On Thursday, November 28th, 2013, the conference on „Revolution as a Process – The Case of the Egyptian Uprising“ convened its first session at the Austrian Cultural Forum (ACFC) in Garden City, Cairo, Egypt. 17 scholars and activists were in attendance.
The cross-reading was initiated by Adham Hamed and co-organized by Lukas Wank from Shabka in partnership with the Wiener Verlag für Sozialforschung and the Austrian Cultural Forum Cairo. The participants from nine countries gathered to discuss drafts of the chapters and provide feedback in a non-violent working environment. The purpose of the conference was to create a transdisciplinary and intercultural working environment and to learn from other scholars and activists in a safe space about their contributions to the book.
Thursday’s topics focused on non-violent communication, eurocentrism, gender, and intersectionality. Friday’s focused on Muslim Brotherhood, military, gender, and dichotimies. Participants also participated in social activities including a lunch downtown, a visit to the Giza pyramids, and a dinner with traditional Arabic oud music show. On Saturday and Sunday the topics will focus on death, labor unions, Palestine, culture, and media.
During the opening session, Adham Hamed stated: „Reading the different papers, I have realized that there are quite unique styles in writing and I really enjoyed that. I would like to encourage you to take a personal perspective – this is about capturing a plurality of perspectives, not about constructing one strong narrative. Please share as much as you feel comfortable to share.“ Over the course of the four day meeting, participants will discuss papers and provide feedback to strengthen the quality of the publication.
