Friday 23 March 2012

Blog Note/ Watch this space ~ to be ctd



A note to kind readers, with many thanks.

The situation in Egypt today is so multi-faceted that finding the need to edit and re-edit may sometimes appear quite endless. August post 'Egypt, a nation determined' was written as a homage to my home-land upon a short return visit after experiencing the uprising that shook the world shake my somewhat quiescent existence in the UK.
I feel the only truly positive thing coming out of such a movement is affirmation of how creative the spirit can be. I am particularly thrilled to witness how some TV presenters such as Yosri Fouda conduct interviews and commentaries. They have truly raised the bar. I also feel very drawn to the music scene, the art and drama world that seems to be budding all over the place and receiving most justified recognition but perhaps deserving quite a lot more. Universal appreciation in days to come will hopefully raise morale and allow the visible talent to flourish and reflect the nation's tangible flair of spirit. These fresh aspects of a country in genuine strife, politically speaking, are nothing if not comforting since they allow hope to survive and optimism to find its own little licence for existence.    

Comments appreciated
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rGc4iUhxWjQ

 


The above link is in Arabic. Just viewing the cross sampled faces emits a feel-good factor. Loosely it translates:  
an outline for a serious venture is currently being set up by the youth and people of the revolution hoping to gather feedback from the Egyptian people from all walks of life, enough to draw up a constitution which is not so much politically motivated as culturally ~ It aims at charting people's hopes, dreams and expectations and their expression of such through art in all its forms.

Into that we may read that come what may~ all is not lost. 
For interesting videos (with subtitles) about current perspectives please visit 'Old Rule' posted 9th April 2012
 
Through presence of significant political lampoonery despondency has spread; reform has become increasingly difficult to address except through satire; an ever growing art among a people whose sense of humour has always ranked high among its attributes.





This is how many see the revolution crash and the old regime triumph. 

An army employed as a controling tool by a duplicitous power with tentacles reaching deep.

"The people has been divided into contradicting factions and the true meaning and spirit of our revolution is lost."
Read and listen to more:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jq0FBVxH2U&feature=share 
Opinions are divided and fervour is rife. Ironically, views opposing the aspirations of the revolutionary protestors appear less flexible and more constraining than ever before with less and less tolerance towards a confused community at large. The original movement spurring on the revolution finds itself compelled to relinquish hold of its former adamant determination to succeed in lieu of clinging on to the little it can positively salvage from the wreckage of trust and devastation of despair.
Among those who endeavour to hold on to unadulterated aspirations there seeps a subliminal message; it reads: 



 .. an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome
(Tao Te Ching. 1.XXV1)

When all looks bleak, sitting back while endgames are being played out is simply a push of the 'pause' button. The venture herein linked will keep us motivated, grounded and help us free our spirits, therefore please do continue to watch this space.

Appended on the 27th March '12

"Certain narratives, such as the narrative that credits writer on non-violence Gene Sharp with the strategy leading to the toppling of Mubarak, and that which credits social media with being a major force, were also seen as a kind of stealing of revolution. With regard to social media, most participants, while critical of the Twitter/Facebook revolution hype, also refused the opposite position of denying that social media had any role to play. "


photo by Naira Antoun
'“Narrating the Arab Spring” took place over three days, 18-20 February, at Cairo University. Several threads wove through the tens of papers given over a number of parallel sessions, covering a range of issues and questions—some analytical, others more of a descriptive and documentary bent. Here I bring together a few threads that I think are particularly pertinent.'







Caricature submitted by N.Elkouni, links by SaraH and Sh.elS
Thoughts following group chat (Nadia, A.Nowaira, Sh.elS and amiT)
photos:amiT

Friday 16 March 2012

"We're With the Street" / video link

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1f1BqkpiCY&feature=share


photo by Ahmed Hayman
artwork by Ammar Abo Bakr and team



On a pillar inside Mansoura University’s campus, a drug user is depicted with the text
 “addicted to freedom.”