Egypt’s culture, environment ministers discuss launching ‘Your Culture from Your Environment’ initiative

CAIRO – 24 February 2021: Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem and Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad held a meeting to discuss and exchange ideas and opinions on aspects of support for promoting the awareness of all segments of society about environmental issues. This took place in the presence of concerned leaders from the two ministries.

During the meeting, Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem said that cooperation with the Ministry of Environment is a model for the solidarity of official state institutions to achieve the goals of sustainable development.

Abdel Dayem indicated that the joint campaigns set to be implemented come as part of the Ministry of Culture's role in spreading awareness, adding that the soft power is one of the most effective means to convey positive messages capable of motivating individuals to improve their general behavior.

Meanwhile, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad emphasized the importance of the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the two ministries within the framework of the ministry’s plan to develop the environmental sector and integrate the environmental dimension into all sectors of the state, in implementation of the political leadership's mandates.

During the meeting, Fouad reviewed the ministry’s efforts in awareness campaigns, including campaigns for student awareness, which target school and university students; and others for public awareness, which target all segments of society.

A number of tools are employed to raise environmental awareness, including the issuance of publications and the creation of cartoon characters for children, in addition to other non-traditional tools.

Fouad also affirmed the ministry’s keenness to communicate with all cultures in Egypt, as there are 30 natural reserves with multiculturalism and multiple local residents, pointing to the “Saft Torab – Al-Bedaya” campaign, which was implemented by the Ministry of Environment and is being developed by youth.

In addition, Fouad referred to the "Ethadar Lel Akhdar" [Get Green] campaign, through which the Ministry of Environment aimed to reach all groups of society in a more comprehensive manner and address all environmental issues over a period of 3 years, where an environmental issue that affects the citizen is chosen and defined, and the ministry integrates efforts with the citizens to solve that particular environmental issue.

Likewise, the "Beautiful Egypt Campaign", which the Ministry of Environment seeks to launch soon, is part of the Get Green campaign and aims at introducing the new system of municipal solid waste, the citizen's role in that system, and introducing the waste law.