Countries must protect users against dangers of social media: Sisi

CAIRO – 5 November 2018: During a World Youth Forum session titled, “Social Media: Saving or enslaving users?”, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi recommended the forming of a national research committee to strategize deals with social media sites to ensure the safety of users.   “Social media outlets must be used positively and developed countries must deal with social media challenges in a way that does not affect the security and stability of other countries.”   Explaining that any attempt to stop of fight social media sites will only end in failure, Sisi stressed that although the internet is a positive sign of development, there is a need to urgently increase its positive effects and decrease its negative impacts. A discussion on the disadvantages of social media and the issues associated with it needs to occur and steps need to be taken. “In 2010, I delivered a speech, saying that the development of social media will have a dangerous effect on Egypt and the Arab region in general and that’s what proved to be true later; the country was not ready to face its dangers,” Sisi stated, continuing, “Rumours have always existed throughout the world but currently means of spreading rumours developed.”   For the second year, under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the tourist attraction city of Sharm el-Sheikh is bringing together youth of all nations at the second annual World Youth Forum (WYF) from November 3-6 to deliver a message of peace and prosperity from Egypt to the entire world. According to the official WYF website, the registration process for the forum has been closed after receiving applications from more than 122,000 youth of both sexes across the world.

The Seven Pillars of the Egyptian Identity

This year, the Forum events will revolve around a vision inspired by “The Seven Pillars of the Egyptian Identity”, a book by one of the most political intellectuals in Egypt Author Milad Hanna; who received several international awards including three “Egyptian Pride” awards from the assembly of foreign journalists and correspondents in Egypt in 1998, the “Order of the Polar Star” award from the king of Sweden, UNESCO’s “Simon Bolivar” award and the state appreciation prize in social sciences in 1999. In his book; Hanna emphasizes the unity and harmony of the Egyptian society despite differences. In keeping with this approach, all the forum events will be held in the light of those pillars that envision the communicative nature of the Egyptian society that has managed throughout the ages to be a linking point between different societies. These pillars include; the Pharaonic pillar, the Greco-Roman pillar, the Coptic pillar, the Islamic pillar, the Arabic pillar, the Mediterranean pillar and the African pillar. https://www.facebook.com/wyfegypt/videos/481164989070331/

WYF’s themes and topics:

Building on the success of Egypt’s first international youth event in 2017, held under the theme “We Need to Talk”, this year the WYF is expected to witness the participation of approximately 5,000 young people from all over the world including international youth leadership figures, influential youth models in various fields, prominent international figures, youth groups from around the world and young Egyptian expats. During the international forum, these young people will explore and exchange views on key issues facing their generation and determine their role in shaping their future. https://twitter.com/wyfegypt/status/920962926382583808