Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022 Activism
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast Arab News
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022
    Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland American Arabs
  • Voting sticker issued to voters in Cook County elections in 2016. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Gov. Pritzker Announces Six Appointments to Boards and Commissions — no Arabs included American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Pritzker again ignores needs of Arab businesses in latest appointments Activism
  • Arab American Democratic Club (AADC) official candidate endorsements for the November 8, 2022 General elections.
    Arab American Democratic Club issues endorsements for Nov. 8, 2022 Cook County Illinois elections Activism
  • Arab Democrats urge NO VOTE on Gov. J.B. Pritzker re-election bid Activism
  • Assyrian American GOP issues endorsements in Nov, 8, 2022 elections
    Assyrian American GOP group endorses candidates in Illinois Activism
  • Abdullah Hammoud, elected Mayor of Dearborn Nov. 2, 2021. Photo courtesy of Abdullah Hammoud Facebook Page
    AHRC’s 2022 Spirit of Humanity Gala a Great Success American Arabs
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts Arab World
  • Rep. Cyril Nichols to be feted by supporters at fundraiser Saturday Oct. 22 Activism
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri Activism

UN Chief urges Students to strengthen Egypt

Posted on February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 By rayhanania No Comments on UN Chief urges Students to strengthen Egypt
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

UN Chief urges Students to strengthen Egypt

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ address at Cairo University, “Facing Global Challenges, Finding Hope in Youth”, in Cairo today (Feb. 15, 2017):

Let me say first of all how grateful I am for this invitation to be here at the same university as one of my predecessors that I so much admire, [Boutros] Boutros-Ghali, as it was said by the Honourable Minister, and in a country, Egypt, that is one of the pillars of multilateralism in today’s world.

Egypt is not only extremely involved in all United Nations activities, but Egypt has been generously contributing to our peacekeeping operations with the courage of its soldiers, women and men, and with its police, men and women, that many times are in a peacekeeping operations where there is no peace to keep, and where their lives are at permanent risk. The international community has a debt of gratitude for the engagement of Egypt in the United Nations and in multilateralism that I would like to underline here today.

To be at Cairo University is also an occasion to pay tribute to Egyptian and Arab history and culture and civilization. In this city, you have a competitor, Al-Azhar University, and it’s important to recognize that, more than 1,000 years ago, when Al-Azhar University was founded, this area was a beacon of civilization in the world.

In the Middle Ages, in the Iberian Peninsula from which I come, the Caliphate of Cordoba was a much more civilized entity than the Christian kingdom of the north of the Peninsula. This is something that Europeans have a certain reluctance in recognizing, but, I think it’s important to underline it here today at Cairo University. We Portuguese benefited a lot from the knowledge that came with the Arab and the Moorish presence in the Peninsula. With our irrigation systems, with innovations in navigation techniques, that to a large extent supported the so-called Portuguese discoveries that, for the good and for the bad, have shaped East-West relations for centuries. So, there is a deep heritage of Arab culture and civilization that we Portuguese recognize and that the world should recognize, and it’s important to pay tribute to it here at Cairo University.

I will not forget that in my past capacity as High Commissioner for Refugees, discovering how deeply engaged is the Arab world and the Muslim world in the protection of refugees, I asked, together with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Professor Ahmed Abu al-Wafa of this university, to draft a very important book that we published on the roots of modern refugee law and Islamic law. And, what is extremely interesting, is that contrary to the prejudice that some have that refugee-protection law was an invention after the Second World War, refugee protection was deeply rooted in the culture and in the tradition of the Muslim world. Since the very beginning, the most beautiful sentence about refugee protection is as my good friend Hisham Badr, that was president of the UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] Committee for one year, knows very well, is a sentence that is in the Surah al-Tawbah of the Holy Koran that says that protection should be granted to believers and non-believers. And for those that today attack Islam, considering it to be an intolerant religion, the truth is that in refugee protection, it was very clear that it is a faith of tolerance, of solidarity, a faith of humanism that is important to recognize when we talk about Islam today.

Cairo - Islamic district - Al Azhar Mosque and...
Cairo – Islamic district – Al Azhar Mosque and University.JPG (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But, having said so, and expressing here my deep appreciation for this institution that, as it was said, it is also a pillar of enlightenment in our global society, I would like to say a few words in the most important challenges that I believe we face and why I hope the role of youth will help us to cope with them.

First, the challenge to peace. The challenge of conflict. When I was a student, I lived in a bipolar world — the cold war. There was not a global governance system, much less a democratic way, but rules were relatively clear. There were conflicts, it is true, but they tended to be predictable, and to a certain extent, limited. When things were going to get out of control, the two super-Powers would intervene to put things back on track. Then, when I was in Government in my country, I lived in a period of unipolar world. Again, it was not a democratic governance system, but again, the rules were clear and one super‑Power was able to, to a large extent, define international relations and control the way conflict would develop. Today, we no longer live in a bipolar or unipolar world, but we are not yet also in a multipolar world. We are in a chaotic world where power relations became unclear, where impunity and unpredictability tend to prevail, and where conflicts multiply, new conflicts emerge everywhere and old conflicts seem never to die, be it in Somalia or Afghanistan or other parts of the world. And the truth is that these conflicts are now more and more interrelated. If one looks from Nigeria, with Boko Haram, to Mali, to Libya and then to Somalia, to Yemen, to Syria, to Iraq, to Afghanistan, all these conflicts are interlinked and they are also linked to a new threat of global terrorism. And it is good not to forget that probably the mother of these conflicts is probably in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, lasting for decades and decades without a solution, and the reason why, in a moment like this, it is important today to stress that in my opinion, and I believe, in the opinion of the United Nations, the overwhelming majority of the membership, there is no plan B, but the two-State solution, and for that [it is necessary] to avoid all actions that undermine the possibility of the two-State solution.

But, in this complex world, in which we see this multiplication of conflicts, it’s important to say that even if the world would already be entirely multipolar, organized in an entirely multipolar order, that would not necessarily mean that it would be more peaceful. We have experience of the multipolar region — Europe. Before the First World War, it was multipolar, but it had no multilateral governance mechanisms and the result was the First World War. And that’s why it is so important not only to move progressively into a truly multipolar world, but it’s important to build strong multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, that need to be supported and strengthened.

And here is where I find my hope in the youth because if one looks today in societies there is a trend for them to be closed in on themselves, there is a trend for people to be more nationalistic, less and less open to the need to understand that global challenges need global responses, need multinational cooperation, need multilateral institutions. But, on the contrary, usually young people are more cosmopolitan, more internationalist, more open. We do not see the expression in young people of the forms of xenophobia, or intolerance, or racism that are unfortunately now prevailing in many of our societies. We see young people reacting to this with new forms of interaction and solidarity, and it is why I hope that new generations will be able to do what the present generation has not been able to do: to strengthen a democratic multilateral governance mechanism in order to allow peace to prevail in our world.

A second challenge I would like to underline is the following: if we look at the modern trends of population growth, climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity, urbanization, movements of people, migrations, refugees, it is clear that all these megatrends are now interacting with each other, strengthening each other, and they are causing more and more dramatic impact in our world. And in this context, it is important to recognize that climate change is the main accelerator. We have always had droughts and storms, but now droughts and storms are becoming more frequent, are becoming more intense and with more dramatic humanitarian consequences. Deserts have progressed and we are close to the Sahara, but now they progress more quickly and they undermine the possibility to have a human life and communities in larger and larger parts of the world, forcing people to move also for natural disasters or the slow onset of droughts in many parts of the continent, or the international community as a whole.

And so, when one sees these global megatrends interacting with each other, and when we see climate change becoming the main accelerator, it is extremely worrying to see how difficult it is today to rally the international community in order to take all the appropriate actions to ensure that we take climate change as it was recognized by the Paris Agreement. And again, my hope is in the new generations. Probably many people from my generation think that, well, when climate will change I will no longer be there, but, for young people the catastrophic consequences of climate change can come during their lifetime, and at the same time, their commitment, their generosity, their interest in global affairs, I hope, will drive new champions in fighting climate change and creating the conditions for the international community to unite in order to make sure that we are able to tame these dramatic impacts in our societies.

And then, allow me to say a few words in relation to a third challenge. Globalization and technological progress have indeed increased global wealth tremendously, they have contributed to the growth of trade, the growth of prosperity in many societies and living conditions have improved also in many parts of the world; even extreme poverty has been reduced quiet substantially globally, but, at the same time, inequalities have also grown tremendously. Today, the eight richest persons in the world have the same amount of wealth that the poorest half of the global population have. This shows how unfair today’s global economy is. Unfair in relations among countries, in which the divide, as it was said, is increasing, but unfair also in the divide within each country, in which the gap between the richest and the poorest tends to increase, and in which globalization and technological change works also as an accelerator of that increase gap.

Well, in these circumstances it is very important to recognize that there are many people left behind, and in many societies this generates a reaction against globalization, against free trade, against many of the aspects of technological progress. We see in the rust belts of this world the expression of anger in relation to the political establishment, [inaundible] no longer to be able to address the challenges that globalization has created for large parts of the populations of their respective countries. We see a growing divorce between public opinion and Governments, political establishments. In many circumstances, we see referenda that are always won by the most extreme positions, and this lack of trust that is undermining the way governance works at the global level is becoming a serious problem when we want to bring people together in order to face the challenges of the modern world. And again, this is an area where my faith and my hope is in the youth, in the new generations. When one looks at the pattern of votes, for instance in the Brexit referendum, it is very interesting to note that the young people voted more largely against Brexit than the older generations, which, to a certain extent creates a paradox, as in many situations, the older generations are defining the future of the younger generations.

So, there is here a central question for us all: believing that we are facing enormous challenges, believing that the best hope for those challenges is with the new generations, we need to make sure that we are able to strongly invest in those new generations. And this relates essentially to two questions, and I believe countries, the international community, the United Nations, need to be fully engaged in these two questions: the first has to do with youth unemployment.

I believe youth unemployment is today not only a terrible, terrible problem for those young people that see themselves without hope in the future — not only a terrible gap in relation to the development of countries — but it also became probably one of the worst threats to global peace and security. Nothing [is] worse than a young man or a young woman that has graduated [from] university to find no job, to have no hope and to have no expectations [for] the future; nothing [is easier] for this frustration and this anger to be utilized by the propaganda of extremist organizations of different sorts. It can be Da’esh, but it can be a populist xenophobic party in some parts of the world or, we have seen recently in one country, a terrible murder committed by a white supremacist. So, we see extremism in different forms, in different ways.

But, the frustration generated in young people that have no hope in the future is a major source of insecurity in today’s world. And it is essential that, when Governments plan their economic activities, when the international community develops forms of cooperation, it is essential to put youth employment, youth skills [at] the centre of all priorities, [at] the centre of all projects. Unfortunately, this sometimes tends to be forgotten. And one way to avoid this to be forgotten is to bet strongly on the empowerment of young people.

I am a strong believer in the philosophy of a German author called Habermas that tends to recognize that in modern societies, one of the key factors of progress is the permanent interaction between the political society and the civil society. In a way, this permanent interaction allows the political society to take decisions that are different, based on this intercommunication. Now, the truth is that we are seeing with new developments in information and communications technology more and more difficulties for political systems everywhere in the world to interact with their own populations, to interact with their own societies. And this is where, I believe, the youth have a key role to play. I myself am already a little old-fashioned in these new technologies, but the youth are able to communicate in fantastic ways, to interact in fantastic ways.

We need to adapt our institutions, we need to adapt our political establishments to be able to interact also in those ways, in order to have the capacity for our young people to have a say in the way we manage our countries, the way we manage our institutions, the way we manage our organizations, in order to make sure that the role of the youth, through their empowerment, can be determinant in the definition of our global objectives as an international community.

Here at Cairo University, and in a country with an extremely vibrant young population, it is important to say how much I believe that young population can contribute to making Egypt one of the leading countries, not only in this part of the world, but in the international community as a whole.

I would like to express again my deep gratitude for the role Egypt has been playing and to wish all the best [to] your country, but to wish in particular all the best [to] all those students of this university, to encourage them to play a leading role in the construction of the future of this wonderful country and of this wonderful region.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States - January 19, 2023
  • Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 - January 18, 2023
  • CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd - January 12, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Arab World, Middle East, News, North Africa, Press Releases Tags:Egypt, speech, students, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, United Nations, youth

Post navigation

Previous Post: Trump opens door to “One State,” riles Israelis
Next Post: Experts to reveal Israel lobby’s impact on US policy

Related Posts

  • Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Taken by BroadArrow. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Saudis arrest 13 suspects and prevent terrorist attack Arab News
  • AFC president’s FIFA presidential bid mired in abuse of human rights allegations Arab World
  • Loyola University effort to censor Arab students falters Activism
  • St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church parishioners and officials including Father Nicholas Dahdal (3rd from left) join Sayidna Anthony in commemorating the Honorary Street dedication which took place in front of the church on Sunday, March 29, 2015.
    Street named in Honor of Tearing Icon of Virgin Mary American Arabs
  • iiGlobal hosts Jewelry show under patronage of Saudi King Activism
  • Pro-ISIL Jordanian activist challenges Sotloff family spokesman to debate Ali Younes

More Related Articles

Gaza students call for speedier repair and rebuilding of schools Arab World
Israel’s Wall in the Little Town of Bethlehem American Arabs
English: Detailed map of Israeli settlements on the West Bank, January 2006. Produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - public UN source. Map Centre: http://www.ochaopt.org/?module=displaysection§ion_id=96&format=html (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Peace campaign could deliver Palestine to Palestinians Arab World
Trump inauguration to be streamed live on Twitter/PBS American Arabs
The Squad VS Ethnocracy by Trump and Tribe Arab World
President Obama Support a FREE Vanunu END Israel’s Nuclear Deceptions American Arabs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Tiktok.com/@RayHanania
    Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States
    January 19, 2023
  • Ghassan Rubeiz
    To what extent is Hezbollah responsible for the current crisis in Lebanon?
    January 17, 2023
  • Image from Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's "A Compendium of Chronicles. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
    Why allow religious extremists to re-define Islam in the West?
    January 10, 2023
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    This Thanksgiving, let’s use our Blessings for good
    November 23, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022
    January 4, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri
    October 19, 2022

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme