I am sure that some of you are surprised that I have not yet written about the historical event occurring in Egypt these days. The truth is, I have been shying away from commenting on anything political so that I do not offend anyone. But, I have still been following the events here very closely and drawing many conclusions based on conversations with Egyptians and balancing that with what I see, hear and read in the news.
The Egyptian political mentality baffles me. The fall of Mubarak gave them the courage to stand up for what they perceive to be right. That if they show up by the thousands and make their demands clear, that they will ultimately get what they want. It appears that the fact that the greatest way of expressing your desires, through voting, was missed by many. Only 50% of the Egyptian population turned out to vote in the historical election.
There were a lot of candidates to choose from. Therefore, many ways for the votes to go. There were suspected front runners as there always are. Two of the front runners, were indeed the final two. But, neither candidate accumulated more than 50% of the vote. So, Egyptians head back to the poles in a run-off election between a candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood, and, a candidate that was once a part of Mubarak's group.
The Egyptians that were hoping for a moderate government were not particularly happy with the outcome. This is the category that many of the people we know fall into. This is the group of people that heads out with vigor to Tahrir when they are unhappy. When the results were announced. They headed out to stand up for what they wanted. Some set fires, some threw shoes, most were partaking in a peaceful sit-in. I have to wonder, how many of them actually went out and voted?
For these people, the idea of going back to a Mubarak candidate or to the Brotherhood candidate are equally bad options. But, in the end, most seem more fearful of a Brotherhood president. We will have to wait and see what happens on the 16 - 17 of June.
Then in the midst of all of this...Mubarak was sentenced and the people were not happy with his sentence. Life in prison. Many were hoping for his execution. Many of the others that were up for sentencing were acquitted They headed to Tahrir again.
Tahrir is a place of revolution, of drastic change and a demonstration of the power of the voice of the people. At the same time, it represents the idea that we can get what we want when we stand in numbers. This is not always the case. But, it is refreshing to see people passionately stand up for what they believe in.
As the year is winding down, and exam reviews occur in class, I asked my grade 7's to fill out an evaluation of their level of global understanding. It covered many ideas that were covered in class throughout the year in social studies. The statements they needed to evaluate themselves on ranged from, "I understand the connection between people and the earth", to, "I understand Human Rights", to, "I solve conflicts without violence". Some of their comments on these points solidifies the ideas I posted above.
I received numerous responses that involved Tahrir. These are my grade 7's. They cannot vote, but, they are more politically aware, and more politically involved than the majority of the students I have encountered in Canada. One can only hope that this interest in politics carries with them as they get older and that they will always head out to vote.
The future of Egyptian politics is unknown. It is a mystery that will begin to unfold in the coming weeks, months and years.
The Egyptian political mentality baffles me. The fall of Mubarak gave them the courage to stand up for what they perceive to be right. That if they show up by the thousands and make their demands clear, that they will ultimately get what they want. It appears that the fact that the greatest way of expressing your desires, through voting, was missed by many. Only 50% of the Egyptian population turned out to vote in the historical election.
There were a lot of candidates to choose from. Therefore, many ways for the votes to go. There were suspected front runners as there always are. Two of the front runners, were indeed the final two. But, neither candidate accumulated more than 50% of the vote. So, Egyptians head back to the poles in a run-off election between a candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood, and, a candidate that was once a part of Mubarak's group.
The Egyptians that were hoping for a moderate government were not particularly happy with the outcome. This is the category that many of the people we know fall into. This is the group of people that heads out with vigor to Tahrir when they are unhappy. When the results were announced. They headed out to stand up for what they wanted. Some set fires, some threw shoes, most were partaking in a peaceful sit-in. I have to wonder, how many of them actually went out and voted?
For these people, the idea of going back to a Mubarak candidate or to the Brotherhood candidate are equally bad options. But, in the end, most seem more fearful of a Brotherhood president. We will have to wait and see what happens on the 16 - 17 of June.
Then in the midst of all of this...Mubarak was sentenced and the people were not happy with his sentence. Life in prison. Many were hoping for his execution. Many of the others that were up for sentencing were acquitted They headed to Tahrir again.
Tahrir is a place of revolution, of drastic change and a demonstration of the power of the voice of the people. At the same time, it represents the idea that we can get what we want when we stand in numbers. This is not always the case. But, it is refreshing to see people passionately stand up for what they believe in.
As the year is winding down, and exam reviews occur in class, I asked my grade 7's to fill out an evaluation of their level of global understanding. It covered many ideas that were covered in class throughout the year in social studies. The statements they needed to evaluate themselves on ranged from, "I understand the connection between people and the earth", to, "I understand Human Rights", to, "I solve conflicts without violence". Some of their comments on these points solidifies the ideas I posted above.
I received numerous responses that involved Tahrir. These are my grade 7's. They cannot vote, but, they are more politically aware, and more politically involved than the majority of the students I have encountered in Canada. One can only hope that this interest in politics carries with them as they get older and that they will always head out to vote.
The future of Egyptian politics is unknown. It is a mystery that will begin to unfold in the coming weeks, months and years.
Hi there, I hope you and your family are enjoying your adventure! I would like to know how the experience has been at the Heritage International School. I am considering the opportunity and would like to hear from someone who has already done it.
ReplyDeleteHave there been any unexpected surprises about the school or contract?
How are the costs of food?
What is safety like?
Other suggestions?
Thank you!
We truly are enjoying our adventure and our experience at the school has been very positive. We will be returning next year, I will continue in grade 7 and my husband will be teaching in the High School.
ReplyDeleteIt is an excellent opportunity. The school is new and open to new ideas and allows an great canvas for expressing yourself through teaching. The students are challenging at times...but, I do not know a school where there are not challenging students. We had no surprises with the school or contract, but, we asked a lot of questions before we signed on.
The cost of living here is very low. Food cost is low unless you buy imported things that remind you of home. The school covers your home and insurance, so your expenses are only food, electricity and water (both minimal costs), and your doorman (also minimal monthly cost).
There has been much in the news about Egypt and the protests, but, once you get here, you learn pretty quickly where not to go. It is like any city in the world, you know where not to go and when to not go there. We live in a quiet suburb by the school. Most of the teachers live in an expat community about an hour away from the school.
I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have. Send me an email at kimberlybishop@gmail.com. I will be open and honest with you so ask away! I know there are some positions still available for September...