Ghazaly: The Egyptian Youth Parliament Experience Can Be Transferred to BRICS Countries, Considering the Structural Characteristics of Youth Work Institutions
Ghazaly: Parliamentary Cooperation Among BRICS Countries Provides Greater
Space for People's Action Between Nations
International activist and anthropologist Hassan Ghazaly, founder of the
Global Solidarity Network, participated as a keynote speaker representing the
Arab Republic of Egypt with a presentation titled "The Egyptian Experience
in Preparing and Qualifying Parliamentary Representatives and Involving Youth
in Legislative Processes" at the "BRICS Young Legislators
Forum," organized by the Legislative Assembly of the Novgorod Region as
part of the BRICS Cities and Municipalities Twin Forum.
The forum was inaugurated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,
who praised the forum's organization this year in the Novgorod region, known
for its rich history and hospitality. Lavrov emphasized that the region, like
the whole of Russia, demonstrates its openness to the world and readiness to
develop foreign relations based on principles of respect, equality, and mutual
interest.
Lavrov pointed out that Russia, which holds the BRICS presidency this
year, is working to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership within
the association, with a special focus on humanitarian cooperation and
people-to-people contacts. He added that interaction between cities and
municipalities plays a significant role in these efforts. Lavrov highlighted
that the forum has become an effective platform for developing dialogue between
regional and local authorities, leading to the establishment of twinning
relations between many of them. He noted that the admission of new members to
BRICS at the beginning of the year increased the potential of this mechanism,
providing new opportunities for exchanging experiences in various aspects of
urban life. In addition, he expressed hope that the forum would be held in a
spirit of work and camaraderie, helping to establish useful contacts, discuss
promising joint projects, and strengthen friendship and trust among BRICS
countries.
The event featured a host of prominent speakers, including Gleb
Nikitin, Governor of the Novgorod Region; Yevgeny Primakov, Head of
Rossotrudnichestvo; Vyacheslav Volodin, Coordinator of the Association of
Legislative Bodies of Government Authorities in the Volga Federal District;
Fouad Gina, General Director of the African Youth Development and Excellence
Center; Tatiana Orzhomitseva, Director of the Russian Cultural Center in
Beijing; Raymond Matlala, Chairman of the BRICS Youth Organization in South
Africa (SABYA); Mikhail Solomintsev; and representatives from BRICS countries.
Hassan Ghazaly emphasized the increasing role of youth in the process
of making political decisions and laws at both national and local levels in
Egypt. He said, "The current Egyptian parliament has the largest number of
young representatives actively participating in discussing laws and policies,
with the House of Representatives featuring a primary committee focused on
youth and sports issues, chaired by MP Mahmoud Hussein, a former member of the
Youth Parliament simulation and a current member of the Egyptian parliament,
which underscores the effectiveness of state-organized cadre preparation activities."
Ghazaly highlighted the work of the Global Solidarity Network in
encouraging youth participation through national projects and initiatives,
including the National School for Cadre Preparation (Seeds), which aims to
train and qualify students studying languages (English, Russian, French,
Swahili, and Spanish) for free to prepare them as international ambassadors and
leaders committed to global solidarity values for active participation in the
international community through their linguistic abilities, utilizing
technology that has facilitated international communication among peoples.
Ghazaly pointed to the efforts to empower youth in Egypt across
various state institutions, most notably the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the
key institution targeting the masses, particularly through youth centers. The
Ministry plays an important role through a wide range of activities aimed at
youth and adolescent development and encouraging community participation. He
noted that he was fortunate to belong to these centers, which helped shape his
intellectual side. In addition to the simulations of the Egyptian Parliament
and the Egyptian Senate, which serve as platforms to train youth in leadership,
political, governance, and transparency skills, there are also youth clubs and
federations recently organized as a sectoral union of youth entities.
Ghazaly also pointed out the vital role played by civil society
organizations and international youth movements originating from Egypt, such as
the Nasser Youth Movement and the Mediterranean Youth Foundation, in providing
real opportunities for cultural exchange.
He further emphasized the role of the National Academy for Youth
Leadership Preparation, which works to empower youth from all backgrounds,
especially women, and integrate them into development programs, considering
geographical representation across the republic.
During the session, the speakers discussed several key topics,
starting with international youth cooperation, the system of interaction
between youth parliamentary structures in BRICS countries, the development of
youth parliaments and best practices in various BRICS countries, and the
strategy for administration training in the People's Republic of China. They
also tackled youth parliament experiences within BRICS countries, youth
participation in legislative processes in BRICS countries with a case study of
South Africa, and the involvement of the Youth Legislators Chamber in lawmaking
in Russia.
The meeting concluded with a discussion on the role of universities in
shaping different administrative competencies for young leaders and ways to
solidify the concept of solidarity as a driving force for youth policy in BRICS
countries.
It is noteworthy that this forum was part of the preparations for the
BRICS Parliaments Forum, which began on Wednesday, July 10, in the Russian city
of St. Petersburg and will continue until July 13. The forum includes the
participation of heads of parliaments from the BRICS economic group countries
and representatives from various member states, led by the Speaker of the
Egyptian House of Representatives, Dr. Hanafi Gebali, aiming to enhance
parliamentary cooperation and exchange among the member countries.
President Putin stated during the forum that the current forum's theme
is the role of parliaments in promoting multilateralism for fair global
development and security, which is an extremely important issue that
underscores the fundamental global transformations taking place on our planet
today. The president noted that open discussions and direct talks between
representatives of peoples align perfectly with the same philosophy and
principles of the BRICS worldview: considering the interests of others, relying
on democracy in international relations, respecting sovereignty, and the right
to independent development for all. He added that parliamentary dialogue today,
especially within the framework of the 'BRICS' group, has become more important
than ever as parliamentarians express the demands and needs of millions of
people, acting as defenders of their people's will and political and national
rights, contributing to the enhancement of global democracy.
By: Boniface ( KBN)