As I wandered around Tahrir it became apparent that the square was divided. In some areas, supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party cheered in celebration of their victories in the most recent elections. In another part of the square a group of young men and women, many of whom were leaders in the uprising last year, chanted that the revolution was far from over- that SCAF is a remnant of the old regime, and should immediately step down. Others in the square were from a wide range of other persuasions: feminists, Mubarack supporters, and celebrating families, to name a few.
The divisions in the square are very much representative of the divisions in Egypt. In my time here I have encountered people with a huge number of opinions on the success of the revolution, and equally diverse reasons for holding these views. I traveled to Luxor for a few days by myself, and because I was the only one staying in the hostel, the owner invited me to a wedding he was attending. On our way there he told me about his life since the revolution- about steeply declining tourism, and how he was barely able to keep his hostel. He said that his son wanted to marry, but his family didn’t have the money to help him start out. For him, the ideals of the revolution have been usurped by his desire to provide for his family. All he wanted was social and economic stability, and therefore was against any further protests. This feeling is common among Egyptians working in the tourist industry, as well as a variety of other people that I have met, from young AIESECers to the grandmother of a child I tutor.
While I am in Cairo, I am doing an internship with Tadamon, the Egyptian Refugee Multicultural Council. The refugees I work with have a mixed perception of the revolution. Many of them were activists in their home countries- mostly Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan- and almost all of them support the ideals of the revolution.
However, in more practical terms, it has caused them a lot of difficulties. Many refugees in Cairo work in the informal sector, which was hit hard during the chaos during and after the revolution. They have also badly been affected by the general economic downturn in the country. In addition, the revolution changed their relations with Egyptians. Foreigners in Cairo are, unfortunately, subjected to a lot of harassment from Egyptians. While the spirit of the revolution caused some Egyptians to be more inclusive towards the refugee population, some Egyptians’ sense of extreme nationalism caused them to be all the more hostile towards foreigners. Tadamon aims to help refugees overcome these, as well as other difficulties. We organize cultural events such as concerts and art exhibitions, conduct campaigns and dialogue nights to encourage cooperation between refugees and the Egyptian community, distribute micro-grants, and run five community centers which provide refugees with classes in topics such as nutrition, English, and computer skills, and serve as a hubs of information and socializing. My main roles at Tadamon usually include monitoring the community centers and our microgrant program, developing and implementing a youth program, and writing proposals and reports for donors. However, an English coworker and I recently got permission to start making a documentary on the roles and opinions of foreigners living in Cairo on the revolution, and whether or not they feel included in everything that has happened.
The revolution not only affected refugees in Cairo, but also expats, foreign companies, and NGOs. Recently, the military has conducted raids on a number of foreign NGOs as well as the apartments of some foreigners living in the downtown area. Investigations into the NGOs are ongoing, and friends of mine who work there are not optimistic. Some of the NGOs targeted were the same ones that are supposed to be monitoring the elections. I am lucky both to be living outside of the downtown area, and to be working for a non-political, fully-registered, and non-American NGO.
Actions such as the raids by the military, as well as the events on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, Qasr Al Aini, and Maspero, in which many Egyptians died, are some of the reasons that some activists are calling for the military to step down immediately. These activists include people as diverse as my Arabic teacher- a forty-year old Afghani woman. However the majority are young Egyptian men and women. I have made friends with some of these activists, as well as journalists who share this view, including some AIESECers. One of my favorite hang-outs in Cairo is Horreya (Arabic for freedom), a large room that serves up an endless supplies of drinks and chips at cheap prices, which is also a hotspot for activists.
The events of the past year in Cairo have led to the presence of a very interesting set of people and events here. There are frequent talks, film festivals, and poetry nights that focus on the revolution and democracy. Many of my friends in Cairo are journalists, NGO workers, activists, or diplomats. At 19, I am much younger than most people I know here, but this has been to my advantage in many ways. My learning curve about politics and current events has been incredibly steep. It is an exhilarating feeling to be witnessing firsthand the events unfolding in Egypt. Never before have I followed the news so closely, or felt such a personal stake in it.
However at the same time, I often witness or hear about events before they hit the news. Walking through Tahrir square on my way to work I can gauge the level of protests on a given day. On election days, I can look out my window and aproximate voter turnout based on the number of people lined up outside the polling station near my apartment. Over the next five months I am hoping to continue to develop the projects that I have been working on at Tadamon, and improve my Arabic skills. I am planning on studying international relations in college, and my experiences here are the perfect preparation for this, and for whatever I chose to do afterwards. Living here really drives home the fact that not only do I have a stake in world events, I also have the power to change them.
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