Ahmad Badawy is Program Director at the Egyptian Democratic Academy (EDA), a youth non-profit organisation working for freedom, democracy and human rights. He met Niccolo Milanese during the "Believe in Dialogue, Act for Citizenship" conference on June 23rd in Tunis.
Below is his answer to Niccolo Milanese's open letter about the need to collaborate between the two shores of the Mediterranean to build a common democratic future.


Dear Niccolo

I was so glad to meet you in Tunis, but your words are shaking my confidence in a parliamentary democratic system which was for me for a long time the best ruling system ever!

Since I came back to Egypt I have been tweeting about the interesting conversations I had in the Tunis Forum and when I wrote what you told me the comments of my friends and colleagues were much the same as mine ...

I along with almost all young Egyptians didn't think that young Europeans suffer from the problems you describe: we knew that you had some problems of unemployment and other economic issues but generally we think being in Europe means that you live in a democratic heaven , even more than when we think about the American model.

So your question was not that easy for me to answer: how can we work together for a better democracy ?

I thought about it for a while and in the end I think simple answers are the best answers.
I believe having strong relations between young people all around the world is the answer for a better global future. Our ancestors didn't have this chance of meeting and talking to each other, but we have it right now. My dad had the chance to go for Italy for 3 years of hard work, but he didn't have the chance to really understand the Italian society … but me and you, our generation is capable of developing this understanding.

Arab young people and European young people working, thinking , dreaming & facing challenges together is - from my point of view - the best way to ensure a future with less conflicts , injustice and exploitation for the Mediterranean.

Young people of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and when youth/leaders know each other and live each other’s hopes , fears and values, this allow them to understand each other much more and to cooperate with each other much more.

Thanks for this initiative.


See you soon I hope,
 

Ahmad Badawy
 
Egyptian Democracy Academy