AUC Faculty Committee for the Defense of the Revolution

Last night (Wednesday, February 16, 2011) a meeting was held of all faculty who wanted to provide support for the Revolution. The meeting was held at the Zamalek Hostel of AUC. The meeting consisted of about 120 faculty, staff and students from the AUC campus. The meeting was convened by Amr Ahmed Shalakany of the law department, Sherene Seikaly of the Department of History, Malak Rouchdie from SAPE (soc-anth).

A rather long list of suggestions was made of how we could support the revolution. I shall write them here for historical purposes, but I do not blame you if you get bored reading. But there are some amazing ideas in here, (and then, some less amazing ones. . . )

1. Open Tahrir Square Campus of AUC
2. Convene a Truth and Reconciliation Committee and provide amnesty for leaders who participate.
3. Do NOT provide amnesty for leaders.
4. Start a long term AUC publishing series
5. South African Truth and Reconciliation model does not apply to Egypt. Egyptian atrocities should never be forgotten.
6. How as an AUC community can we react.
7. Use Tahrir Sq, campus of AUC for organized talks and debates on topics such as how elections were forged, and torture.
8. Form a student association in Egypt. There is one in Brazil.
8.a Open up a dialogue with other Cairo universities.
8b. Create a mural on the science wall.
9. Volunteer at AUC initiatives.
9a. Document the revolution with pictures.
10. University of Cairo meeting tomorrow morning (Thursday the 17th)
10a. Open our AUC library to the public.
11. Support the community.
11a. Educate the youth.
11b. Undergraduates teach the average egyptian.
12. AUC should work on eradicating illiteracy in Egypt.
13. Document human rights abuses during the revolution.
14. Community Based Learning.
15. AUC has an international advantage.
15a. US AID to the New Egypt should be socio-economic, not military.
15b. AUC needs to use its academic power and its student power to support the revolution.
*16. Each department should have a follow up to see what specifically it can do in terms of initiatives to support the revolution.
*17. The Internet should never go out again. AUC should buy its own VSAT (Very small aperture terminal)
*17a) AUC students should train citizens to combat electoral fraud.
18 AUC students should go out into Egypt to give an unbiased account of the revolution.
*19) (Dr. J) mobilize AUC alumni. Make corporations exercise true social responsibility.
19a. More freedom of information.
20 (Rami Qubain) group to encourage toursim aggressively in Egypt.
21. Work closely with faculty in national universities.
*22. Train election monitors at AUC.
*23. Use equipment at the journalism department.
*23a. Create podcasts about elections and constitutions. Simply information.
*23b. Create community service announcements regarding elections and voting, and the constitution. (WMB Note, these were used to GREAT effect in Kenya in our recent constitution process)
24. National clearing house website for volunteers. Pool resources.
*24a. Build system, offer solutions. Don't just tear down the system.
25. Teach people to be proactive.
*26. Create an independent people's radio station not owned by the government or a foreign country. This should be FM, and hosted by AUC. (WMB Note. Most American universities in the US have these and they are a GREAT resource)
27. Utilize continuuing education at AUC to educate the public.
28. Bring Tahrir Square to AUC-create a free speech corner
29. Collective job security(?)
30. Create a faster communication tool that does not need to be screened by University higher ups.
31. Create a job matching web site.
31a. Improve research funding.
32. Train people for elections.
33. Hold workshops on the ethical responsibilities of different professions.
34. Create crisis management forecasting for Egypt.
34a. AUC should partner with NGOs.
*35. Hold constitutional convention sessions at AUC.
36. Stop the ongoing harassment of journalists.
36.a Hold AUC trustees responsible in truth and reconciliation.
36b. Make classes open to auditors.
37. AUC should be less top down. It should be more open. We need more faculty input.
*38. (Dr. W) Look to African continent, particularly SA, Kenya and Ghana, for guidance on the process of democratization.
39. Tahrir Book fair on campus.
*40. (Dr. J) Committees need to be formed a) ICT b) educational outreach c) educational skills d) university to university outreach.
41. Three groups, research, speakers, organizers (for what?)
42. Look into internal university offices for corruption.
*43. Work on tourism in Egypt.
44. Give workers in Egypt a bit of pride.
46. Mobilize communities with the social development fund(?)
47. Egyptian Archives committee to document the revolution. what is the specific role of AUC? (?)
48. Re FM radio station. It is a good idea, but currently the radio station is being crushed.
48a. prevent sexual harassment in the post revolutionary period.
49. AUC needs to embrace the open university concept.
50. Help Arab youth in the middle east to repeat the gains made in Egypt.
51. Support Palestinians who cannot get back into Egypt and are stuck at the airport (?)
*52. Workshops on how to conduct elections.
*53. Awareness campaigns for democracy.
54, Support and sustain "New Egypt" behaviors, like civility, volunteerism, common defense.
55. Document the Revolution outside Tahrir Square.
56. Mobilize NGOs from other Governarates, not just Cairo.
57. (From the floor) Thank you for organizing this meeting! It was great.
(in process)