SEKEM Insight 12.12 EN

Nr. 123 - December 2012

Insight

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

Editorial Dear Readers, Earlier this year, the Swiss Friends of SEKEM had the unique opportunity to acquire a complete carpentry workshop including all equipment and machinery well under its actual market value. It quickly became clear that SEKEM’s Vocational Training Centre would benefit immensely from the provision of the material, if it could be shipped safely to Egypt: not only could the training itself be professionalised. It would also open up completely new educational opportunities for the students to be trained on much more advanced machinery.

Vocational Training

Affirmative Action

University

Carpentry Workshop Reaches SEKEM

SEKEM Examines Value Chain

Festive Inauguration of Heliopolis University

New Carpentry Workshop Reaches SEKEM’s Vocational Training Centre The Swiss support association of SEKEM has worked to bring new carpentry equipment to SEKEM to complement the Vocational Training Centre’s workshops. Fausi Marti, affiliated with the Swiss group, reports on the preparations and the arrival of the equipment.

The big project is now partly complete and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) has committed to helping SEKEM expand its training offerings.

In this issue, SEKEM’s supporter Mr. Fausi Marti from Switzerland reports on the progress made in the 1st and now 2nd phases of the project: the equipment is set up and qualification of trainers has begun. For this stage SEKEM depends on the assistance of private individuals like Fausi. Please consider helping SEKEM in one of its social projects. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Your Team of Editors Find SEKEM also on the Internet at:

The new carpentry workshop is being loaded into a sea-going container in Switzerland.

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first heard of SEKEM about two years ago. A friend had visited Egypt and the initiative and spoke with enthusiasm about her impressions. Thus, on my next trip to the country, I planned for a whole day at the SEKEM Farm near Belbeis. This visit turned out to be the start of a close friendship that only a little later led to a concrete exchange and today enriches the work of SEKEM’s Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in a very substantial way.

Initially, after my arrival in Cairo, I witnessed in the days of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square and the people in revolt against the Mubarak regime. Bold and loud sounded the calls for the overthrow of the oppressive„system“, to remain peaceful, and not to get carried away with violence. My first visit to SEKEM fell in the midst of these days of social upheaval. I enjoyed the opportunity to walk quietly through the fields of SEKEM Insight | December 2012 | Page 1

Economy

the SEKEM Farm, visit its health centre, primary school, and a vocational training complex, the textile factory.

I enjoyed the natural food the surroundings provided and experienced the weekend celebrations. All this left me with one impression: Here is part of the future for the Egyptians. What is supposed to come after the revolution, SEKEM has been working on for decades: Education, bread, and health care for countless families in the wider community, conservation of natural resources, research into our material future needs, dignity for its people.

An Idea is Born Back in Switzerland: In January 2012, news were communicated for the first time, that a certain carpenter in the Bernese Mittelland could not continue his woodworking shop and would be interested in selling off its equipment well below its actual value. News had it, that the offer concerned machinery worth about five tons of weight. Best of all: the carpenter was specifically interested in a future use of the equipment in an educational setting, ideally for the training of apprentices.

The compelling idea to support the carpentry training in SEKEM came up just naturally. The new equipment included rock solid German and Swiss machines, well maintained and easily

repaired, if needed. SEKEM itself has more than 30 years of project experience and already runs a vocational training centre with existing training in carpentry. This centre is, as I later learned, a recognized training center employing the dual system of training (parallel training in vocational schools and in the workshop) as is common in Germany and Switzerland. And on top of it, the Swiss also had something to offer in this area: on the one hand their experience with the dual system of vocational education, on the other hand their tradition of being a country of woodworkers and timber production.

Connecting People Now it was time to study the environment: Was SEKEM generally interested in the idea? Was assistance to be expected by the official or any private Swiss agencies in development cooperation? What professional organisations should be contacted first? Were there other groups in Switzerland, which would want to participate?

Indeed, SEKEM liked the idea from the start. And the Swiss organisation in charge of official development aid opened a door for future talks concerning financial support. The carpenters’ association and some vocational schools in Switzerland also liked the

The son of the previous owner prepares pieces of the equipment too large to fit into the container.

idea and indicated they would be willing to contribute with case-by-case advice. And finally, I discovered the Swiss SEKEM support association who immediately offered assistance.

Thus, in the following months, a project split into 2 phases was created.

The first phase would provide for the procurement and transport of the carpentry equipment and would initiate a contact with “Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC)” in Cairo, the local office of the agency in charge of implementation of official Swiss development aid projects. Phase 2 would then see the development of the actual structure of future vocational training content using the new material, and would provide didactic and technical support to SEKEM’s VTC. A Project in Two Phases

Egyptian and Austrian instructors discuss the future training curriculum.

Phase 1 was carried out under the responsibility of the Swiss SEKEM association and is already completed.

The group launched a fundraising campaign to finance the equipment and its transportation. Its previous owner SEKEM Insight | December 2012 | Page 2

Economy

packed up everything ready for transport by sea, and the author of this article made good use of a personal trip to Cairo to familiarise the Cairo staff of the SDC with the project over a cup of coffee. Also, a provisional version of a project proposal to finance the second phase of the project was discussed.

Meanwhile, the carpentry equipment has arrived at the vocational training centre, and the training workshop has been set up and is ready to be used.

Phase 2 (2013-14) is now being carried out in responsibility of SEKEM. The SDC will support it financially and the Swiss „SEKEM Friends“ will provide contacts in Switzerland. Four steps are part of this phase: 1.

Commissioning of the carpentry training workshop next to the production workshop (completed).

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Financing of the salaries and training of two Egyptian trainers for one year.

3.

Funding the visit of foreign professional carpenters for three months in order to adapt curricula and participate in the production of teaching materials.

4.

SEKEM Examines Textile Value Chain

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ast September SEKEM has carried out a gender-sensitive value chain analysis of its textile company Naturetex. The exercise examined how the work of each partner contributes to Naturetex’ business and aimed to locate strengths and weaknesses.

Since it was planned as a “gendersensitive” exercise, special attention was paid to the role of women in the process of the value chain. The aim was to identify how more women can be brought into the economic value generation process, particularly at higher levels. In the rural areas surrounding SEKEM the difficulties for women to have permanent gainful employment on a self-determined basis continues to constitute a social and economic challenge. Three of the four parts of this initiative thus apply specifically to women: 1.

Financing of the running costs of the training workshop.

Education For a Better Future In the meantime, a project group „Carpentry Apprenticeship at SEKEM“ has also been formed. It consists of a core team led by Egyptian instructors, a person responsible for contacts with the SDC, contact persons from Switzerland and Austria, as well as a general supervisor on site in Egypt.

The training workshop will allow SEKEM to improve its vocational education, and expand on the number of 12 trainees per year. This will give more young people the chance to provide for themselves and their future families. On a small scale, a goal of the Arab Spring has been accomplished.

Motivation of Employees: Young women are often unaware of their abilities and talents. SEKEM therefore offers work groups aimed at strengthening their selfawareness and confidence.

2.

Capacity Development: Many young women stop being employed after their wedding.

SEKEM has developed a training programme that targets women who are widowed or divorced or who are the main source of income of their families.

3.

Cooperation: Targeted training is provided to improve the quality and cleanliness in the workplace.

With these measures, the project teams at SEKEM and GIZ hope to improve the position of women in society not only economically, and so to convey the value of personal work and of the improvement of ones talents.

Fausi Marti

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SEKEM Receives IMPACTBusiness Award

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he IMPACT (Innovative Models Promoting Adaptation and Climate Technologies) Business Award rewards enterprises that apply innovative business solutions in combating Climate Change. This year, SEKEM has won the award and Annelie Franken, a long-time supporter of SEKEM, has received the prize at an award ceremony in Pretoria, South Africa, on behalf of SEKEM.

The IMPACT Business Award is implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It makes a total of up to five International Awards available per year. A monetary prize of 5,000 Euro is part of the prize as are opportunities to present ones work to influential representatives from business and industry at the International Business Forum 2012 ceremony and conference, among other benefits.

The award is open to businesses, business associations, NGOs, community-based organizations, think tanks, research institutions and public sector organizations. The applications can be for a product or service that has been proven on the market. The business must operate in a country with a developing or emerging economy.

Bianca Fliss

Source: IMPACT Business Award

More information: Departure in Switzerland: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sarL1GBU86Q. Arrival in SEKEM: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=i6weD2E-e0U

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More information: http://http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qoEnQB8H9dE

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More information: http://www.impact-business-award.de

SEKEM Insight | December 2012 | Page 3

Culture

SEKEM School: The New Teacher Development Programme Learning through practice is among the fundamental principles of SEKEM’s work. It’s teachers, too, are encouraged to see themselves as learners. Since the launch of the SEKEM School in 1989, all have received constant training, and its fruits are evident in the teaching quality at the school. Coach Evelyne Schindler reports on a new programme.

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n the spring of 2010, I was asked to design a clearly structured teacher training program for the SEKEM School that coordinates all the technical, artistic, and methodological issues arising in daily teaching practice at the institution. This project should clearly outline the overall goals and provide the content necessary to advance the existing general education of instructors.

For the first years in the existence of the SEKEM School its teachers had been trained according to the needs and possibilities arising out of daily work. Now it was time to develop a more structured approach. After two years of work, a manual and a curriculum plan including topics outlined in the form a modular system with 6 individual modules could be developed.

SEKEM has now begun to implement this new scheme.

Promote Autonomous Teaching The biggest challenge so far has been solving the question of how the issues to be dealt with within the curriculum can be sorted and visualized in a practical and appealing way. That required solving a key question: What actually is the fundamental conceptual basis for education at the SEKEM School? For a long time, lectures and training provided by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish formed the central core around which pedagogical practice revolved at the institution. The guidance given to teachers in this way was captured as the basis of all action at the school in the „BASIC“ blue square (depicted above).

The next step involved a precise investigation into the previously used methodology and didactics. I visited

teachers at work in their classroom. I watched, listened to, and thoroughly empathized with the classroom culture, its traditions, and the habits playing a role in teaching. The theme „METHODOLOGY“ (yellow triangle) symbolised the topics of age-appropriate teaching methods. Advancement of methodology has since been intensively practiced.

The third aspect, the actual teaching, also required substantial examination.

In Egypt, teachers are used to having little opportunity in their training to independently plan and execute their work. The red circle „ACT“ symbolises our attempt to foster for greater pedagogical independence. It refers to ways being sought to prepare the learning content in ways most understandable for the Egyptian pupils. It had thus became clear that teaching at SEKEM rests on three important pillars: each referring to the mental, emotional, and will-concerned aspect of the task.

Teacher Education in 6 Modules The actual module development was next. The eventually completed system now allows teachers to obtain the „SEKEM Certificate“. I received inspiration for its development particularly from SEKEM’s partner institution, the Alanus University (Germany).

The topics of Module 1 include form drawing, wood work or pottery, but also mathematics, and psychology.

Focus of Module 2 is „personality development“. It includes storytelling, biography work, and music. In Module 3, we focus at eurythmy and drawing from nature. The emphasis is on practice. Astronomy, language, calligraphy and other topics complete

The three fundamentals of teacher training.

the offer. Module 4 brings methodical teaching to the forefront. The temperaments, mathematics, and science supplement what teachers have so far learned. All modules include the subjects eurythmy, “careful observation”, “good habits” and “communication” (teamwork). A balanced mix of learning and doing helps teachers with designing engaging lessons and present content in varied and educationally sensible ways.

Based on this system, a complete training scheme was eventually developed. Seminars take place every fall and winter. Each seminar allows for the completion of one module. Teachers are required to keep training portfolios. They allow for an overall assessment of progress and later evaluation.

Teachers Training Teachers Experienced teachers have already completed the six modules. They have begun training new teachers in a „teachers-training-teachers“-programme. This approach to capacity building reinvigorates collegiate training and stimulates creative exchange.

The development process is never finished and therefore the curricula need to be adapted or newly developed.

Over these two years, we have succeeded in integrating both structure and innovation into a process that will continue as a living organism.

Evelyne Schindler

SEKEM Insight | December 2012 | Page 4

Impressions

Impressions from SEKEM

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hirty-three years, or one human generation, is a period in which the thoughts or actions of individuals may take actual shape in the form of true achievements. The political upheaval in Egypt may have delayed the work of SEKEM somewhat, but its work is now coming to life in a truly new shape: On 11 November 2012, three days before the Islamic New Year, the inauguration of the Heliopolis University was celebrated. Thus, the educational arm of the SEKEM project - the life work of Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish - has been completed. Our picture shows the first students at a presentation of one of their projects in the Heliopolis Academy.

On the afternoon of the day of inauguration, SEKEM also celebrated its 35th birthday in a grand celebration.

During the following two days, the SEKEM support associations from Scandinavia, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria came together to discuss how support from Europe for the university and the educational, cultural and medical institutions may continue in the future. SEKEM Insight will report on these deliberations in the near future. First images of the event are available at http://www.facebook.com/sekemgroup.

Hermann Becke (on behalf of the European SEKEM support associations)

SEKEM Insight | December 2012 | Page 5

News in Brief

Documentary: Organic Pioneers Tell Their Stories

New Perspectives On the Arab Spring

Give Books, Create Value

From the film project „BioPioniere erzählen...“ (“Organic pioneers tell their stories”) of the 9th year of trainees of the Foundation Ecology & Agriculture, viewers may learn more about the roots of the environmental movement, those who pioneered it, and their motivation. Together with the professional filmmaker Malte Ollroge, a documentary film was created that tells the stories of selected individuals in the field of organic agriculture and presents their life achievements.

Much has been written about the Arab Spring. Contributions in their tone range from enthusiasm to disillusionment. This book is an attempt at a different approach. Aside from the noisy, media-event style portraits the revolutions have received, three chapters titled “Motifs”, “Patterns”, and “Models” aim to describe the rather silent, less visible developments and paint a picture of the movement “from the future”. The development model of SEKEM, which has been a role model for a globalisation “with a human face” for many, serves as an example for the author who asserts that socie-

„How can business be more fun?“, „How can economic affairs be fairer, more democratic, more sustainable, more ‘fraternal’ (in terms of the threefold social order developed by the philosopher Rudolf Steiner)?“ These were the motivating questions for the founder of anthrobuch.com, Ernst Rose, who strived to sell books in a way that allows all parties participating in their production and distribution receive a fair share of the profits made.

Today, the company offers books over the Internet focusing on a selection of anthroposophical literature and works on educational topics.

Six pioneers from the areas of production, processing, trading, and research as well as associations were interviewed for the movie with a view to outline the image of the early beginnings of the organic movement. The aim of the documentary is to provide a basic understanding of the origins, motivations and goals of the German organic sector for newcomers to the

What makes its business model unique is the fact that a portion of its profits are donated to (weekly changing) institutions, all of them being dedicated to tackling educational challenges. Customers may also suggest initiatives. The end product has turned into a nationwide initiative to redistribute income, an innovative economy that is truly meaningful. In December SEKEM will again be an initiative to receive some of anthrobuch’s profits to support its projects.

Source: anthrobuch.com

! field. At the same time, the film is an important historical document of a social movement whose ideas and visions have today arrived in the middle of society.

The film was launched on 24 October 2012 and has for the time been presented at the fall meeting of the BÖLW in Berlin in November. It is now available on DVD. Copies can be ordered at the web site below.

Source: biopioniere.net

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More information: http://www.biopioniere.net

ties could look entirely different if the economy, ecology, social organization, and culture could be integrated into a living whole under the umbrella of sustainable development.

Daniel Baumgartner: Der Arabische Frühlung zwischen Zorn und Zukunft, 96 pages, softcover ISBN 978-3-85636-233-1

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More information:

More information: http://www.anthrobuch.com

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

Editor: Bijan Kafi, Christina Anlauf Contact: SEKEM-Insight c/o SEKEM Holding P.O.Box 2834, El Horreya, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt insight@SEKEM.com Pictures: 1-2: Fausi Marti; 3: IMPACT Business Award, 5: SEKEM No republication without written consent by the publisher.

http://http://www.steinerverlag.com/warenkorb/ detailansicht/procat/produkte/prod/der-arabischefruehling-zwischen-zorn-und-zukunft.html?tx_ commerce_pi1%5BbasketHashValue%5D=&cHash= 9a7ab1dae02de05bc73cec9c2d72021b

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