the world admired the Arab Spring

Investir        

what do you mean with "our calls"?

from the last post

X:

our pains   

Investir    

are you talking about the current situation in the country?   

X:

yup       

Investir

about ..?

it´s fine, it´s just to open...

may i ask more?       

X:

sure       

Investir        

what does it hurt? where is the pain you are talking about?

X:

I mean the world admired the Arab spring

then the deals started to be done

and the victims still fall       

so this is the pain

yes so I believe that the SCAF will be like the marionette player who moves the puppets

X, Egypt:
I don`t trust that the SCAF will deliver the rule

inVESTIR
i know what you mean

inVESTIR
and the rest of the ppl are normal ppl? or the candidates to president?

X:
no they are the kinds of the Egyptian people

inVESTIR
i see
who spread the voice of the cancellation of the presidentials?

X:
it is a court

inVESTIR
so, it looks like everybody "in freedom", working together, but in reality, they
have just one ruler: the scaf

X:
yes so I believe that the scaf will be like the marionette player
who moves the puppets

Egyptians feel grateful to the army because they didn't react to the revolution like they did in Syria or Libya

Fatma
but lets be real ,, the SCAF wont let someone they don't like to win
since 1952 and they are controlling everything
so they wont bring a president who interferes with their institution
or say to them you are bad people
However, I am very sure they will do their best to prevent the MB candidate from winning the elections

investir
yes
they are very powerful
they have the guns...
and I guess part of the population supports them

Fatma
yes, you are right but its not a matter of guns as its a matter of symbolism
Egyptians feel grateful to the army because they didn't react to the revolution like Syria or Libya
this is the common feeling
I have to say that they are smart and knows how to win the support of the population
although they have many violent reactions with the leftists and even now the MB and Salafis
the population still call them heroes !!
well, some people simply say "they are the army, they don't know how to be flexible"
and they didn't reach this point of what happening in Syria and Libya
any way ... I don't like the Scaf
and will never do

I believe that army must be strong but not against its own country

X: the scaf has its own resources
it is like any army around the world
depends on self funding
(...)
X:
I believe that army must be strong but not against its own country

Down with military rule / there should be real investigation in all the previous massacres

Rana Elh
9 people were brutally massacred
I know one of them..!!!
and hundreds of brutal injuries
tom there is a very big march going to ministry of defense
Investir Paralelos Manifesta
i am so sorry to hear that...are you going?
Rana Elh
yest I went into a big march and they didnt attack because the number is bigger now tom also we r doing the same
Of course I am going
Investir Paralelos Manifesta
also tahrir?
Rana Elh
No tom people will move from Tahrir and Ramsis to ministry of defense   
Investir Paralelos Manifesta
ah, ok
and what will they ask for?
Rana Elh
Down with military rule
transferring the authority soon and the generals will not leave authority safely
there should be real investigation in all the previous massacres

Taxi drivers are doing their survey

Fatma, Egypt
2 days after I wrote my comment I have witnessed the change happening that the Muslim brotherhood and Salafis are losing their popularity
and this really made me happy
that simple and poor people are thinking seriously to elect the left wing candidate for president
Investir
really? how did it happend?
Fatma
because he is the only one not related to any religious group and he has been fighting the old system with no fear
Taxi experience
Taxi drivers are doing their survey as well

in my beautiful country difference is likely to repel / I would never believe that I will be strong enough to imprison my pain & continue my fight

Rana Elh, Egypt
That's a part from the last article I wrote, its actually related to the transformation that happened to me before and after the Egyptian revolution: '' Once upon a time I thought that my toughest fight is being myself in a conservative society that was infected by double standards pandemic disease, I thought that I am an outcast. I have always been the girl with prepossessing strange appearance yet an aggressive attitude, in my beautiful country difference is likely repulsive. nevertheless, I insisted to be myself, just myself even if I am changing every single moment. I did not expect that in the near future I will be in the middle of brutal clashes & bloodshed, I would never believe that I will be strong enough to imprison pain & continue my fight. By 2011 a transformation phase started, my vision and beliefs has changed completely. I remember 28/1/2011, I remember when I saw bloodshed for the first time, I remember central security soldiers with their solid faces, protective shields & shimmering helmets; all these details will be always engraved in my heart. ''

as for me the streets is our only way now

Rana Elh, Egypt
when the Generals are loyal to Mubarak and all what they were doing was overcoming the revolution and making sure the gang is safe then everyone was appointed is the same
still in jail, well not really jail
a 5 stars hospital            
Investir Paralelos Manifesta
my god..
Rana Elh
hopefully but still not when Scaf generals are in power
its a taught battle we are going through
Investir Paralelos Manifesta
who supports the Scaf?
or are they strong by themselves?
Rana Elh
yes they are the generals of the Egyptian military       
and Egypt has been a military state since 1954

    (...)

and do you think there is a party that has the chance to put them out of the way?
or at least, take away from them some part of the power?
Rana Elh
well hopefully youth
whether its movements or parties
but as for me the streets is our only way now
Investir Paralelos Manifesta
yes, i see
the thing is, that, if you are looking for some kind of democracy, then it would be good that they could organise themselves somehow, so they can have a chance in the elections
if the elections are going to be "clean"
but maybe they need more time? i mean, I know the brotherhood and the salafists were already organized before, right?
Rana Elh
yes sure, we have never been in protests against islamists directly
the protests were mainly against scaf and when Islamist took their side even after horrible clashes they were considered as pro SCAF   
They are well organized even from before but now they are totally exposed   
and youth movements are working hard on awareness prog.

instead of caring about education, employment and tourism they (the government) care about how women act and dress

inVESTIR
what do you think are the biggest challenges for the new government?
Rasha, Tunisia
well what i see these days is that all this will go away
if they keep on suggesting these new ideas
inVESTIR
like which ideas?
Rasha
like polygamy
in the way women should dress
they despise women who dont cover up all their body
a lot of kidnapping and killing is happening
inVESTIR
really?
how do you know about? it´s not in the news..
Rasha
instead of caring about education, employment and tourism
they (the government) care about how women act and dress
SO STUPID
yeh i heard about it here on fb

religion should be a personal thing between the person and his God

inVESTIR
that´s what this girl said... distracting in talking about "identity" and "religion"
instead of taking care of real problems
so the tourism has not been activated yet
Rasha, Tunisia
not really
a lot of vital things are lost in the course of talking about looks, religion and religious practices
i mean, dont take me wrong, im a muslim who practices, but religion should be a personal thing
btwn the person and his God
no one has the right to impose anything on others
others

I think it´s a fake election the army rules the country / the army that kills the revolutionary protesters could not pass the power to politicians who will judge them!

inVESTIR
are you following the elections in Egypt_       
X:
u mean the news ?   
inVESTIR
yes.... or through your friends
X:
yah sure
but I'm not trust the integrity خof its result
inVESTIR   
why_
X:
I think its fake elections fake elections the army rule the country
as long as the army rule the country
the army that kills the revolutionary protesters could not pass the power to politicians who will judge it!
inVESTIR   
i see
X:
except the politicians who will make a deal with the army to protect its interests
inVESTIR   
they probably will
X:
sure
we just waiting to know which one of the candidates will be the one

If you did something politically provocative before the revolution, probably you would be called by the national security agents

inVESTIR
but could you do political art without problems?
Fatma, Egypt
before the revolts ?? absolutely no
If you do something politically provocative before the revolution probably you will be called by the national security agents

its politics amigo, the dirty game / the problem will be the continuation of the old regime in new look

X (Sudanese living in Egypt):
I don't think that the western and the eastern relations will be threaten under any circumstances
especially in Egypt
Egypt cannot live without this relations now
the economy is very bad
and depends mostly on tourism and Suez Canal
which will be impossible to move on in those issues without a good relations between east and west
the problem will be the continuation of the old regime in new look

Investir Paralelos Manifesta
would this be interesting for foreign countries?

X:
I don't think so
specially US and UK
they just look for their benefits
If they find their benefits even with Al Qaeda they will support it
as the CIA support Osama Bin Ladin in 80s in Afghanistan
against the The Soviet Union
its politics amigo, the dirty game

The road toward a moderate democracy might be longer than expected / Once the box of Pandora is open, they will have trouble closing it.

inVESTIR
i would like to know what do you think about the role the West played in the Arab springs...
if you think it played some role

X, Tunisia:
Well i think they played the role of the advisor and sometimes they were pushing it . But i think they are not controlling everuthing
The road for a moderate democracy that they foresee for tunisia might be longer than expected
The box of pandore is open and they will have trouble closing it again

our revolution is continuous

Did your socio-political awareness changed during last year? In which way? Do you have new activities this regarding that you didn t before? Which ones?


Rana Elh, Egypt
Definitely, Not only socio-political awareness, But going to the streets and witnessing the Egyptian revolution has been a life changing experience.  I managed finally to determine my priorities, I understand my culture and my people much more. I started to focus on my writing abilities & it became one of my priorities, I discovered a new passion for photography and documentaries, and all of that was deeply created during my experience in Tahrir square starting from 25/1/2011 until now because in Egypt our revolution isn't complete yet, our revolution is continuous.

The socio-political change was in the form of "No Fear" but it needs time to mature before we can call it real change

Fatma, Egypt

Actually I am a bit confused about what kind of socio-political awareness has been aroused in Egypt lately. Shall I name it shallow or incomplete ?? I am not sure yet ! We can definitely witness the socio-political change in a form of "No Fear" which needs time to be mature enough to call then a real socio-political change. The Random events which have been happening in Egypt since 25 January 2011 need to be documented and studied carefully. The positive point in this so called change is not the awareness as much as it is "freedom" to have any kind of socio-political events at any where you can imagine without the National Security agents preventing it. There is a more of "you can do and say whatever you want" but still without enough awareness rather than being more cautious not to let any one control our freedom. The debate holds more than having new activities that we didn't have before, we can do now a lot of new activities but what's more important is the content and in which context ? targeting which kind of audiences ? are those activities increasing the socio-political awareness or its destroying it ??!!

we need a vision to move forward / its not a matter of resources, its all about skills and killed abilities

Investir
and after that? what do the Egyptian need?

X:
we need a vision to move forward
with a clear plan
and someone to empower people abilities
its not resources matter, its all about skills and killed abilities 
human development plan

we need a revolution, an artistic revolution

Investir Paralelos Manifesta
how you see the actual situation?

X, Tunisia:
we need a revolution

Investir Paralelos Manifesta
like?

X:
artistic revolution

Let art bring us together

Good Monday, our friends! Now that you see that your words can be "walking" in an European context, would you like to take this opportunity to say something?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE IN EUROPE?

Rana Elh:  Let art bring us together

Coming

inVESTIR @ Parallel Events Manifesta 9 with the kind support of Manifesta Foundation

June, 2012 in Genk, Belgium
http://www.paralleleventsm9.eu/news/m9-parallel-events-list-updated-and-finalized

Eli´s picts

More pics from Eva!

Emma & Camila

Pics by Katerina

Kathrin, J, Carmen and Anna before the opening

Manuel's way through Berlin

Melanie´s pictures, Berlin Biennial 2012

Eva & Friend in the streets of Berlin :)