On Tuesday, the Qalyubia Media Complex organized an extensive educational seminar titled “Awareness and Active Citizenship: A Roadmap Towards the New Republic” at the Egypt Public Library under the patronage of the Governor of Qalyubia. The event was held in cooperation with various governmental departments including population, religious endowments, education, youth and sports, roads, transport, irrigation, veterinary medicine, and agriculture. This initiative is part of the internal media sector’s strategy under the General Information Authority to promote citizenship values and enhance societal awareness among youth about the importance of their active participation in public life and positive engagement in public affairs, thereby supporting stability and national development. The seminar featured Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim El-Sherif, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Leaders Foundation for Administrative Sciences and Development; Sheikh Abdel Hamid Al-Safouri, a religious scholar from Qalyubia’s Endowments Directorate; Dr.

Walaa Salah El-Din, Director of Community Communication at the Governor’s Office; Ihab Nour, Director of Political Communication and Population Unit; and Dr. Mahmoud Arabi, PhD in Sociology and Director of Public Relations at Egypt Public Library.

Reem Hussein Abdel Khalek, Director of Qalyubia Media Complex, emphasized in her speech that developing individual awareness and strengthening the concept of good citizenship contribute to creating a cohesive society based on mutual respect and cooperation for the public good. She highlighted that the New Republic project launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is not merely infrastructure change or service development but a radical transformation in the mindset and behavior of the Egyptian citizen to build a state based on competence, merit, and true citizenship. Awareness and active citizenship are intertwined paths to crafting a better future, bringing the vision of a republic of knowledge, justice, and development closer with every conscious citizen, active youth, and conscientious institution.

Ihab Nour stressed that Egypt has entered a new era of work and achievement, the era of the New Republic, founded on justice and equality principles, with great attention to developing awareness and enhancing the spirit of belonging among its people. He affirmed that building the Egyptian human being is the cornerstone capable of distinguishing truth from falsehood, rumor from fact, and destruction from construction. The New Republic we all dream of will only be built by the diligent efforts of Egypt’s sincere sons and cannot exist without deep national awareness and citizens who understand their role in achieving sustainable development and positively contributing to nation-building.

Dr. Mahmoud Arabi added that the New Republic we aspire to is about building the mind, shaping awareness, and reinforcing citizenship values based on rights and duties, belonging, loyalty, freedom, and responsibility. The seminar represents an important step towards more understanding and engagement with present changes and future challenges.

Dr. Walaa Salah highlighted two fundamental pillars for building a strong and cohesive society: volunteer work and awareness. Volunteerism is a true practice of citizenship and a manifestation of belonging to the homeland, where giving without expecting anything in return changes not only others’ realities but also oneself. Volunteers are positive energies, inspiring models, and the nucleus for building a cooperative society. Awareness means understanding our country’s issues, distinguishing truth from misinformation, and being genuine partners in decision-making and shaping the future. She stressed that volunteer work cannot succeed without awareness, and awareness is incomplete unless translated into actions and initiatives that serve people and contribute to nation-building.

Dr. Ahmed El-Sherif noted that national awareness is the first shield protecting the state and society from multiple challenges, whether intellectual, media-related, or social. An aware citizen can distinguish truth from rumors and actively participate in development, contributing to a stable environment based on deep understanding of national issues. Given the ongoing political, social, and economic transformations worldwide, there is an urgent need to redefine the citizen’s relationship with their homeland on new foundations based on true awareness and active citizenship. The New Republic is not built solely on laws and institutions but primarily on a human being aware of their role, rights, and duties, contributing to shaping their country’s future.

Sheikh Abdel Hamid Al-Safouri explained that correct religious awareness is the cornerstone of human development, and true citizenship begins with a moderate, balanced understanding of religion that calls for coexistence, work, and construction. They believe in their enlightening role and seek through mosques, pulpits, and seminars to instill concepts of belonging and loyalty to the homeland, combat extremist thought, and support state efforts to build the New Republic based on values, ethics, and knowledge. He affirmed that citizenship does not conflict with religion but is part of it, and protecting and working for the homeland is an act of worship. Every citizen must sincerely perform their role for a better future for coming generations. The New Republic is essentially a project to build the Egyptian human being: awareness, ethics, and belonging, achievable only through the cooperation of family, school, mosque, media, and civil society.

The seminar was prepared and managed by Amira Mahrous El-Sayed, Media Specialist at Qalyubia Media Complex.