“Speak so that I may see you” Again and again by Hossam Badrawi

At the café “Dreamers of Tomorrow”
“Speak so that I may see you”
Again and again
“In the beginning was the Word.”
And the wise Socrates says: “Speak so that I may see you.”
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib also says: “Speak so you may be known, for a man is hidden beneath his tongue.”

Ideas, if not documented, do not exist. That is why I am keen to publish my thoughts and document my positions—perhaps there is benefit in them for the youth of my country and my children.
I believe that the reader should know a bit about a writer’s psychological and mental makeup. Is there a consistent thread tying together his thoughts and principles? If so, what are the foundations upon which this consistency is built? That appears in the sustained presentation of his ideas.

History tells us that the person with a new idea may be seen as a criminal in a rigid cultural setting, until the idea succeeds and suddenly has a thousand fathers.
Ibn Rushd says that ideas have wings; they cannot be stopped, even if we burn the books that contained them or kill the person who created them.
And I say: I may not agree with an idea, but I will not turn against the thinker. I am impressed by Galileo’s quote: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

A person may die, nations may rise or fall, but the idea continues to live on. Ideas do not expire if they can challenge what is considered unchangeable.
The power of an idea lies in how it captures emotions and is repeated in minds. The modern age has created sciences to achieve this—to manufacture “truths” that have no proof and lack the qualities of validity, despite their widespread acceptance.

From this perspective, the youth of “Dreamers of Tomorrow” gathered for the second time some of my sayings and convictions, possibly mixed with the ideas of those who influenced me deeply. We discussed them—and here is a selection they compiled, so that you may “see” me:

• If the map is wrong, then no matter how skilled the driver, how efficient the car, how good the intentions, or how enthusiastic the performance—we will never reach the destination.
• I may disagree with you on an issue, but I will defend your right to think and express it… this is my principle.
  I may object to much of what you do, but if you achieve something good, I will acknowledge it… this is my approach.
• People are annoyed by your unique advantages, not your flaws. They hate what makes them feel small, not what makes you look small.
• “I fear not for the reformer from his enemies as much as I fear the public opinion against him. The masses have overwhelming influence over souls, rarely resisted except by the strongest, most determined, and most principled individuals…” (Inspired by Taha Hussein)

My message to youth transitioning from school to university:
There are no top or bottom colleges—you create yourself; your job does not define you. Learn languages. Be digitally and emotionally intelligent. Build cultural depth. Learn how to present yourself. Improve your interpersonal skills. The jobs of today are not the jobs of tomorrow. Be ready and flexible to learn new things.

• What we really need to make a leap in governance, national prosperity, and freedom is a rational political system. Its wings are justice and sustainable human development—starting with education and knowledge. When these are effective, everything else becomes economically, socially, and humanly possible.
• Democracy becomes chaos without rule of law and swift justice. Chaos then leads to authoritarianism in the name of safety and stability. From the ruler’s perspective, he’s doing his duty to his people. But no matter how good the intentions, power must rotate for long-term success.
• Beliefs do not change facts. But if you’re rational, facts should change your beliefs.
• Do not complain about having little—for nothing is even less. Do not walk the earth arrogantly over what you have, for someone else may wish they had even a part of it.
• I am genetically an optimist. I see light in the dark, I see beauty around me and choose it, and I see the best in people. My human nature leans toward building and helping others—not destruction or senseless rejection. I love my country and its people. I see their hidden strengths and potential.
• We must build upon what is achieved, not on the ruins of what is destroyed.
• Our youth are better than you think. Everywhere I go, I see impressive, positive, and committed young people—in schools and even the poorest areas. It is uplifting. Don’t generalize from the worst examples. Look for the best in them, so they rise to the level of your faith in them.
• The extremist is anyone who believes that their opinion is the absolute truth, and their belief is the only correct one. They become oppressive if they exclude differing opinions, criminal if they kill those who disagree, and terrorists if they kill indiscriminately to spread their message and eliminate all others.
• Poverty is not just an economic condition—it is a disease. It makes people act poor, think poor, and generate ideas that lead to more poverty and dependency. In short, it affects the economy, the mind, and the imagination.
• Peaceful power transfer is the only way nations can build upon previous achievements, benefit from accumulated experience, and not start over with each new leadership.
• Civilization is built by free people, not slaves. The idea that during crises we must silence all dialogue and dissent is what led us to the defeat of 1967, the assassination of Sadat by his own soldiers, the fall of Mubarak while holding all the reins, and the collapse of the Muslim Brotherhood despite being deeply rooted in state institutions. We must learn from history.

Egypt Vision 2030 in education (rarely mentioned):
It aims for education that is accessible to all without discrimination, with high quality under an efficient, fair, sustainable, and flexible institutional system. It focuses on the learner and teacher empowered with technology and on shaping the student’s character through sports, arts, music, community service, and enhancing the global competitiveness of our youth.

• Values are not just slogans—they are convictions reflected in our actions, behavior, and how we deal with others. They are principles embedded in our deeds and relationships. Values are not taught by mandatory religious courses, but through practice within education, media, arts, and culture.
• Making religious education a core subject with grades affecting college admission may lead to societal division. Instead, we could focus on teaching ethics through philosophy and logic, which can enhance moral awareness in a comprehensive and interfaith manner.
• Education is a constitutional right for all, not a paid service.
• The school is the core unit of education. The teacher is its living cell. Its administration is its nervous system. Any development must focus on preparing teachers, for they are the first creators and drivers of reform. We must reevaluate their social and financial conditions and raise their societal status.
• The philosophy of basic education is not just teaching reading and writing, but building the intellectual and human foundation of a person to become part of a global community that promotes human values and sustainable development.
• The philosophy of learning is to seek truth and evidence through questioning, not blindly believing. Belief should come through persuasion. Encourage differing opinions within respectful and methodical frameworks.
• Schools in Egypt are our factories for producing competent citizens who elevate the nation’s worth. If the factory keeps operating the same way, it will keep producing the same loss year after year and generation after generation. Our raw materials—youth and children—are among the best in the world, but for the past 50 years, we have chosen to make our teachers and educational leaders the least competent and the lowest paid.
• Universities are built on two pillars:
  1. Moving from focusing solely on direct needs (comfort and services) to seeking truth (research and discovery).
  2. Shifting from opposition (critical thinking) to commitment (social contribution).
     Efforts to harmonize these functions always seek unity of purpose, as reflected in the very word “university” (from universitas).
     Modernization is the core function of universities in every society. To define modernity and understand its implications for social change and scientific progress, universities—being vital institutions of the nation and engines of cultural development—must assess their environment, understand the complexities of potential change, and ensure:
• Academic freedom
• Institutional independence
  This, in turn, requires accountability.