17 November 2006

Sohag, Egypt: A fleet of 8 boats are sailing down the Nile with stops in 8 Egyptian towns, promoting the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Under the motto of “A Better Future for Every Egyptian”, the “Sailing the Nile” campaign will reach eight Egyptian towns promoting the Millennium Development Goals and MDG projects involving volunteerism. Each of the 8 boats has a colourful MDG logo on its main sail.

Egyptians are encouraged to volunteer in activities that will help Egypt achieve the MDGs by 2015. As the fleet of boats stop along the Nile, various cultural, sports and arts activities promoting awareness of the MDGs will take place. Additionally, tools such as the MDG Youth Guide for Action, which can be utilized by local community members, are left behind as the Nile voyage continues to the next stop.

This week, the 8 boats, displaying the MDG logos, reached Sohag in Middle Egypt. A two-day event marked this arrival in Sohag as the fourth segment of the 5-week initiative. The “Sailing the Nile” initiative will conclude when the 8 boats reach their final destination in Cairo on 8th of December.

 
Activities in Sohag focussed on the MDG target related to primary education. A puppet theatre, poetry reading and performances told the story of the importance of the primary education. An awards ceremony took place in Sohag recognizing the culture and art events leading up to the arrival of the 8 MDG sailing boats.

“We are all on board one ship”, said Mr. Mohsen Al Noamany, Governor of Sohag, emphasizing the importance of partnerships between UN agencies and government bodies. Citing different projects the governorate is undertaking in the area of primary education, he added “I am proud to say that Sohag is on the right way towards achieving the MDGs”

The importance of voluntary involvement of community members towards achieving the MDGs was underlined by Amira Fouad, UNICEF Assistant Education Officer: “Sailing the Nile aims at creating channels for all members of the community so they can take part in seeking achievement of MDGs”.

The Sailing the Nile project is a unique partnership between 18 UN agencies and programmes, the government, civil society, private sector, media, academia and communities. It targets those traditionally excluded from participation and decision-making such as marginalized youth, refugees, women and the illiterate. The Sailing the Nile project’s main partners include UNICEF and UNDP, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and the Youth Association for Population and Development. Vodafone and P&G are among the private sponsors.

“Sailing the Nile symbolizes partnership” said Maher Nasser, director of the UN Information Centre in Cairo. “Through this initiative we hope to see a cross-fertilization of ideas and projects where MDG symbols become the centre piece of local dialogue”.

The fleet has already reached the southern Egyptian towns of Aswan, Luxor and Qena where the 8 ships were enthusiastically received by the communities and the media.

In Aswan, hundreds of young volunteers and residents excitedly gathered around the 8 boats to discuss the realization of MDGs in Egypt. The lead topic in Aswan focused on environmental sustainability. The Aswan Sailing the Nile events included workshops, sports tournaments and films. The Nubian Museum, for example, hosted a performance by local school children. There were discussion forums, for example on the UNESCO biosphere on Egypt’s southern border with Sudan.

When the 8 boats reached Luxor, on 4th November, coinciding with Luxor National Day, events included in workshops on AIDS and child mortality, short story writing, and a marathon.
In Qena, folklore performances, a concert and an exhibition on “the productive family” took place to promote the MDG target of the improvement of maternal health.

After the stop in Sohag, the boats will continue on their voyage with stops in Assiut, El Minya, Beni Suef and Cairo. The stop in El Minya on 25th November, coincides with the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women. The empowerment of Egyptian women is one major focus of the UNV programme: More than 30 UNV volunteers are engaged in a project against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The voyage will end with a grand final in Cairo on 8th December, a date selected to celebrate both International Volunteer Day and International Day for Human Rights. The organizers expect that this initiative may become a yearly festival celebrating peace, development and volunteerism in Egypt.