A graduate of the American University in Cairo and a global advocate for community empowerment, Queen Rania Al Abdullah spoke at her alma mater on civic engagement in the Arab Region and the role it can play in improving lives and ensuring progress. In her address, she called on the next generation of young Arabs who have benefited from higher education to accept their obligation to advance their societies.
AUC President David D. Arnold noted that the Queen stands as a role model for young people around the globe, pointing out that she chose “a life of service and volunteer leadership on behalf of others,” and that her example stands “as a testament to all the best qualities that we wish our graduates to strive for.”
In her address the Queen pointed that civic engagement is rooted in Arab culture and that now is the time to revive it again and fuse fresh energy into it. She referred to the story of the founding of Alashanek ya Baladi and how Raghda El Ebrashi, when only 12 years old, was inspired by a poor woman to start her foundation. The Queen underscored how this story can serve as an example to be emulated by many others, saying that in “each and everyone of us is the ability to look beyond ourselves.” She said; “Civic engagement is about leaving the four walls of your life, looking up.” Looking up and beyond, change becomes possible because the “true value of the world lies in people.”
She ended her talk calling for action and change saying: “What are we waiting for, none of us can hope to fix everything, but each of us can do something”
Omar Kandil, Student Union President at AUC, asked her four questions that included one about whether civic engagement is enough to elevate a third-world country to become a first-world one. To which Her Majesty responded saying that policy is of uttermost importance but people should not wait for governments to act, civic engagement, she said, “is a path to enlightenment” and that even though it is not enough alone to elevate a country’s status, it is an indispensable part of it.
Attending and speaking at the event was a delegation of distinguished civil society and corporate leaders as well as policy-makers and educators including Her Excellency Ambassador Mushira Khattab, Minister of State for Family and Population.
The John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement hosted the lecture and its director, Barbara Ibrahim noted that there is unprecedented initiative for change among youth in countries like Jordan and Egypt, evidenced by the number of youth-led organizations springing up to solve community problems. “HM Queen Rania is a role model for those who believe that no matter how young one may be, determination and vision can result in important impact on our region and the reforms that are so urgently needed.”
The American University in Cairo (AUC) was founded 90 years ago and is major contributor to the social, political and cultural life of the Arab Region. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions, and study abroad programs. An independent, nonprofit, apolitical, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.
The Gerhart Center promotes social change in the Arab Region through building a culture of effective giving and civic responsibility. Established in 2006, the Gerhart Center is a resource for the promotion of philanthropy and civic engagement in the Arab world. The center was named after John D. Gerhart, the late president of AUC, whose career provided a model of public service.
