Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge Reveals Its Activities in 2019

With the Attendance of a Slew of Current and Former Ministers, Diplomats, Politicians, Academicians and Media Personalities

Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge Reveals Its Activities in 2019

With massive attendance of a slew of current and former ministers, diplomats, politicians, public figures, journalists, media personalities and students of Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and Secretary General of the United Nations, Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge organized a dinner reception at the Diplomatic Club in Cairo on Thursday, 28 March 2019. Guests were invited by Mrs. Lea Boutros Ghali, his wife and Honorary President of the Foundation, and Mr. Mamdouh Abbas, President of the Foundation.

In his opening speech, Mr. Mamdouh Abbas, President of the Foundation, announced the Foundation's activities in 2019, including an international seminar on the cooperation between African countries and peace in Africa in mid-June. He added that the Foundation's annual assembly will be held annually on Dr. Boutros Ghali's birthday, November 14, to celebrate the concepts of peace, safety and stability that he devoted his entire life to achieve. During this year's assembly, a conference titled 'Supporting Preventive Diplomacy - The Palestinian Situation' several international and Arab experts will be in attendance. Abbas explains, "The working mechanism of the Foundation, which we always believe in and follow when carrying out our activities, is what Dr. Boutros Ghali called the Preventive Diplomacy and the other new concepts he introduced to the world; peacebuilding, peacemaking and peacekeeping."

Abbas also revealed that the closing ceremony of the annual assembly will witness presenting a number of Boutros Ghali Prizes for Peace and Knowledge tooutstanding final year students at the faculties of law, economics and political science. The Outstanding Scientific Achievement Prize will be given for the two best PhD theses in the fields of international law and international relations, a Prize for an outstanding PhD thesis in African studies submitted within Egyptian universities, a Prize for Outstanding Scientific Contribution in the field of peacemaking and peacekeeping, the Ghali Prize to encourageefforts in the field of conflict resolution and peacemaking, and finally, a Prize in the field of human rights. The total value of these prizes will exceed EGP 2 million.

Abbas talked about the Foundation's goals, which aims to disseminate the culture of peace, the value of dialogue, coexistence, cooperation, tolerance and rejection of violence and hatred, which was reflected through Dr. Ghali's legacy, which motivated them to "launch the Faculty of International Law, International Relations and Human Rights, the first-of-its-kind faculty in the Middle East," Abbas said.

Former Minister Aly Eldin Helal, Vice-President of Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation, said in his speech, "Students and admirers of Dr. Boutros Ghali are trying to turn this Foundation into a civil society organization registered under the NGO law of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. They also want the foundation to become an addition to the civil society work in Egypt in the intellectual and cultural fields to enlighten minds, souls, hearts and conscience. Dr. Boutros Ghali's students and admirers aim that science and scientific thinking would be the beacon of our lives and the culture of knowledge and peace spreads. Boutros Ghali always thought that peace can be achieved by social justice and social solidarity."
Minister Mohamed Fayek, President of the National Council for Human Rights, confirmed, "The National Council for Human Rights is the first organization to commemorate Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali's name by launching a Prize under his name, but his students and admirers didn't think that this prize was enough and promised to establish this integrated cultural foundation under the name of the dear late Dr. Boutros Ghali. By looking at the members of this foundation, we can rest assured that this foundation will prosper, because it possesses all the basic factors of success, especially that Mrs. Lea Boutros Ghali, Honorary President of the Foundation, has a brilliant mind and extensive knowledge as well as the great experience she gained from the late Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali. I think that we are all looking forward to seeing many positive and practical steps."

Dr. Mostafa el Feky, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, said, "Boutros Boutros Ghali is a personality that can't be replaced." He also thanked Mr. Mamdouh Abbas for preserving cultural heritage and his keenness to commemorate Dr. Boutros Ghali's name, and all those who collaborated to organize this event.

In her speech, Actress Yousra said, "I learned from Boutros Ghali many things and we were all influenced by his philosophies. He made me understand the meaning of human rights. I'm honored to be part of this foundation alongside well-respected students and admirers of the late Boutros Ghali. Art also sends a message of peace and love to humanity. I would like to say that Kemet and all its members eventually serve Egypt."

The launch of the Foundation's website was also revealed during the reception: kemetbbg.org

The event was attended by Dr. Hala El Saeed, Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform; Faiza Abou el-Naga,Presidential Advisor for National Security; Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs; former ministers Amr Moussa, Nabil El Araby, Mohamed El Oraby, Mohamed Kamel Amr, Mofid Shehab, and Moushira Khattab; alongside intellectuals and authors Mourad Wahba and Journalist Salah Montaser; in addition to Ali Hassan, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Middle East News Agency; Alaa Shalaby, President of the Arab Organization for Human Rights; Dr. Mahmoud Elsaid, Dean of Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, and politicians Mahmoud Abaza and Osama Al-Ghazali.

From the KEMET Board of Trustees, Ambassador Mokhles Kotb, Secretary General of the National Council for Human Rights; Counselor Monsef Naguib Soliman, Member of the National Council for Human Rights; and Mr. Tarek El Kholy, Member of the Egyptian Parliament, were all in attendance as well.