to think of my customers and his interests.“ He contrasted the economic world view with the alternative concept of his own bank as an expression of the vision of “sustainable banking”: „Sustainability also means to ask yourself every day: does it makes sense to invest in this? Yes, it does make sense to finance ecological and social sustainability“. Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, had initially demanded the founding of so-called „social enterprises“ that specifically aim at tackling social and environmental problems . „When you stop seeing the world only from a perspective of profit maximisation but begin to think in terms of social benefits, you perceive the entire world differently“, says the founder of the Grameen Bank from Bangladesh.
„We have demonstrated exceptional resolve in fighting the financial crisis. We can show the same enthusiasm in solving our urgent world problems.“
Long-standing partner of SEKEM and friend Ulrich Walter, CEO of the Ulrich-Walter-GmbH with its Lebensbaum brand, demonstrated how it is possible to act responsibly and value-driven along the entire value chain from the coffee plantation into the organic food store. In this context he pointed to the code of conduct of the organic food sector that is the first example of an entire sector laying down its own guiding principles. The event eventually lead to a network of international actors of all generations and many sectors of sustainable business. The participants demanded the topic of agriculture to be integrated into the next Kyoto-Plus-Protocol. This would serve as a strong incentive for the conversion of conventional to organic agriculture specifically in developing countries. Bijan Kafi with material from BNN Muhammad Yunus demans „social enterprises“ to tackle the world‘s most urgent problems
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More Informationen at: http://www.n-bnn.de Page 3
Culture
Alex Fest Brings Europe and the Mediterranean Closer Together SEKEM Eurythmy Ensemble takes part in a festival organised by the Anna-Lindh-Foundation for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue in Alexandria Continued from page 1
On 16 October 2009 the Anna-Lindth-Foundation for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue organised the first annual „Farah el Bahr“ cultural festival in the Egyptian coastal town of Alexandria. The 1-day event forming a part of the city festival „Alex Fest“ was held in the historical citadel „Qaitbey“. It’s aim was to bring together artists from the Mediterranean neighbour states and Europe in the framework of a pan-Mediterranean dialogue of cultures. Plus, it aimed at raising awareness for all forms of Egyptian folk art specifically in the Egyptian audience. The SEKEM Eurythmy Ensemble had been invited to participate. The event was held in the exact same spot where the renowned Alexandria lighthouse had been erected millennia ago. As part of the 7 wonders of the ancient world it sent its light up to 50km out into the Mediterranean Sea. „Farah el Bahr“, meaning „Wedding of the Seas“, was a befitting name for the event to which the Anna-Lindh-Foundation had invited individual artists and groups alike. Folk dance and theatre groups as well as music ensembles and other artists from the European and Egyptian arts scenes formed part of the programme. The preparations for the SEKEM ensemble’s performance in white eurythmy dresses and colourful silk scarfs quickly drew the attention of the visitors. The colours of the scarfs fascinated the audience and encouraged curious questions: „What kind of dance is that? When are you going to perform?“ However, noContinued on page 5
important issue that emerged from their talks was the need to identify strategies that would be appropriate to Egypt’s specific modern needs. Sustainable agriculture holds great potential as one hectare of healthy soil can store up to 7.5 tons of carbon dioxide. However, as most of Egypt’s arable land is not maintained in sustainable ways soils continue to emit more greenhouse gas than they absorb. Thus Gore doubts that agriculture will be included in the new Kyoto follow-up treaty this December. Nevertheless both agreed to keep on promoting the issue with a view to pushing for its inclusion in a protocol next year. Al Gore has also dedicated an full chapter to the issue in his latest book. He sees great opportunities for Egypt in “Desertec”, a multinational solarthermal energy project to be built in North Africa. The technology uses the immense natural resources available in its deserts. The project would bring key technologies to Egypt and help the country reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, argues Gore. Abouleish and Gore jointly plan a conference on the project’s opportunities and challenges that will be organised in cooperation with the Industrial Modernisation Center (IMC) of Egypt. Both will meet again in December in Copenhagen. Helmy Abouleish will be part of the Egyptian delegation as the only business man amongst 22 governmental delegates. His personal goal for the negotiations is to push for a more proactive approach to fighting climate change. Bianca Fliß
SEKEM’s Eurythmy Ensemble at the „Farah El Bahr“ festival in front of the historic citadel
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More information at: http://www.350.org
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Culture
Impressions from SEKEM Continued from page 4
one could really tell. „We are waiting“… „well, then we will join you!“, many participants replied. „We would like to take a picture!“ A number of children came to touch the scarfs that coincidentally seemed to remind them of the kites they raised that day into the blue skies over Alexandria. A small patch of soil had to suffice for the Eurythmy performance itself - the stage that had been erected specifically for the event could not support the entire ensemble. Most of the Egyptian visitors showed eager interest in the unusual presentation. Small children could not wait to try out the eurythmy movements themselves. Particularly impressive to many were a well-known poem by the Arab poet Khalil Gibran: „Ateni naija wa rani“ (Hand me the flute and sing as the voice is the secret of eternity; and the sound of the flute, it remains even though all life must perish“ ) and a poem of the Lebanese poet Michael Nuweima, „Ja Bahru“ ( Oh, sea!). The latter tells of the ebb and flow of the sea and the metaphorical counterpart to this image, the human soul. The immediate proximity of the sea contributed to the exceptional atmosphere at the site during the performance. The use of modern technologies allowed for the music and the recital to be audible far beyond the borders of the citadel and well within the city of Alexandria. Most visitors noticed the close connection between the movements of the eurythmy ensemble and the poetic language only when systems failed for a brief moment and revealed the intimate relationship between the two forms of artistic expression.
The annual SEKEM Festival flourishes with the participation of the initiative‘s co-workers
On 19 November 2009 the co-workers of SEKEM, many guests, and friends met for the 32th time to celebrate the birth of the SEKEM Initiative through the SEKEM Festival. The festival, as always held on the grounds of the original farm, gave its participants the opportunity to experience live a diverse programme of music, theatre, dance, acrobatics, and eurythmy.
As no props had been provided all actors had to change dresses in public and on stage. That caught the attention of the audience and helped make them understand the intricate harmony of the colours used in the eurythmy dresses and the meaning of the various pieces of music. Thus the event also had the effect of allowing visitors who were entirely unfamiliar with eurythmy to understand the spirit of the art better and in an accustomed, every-day place.
The high point of this year’s celebration was the performance of the SEKEM choir. The new and enlarged ensemble for the first time incorporated music-loving children, teachers, and co-workers of the Heliopolis Academy and various firms in one single group under the leadership of Bernhard Sieberer. Under the experienced direction of the musician from Austria and current musical director at SEKEM the group presented two songs from well-known international movies, familiar to all the Egyptian visitors. The woodwind ensemble of the Heliopolis Chamber Orchestra supported the performance.
Martina Dinkel
Sandra Poettrich
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More information at: http://www.euromedalex.org Page 5
Social
World Day of Children‘s Rights: The Difficult Search for Universal Rights Formulation and implementation of international children‘s rights is a long and difficult negotiation process that brings together a diverse set of stakeholders across cultural boundaries.
drafting of the convention took more than 10 years involving 65 countries and the double number of international NGO’s in the process contributing proposals, suggestions, remarks, and voicing criticism. It would be remarkable if none of them detected and criticised the alleged Eurocentric perspective. Additionally and indeed contrary to the prior assessment, it is often claimed that the convention’s articles are too vague and leave room for excessive adaptation and deliberate interpretation. This vagueness, however, can also be seen as the deliberate acknowledgment of cultural diversity and various concepts of childhood. Here the core article of the CRC - article 3 - is cited most often. Article 3 states that “in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, (…), or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.” SEKEM is actively supporting the enforcement of children‘s rights through a diverse, inclusive, and personality-centered education for the poor
Any care devoted to the healthy development of children is care well invested - in many and not only social and economic terms. And the sooner it begins, the bigger its impact will be. The World Day of Children’s Rights on 20 November reminds us that children are not yet regarded as a productive part of society in their own regard - particularly across cultural borders. Instead their “worth” is often measured only by their expected future economic potential. Nevertheless, especially in the Middle East, young people do make up the largest age group in most countries. In some societies they constitute up to 60% of the populace. Plus, young people are much more affected by structural social changes such as increasing poverty, migration, unemployment and exclusion from education. In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) became the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for all children. This convention has been ratified by 192 countries worldwide. However, particularly its aspect of intercultural universality has often lead to heated debates. It has been frequently argued that it is a reflection of the Eurocentric perspective on childhood and that it undermines cultural diversity and societal uniqueness. In light of this assertion it might be valuable to take a closer look at its drafting as well as its ratification process. The
The alignment of all partners on this article has been a long struggle throughout the drafting process of the CRC. Yet eventually the formulation “in the best interest of a child” leaves the most room for the cultural diversity and the greatest number of concepts of childhood without undermining the role and importance of children in society. The formulation does not restrict cultural diversity. Instead it functions as an enabler for it. Plus, the CRC does prescribe that most attention has to be paid to understanding what actually is in the best interest of the child. All results of any action taken also have to be verifiable and rectifiable according to existing social and cultural norms. Thus, it enables a diverse adaptation without losing the core focus of the convention at all. Implementing universal children’s rights is a complex and time consuming project. It implies innumerable tiny steps many of them also taken by SEKEM: enabling schools for every child, fighting violence against children, giving birth certificates to all children, enabling children to practice their religion freely and articulate their thoughts and opinions without fear of discrimination, to mention just a few issues. If a society is to benefit as a whole the struggle to secure prosperous livelihoods for children, satisfy their needs, and provide equal development opportunities has to enter into a balance with other socially accepted basic needs. To create an environment conducive to a great number of these requirements remains a challenge in SEKEM as in any other society in the developing or the developed world. Ilka Stein
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Other News
Caravan of Music Visits the SEKEM Firms On November 10th the firms on the SEKEM Farm came to experience an unusual artistic event: a “caravan of music” paid a surprise visit to their offices and delighted the co-workers with an unexpected break from their work routine: a live concert right next to their desks. About 20 pupils of the SEKEM School and the same number of teachers had supplied themselves with a mobile piano and a Tabla drum and set out to visit firms and factories. Bernhard Sieberer lead the choir, accompanied the singers on the piano, and conducted at the same time. The colleagues at ISIS, Naturetex, and Lotus were pleasantly surprised by the sounds that had been studied to perfection by the pupils. And the choir boys and girls were visibly enjoying the experience, as our picture shows.
The forming of the Alliance was the result of a workshop organized jointly by the World Future Council (WFC) in cooperation with its partners. Energy technology and policy solutions for off-grid regions as well sustainable cooking solutions and the need for a Rural Electrification Development Fund were discussed after briefings on the energy situation and energy policies in Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa. For the inauguration of the Alliance the participants drafted a common declaration. The Alliance agreed on ten terms of reference for its future work ranging from fostering energy education and environmental information for all levels of society to finding ways of creating investment security. The initial funding will be provided by the World Future Council Foundation. Source: World Future Council
Christina Boecker
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More information at: http://www.worldfuturecouncil.org
SEKEM Employs Internet to Fight Climate Change
Boosting Renewable Energies in Africa Their aim is to speed up electrification and fight climate change at the same time: Representatives from various African countries recently established in Addis Ababa the African Renewable Energy Alliance (AREA). In this Alliance, utilities, industry, policymakers and the civil society will work together to boost the take-up of sustainable electrification and thermal power.
In the framework of the initiative „RAISE YOUR VOICE“ the CEO of the SEKEM Group Helmy Abouleish now employed the video sharing website YouTube to raise awareness about the urgency of the fight against climate change. Featuring short clips depicting individuals state their point of view on the issue, the initiative brings together the voices of renowned experts, artists, and entrepreneurs. With YouTube SEKEM is using one exceedingly popular information channel that has recently become a collaboration medium through “video answers” and “video comments” to already published clips. Particularly young video producers use the site to make their voices heard by a global audience. YouTube currently logs about 1 billion video views per day. Many popular videos like the „The Story of Stuff“ of US-based Greenpeace activist Annie Leonard that illustrates the wasteful product cycle of today’s convenience goods have been frequently made popular for the first time through YouTube.
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More information at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WhMriRVdMh8 http://www.storyofstuff.org
Imprint:
Over the past years modern media such as the Internet have gradually developed from information repositories into collaborative instruments facilitating individual empowerment. Websites and online applications of the „Web 2.0“ age today allow millions of people to work together with ease, speed, and at very little costs across political and natural borders.
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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