Kalam Fil Moufid reflects dreams, fears, spirit of the youth
By Asmaa El Gammal A pinch of rebellion, a dash of stubbornness, a twinge of immaturity and a pint of naiveté, the classic ingredients for the average adolescent are a recipe for miscommunication. Add to that the regular seasonings of a rapidly changing world and the result is a generational gulf that makes it seem impossible to relate to or understand today’s youth. Reflecting this attitude, “A Dad in Installments, ” the featured article in this month’s edition of the youth-oriented webpage, Kalam Fil Moufid, stays true to the page’s motto: By the youth, for the youth.
They wrote: Dad bothering you? In a zesty, easy-to-read colloquial Arabic containing many of the common Egyptian catchphrases, it tells youth how to change their relationships with their parents through improved communication. Hosted at LINKdotNET’s portal Masrawy and designed to engage the youth and provide them with accurate information on biological, social and psychological issues, Kalam Fil Moufid features articles, surveys and caricatures created by young volunteers at UNICEF. “Kalam Fil Moufid gives a voice for the youth to be heard and serves as a platform to help their overall development,” said Dr. Vijay Kumar Moses, UNICEF Egypt’s Deputy Representative, explaining that as the youth constitute 31% of the Egyptian population, the webpage is part of UNICEF’s larger efforts to engage a large, but often neglected, segment of society. “When I write an article for Kalam Fil Moufid, I feel like I’m expressing myself, and the comments I get in return are what give me the satisfaction of having accomplished something,” she said. But the debate doesn’t stop there. As part of UNICEF’s ongoing efforts to engage Egyptian youth, youth across the country interacted with UNICEF goodwill ambassador Khaled Aboul Naga during an hour-long live chatting session in which they shared their perspectives on the generation gap. The session, held on July 10, was in celebration of the renewal of UNICEF’s partnership with LINKdotNET and the success of Kalam Fil Moufid. Clicking could be heard in the small conference room at LINKdotNET’s headquarters as Kalam Fil Moufid users posed their questions to Aboul Naga and a representative from LINKdotNET hurriedly typed the goodwill ambassador’s verbal responses. Visitors to the page chatted with Aboul Naga about the reasons for and solutions to the generation gap, sharing their views on the role of cinema, technology and the youth in bridging the generational gulf. Encouraging his listeners to become more proactive, Aboul Naga emphasized that “the new generation has the tools to close the generation gap and develop society. The youth are the key to solving many problems.” He also added that he was both proud and inspired to have interacted with youth and adolescents at UNICEF. “Today’s youth are much more responsible than we imagine,” he said. During the event, Dr. Moses and Mostafa Kamel, Technology General Manager at LINKonLINE, also announced the new addition of the “youth correspondents” section to Kalam Fil Moufid, through which users will be able to upload and share their own articles, videos or photos. “As an organization committed to children, we are seeing how we can position the youth towards future development because the future of the country rests on their shoulders,” said Dr. Moses. Young UNICEF volunteers were also recognized and awarded for their writing and design contributions to the site. “When I visited Kalam Fil Moufid, I liked the simple language it used and I felt the topics discussed, especially the generation gap, were of interest to people my age,” said 24-year old Abdullah El Sayed, recognized for one of his logo designs. “I felt like other people were expressing exactly what I was feeling.”
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