Inscription bid of the Nile on UNESCO's World Heritage

Inscription bid of  the Nile on UNESCO's World Heritage

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

Inscription season

Being a huge fan of human heritage conservation, this week has been exceptional. I have been busy meticulously and enthusiastically following the 43rd session of the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, underway at Baku (Azerbaijan) from June 30 to July 10, and chasing the news of sites inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. The lucky sites are granted world fame and protection against ongoing and likely dangers. What is special about the ongoing  session is the abundance of the natural sites listed in comparison to the cultural and mixed ones: Iceland's volcanic Vatnajokull national park,  the French Austral lands and seas, a house for different species of birds and marine life, the mountainous landscape of the Erzgebrige region shared by Germany and the Czech Republic, China's archaeological site Liangzhu, Iranian Hyrcanian forests, and the list is likely to go on and on.

Meanwhile, other cultural and mixed nominations have also been added to the internationally-esteemed list: the German city of Augsburg for its over 800-year-old water management system,  Alberta’s Writing-on-Stone monument in Canada, the Indian Walled City of Jaipur, known for its iconic architectural legacy, Myanmar’s ancient capital of Bagan, a hotspot of Buddhist temples, Iraq's ancient city of Babylon, Paraty and Ilha Grande in Brazil, among others. The landmarks added to the UNESCO's World Heritage list are considered to have exceptional significance to humanity.

Why not?

 Many natural sites all over the world such as lakes, mountain ranges, hills, forests, islands, oases, bird nesting and watching sites, coral springs and reefs have found their way to the World Heritage list for their value to humanity every year.  "It is great that these natural landmarks are given due recognition, respect and protection against the unprecedented threats posed by over- urbanization and climate change," I thought to myself every time I get updates on the meeting." But what about the iconic rivers that sustain communities and feed all their cultural and natural heritage? Aren't they worthy of being regarded as world heritage sites?"  I wondered.

The nation with the richest history

Since the dawn of time, the River Nile has been deeply seated in hearts, history, myths, tales and legends. The eternal river, which originates in the heart of Africa and Ethiopia, and flows northward  through Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt, carves its way into the desert and brings life to one of the driest areas on the planet.  Being an Egyptian, I will write about what it means to be an Egyptian and how that is defined by the Nile. In a survey on the country with the richest history, the 21 000  participants selected from around the globe have picked Egypt. This means that the world cannot imagine Egypt without the Nile, and that the Egyptian civilization could have never survived  nor thrived without it. However, the Egyptians must be proud of themselves as the Nile runs through other places without inspiring their peoples that deep.  

The gift of the Nile

" l didn't pollute the waters of the Nile," was one of the things a deceased person would say before gods. Ancient Egyptians went to great lengths to respect and even worship the Nile. An ancient legend says that a beautiful girl called "the bride of the Nile" was thrown every year in the sacred Nile as a sacrifice.

Cruising through the River Nile is absolutely one of the most memorable and romantic experiences one can ever have. It is time travel. The quiet, deep and rich waters that have long blended with the alluring stories, secrets and wisdom of the past are matchless. You pass by an endless stream of communities. Like its waters, people are flowing through the valley and Delta. It is a lifeline thrown into the dead land, pouring food, peace and creativity, and turning it into a cultural hotspot and the cradle of the most vibrant and inspirational civilization ever.

Blowing the sirens

Due to the unscrupulous urbanization, inefficient drainage systems and dam-construction mania, the imminent threats to the Nile and other rivers worldwide  sometimes have irreversible  impacts. Every time I travel across the Nile Delta and  watch the predatory urban sprawl provocatively and viciously killing the most fertile land in the world, turning it into ugly and suffocating blocs of concrete, my head spins and my soul goes down. " How could we foolishly and aggressively be that sinful to our only means of survival?" I used to ask myself.  And when you head northward, to the lakes overlooking the Mediterranean Sea ( Burullus, Manzala, Maryut, Idko, etc.), you find another treasure urgently in need of protection. The lakes, wetlands, are homes of many plant, animal and bird species.

A very modest share

The number of treasures on the World Heritage list across Egypt now is just seven, a very modest share of a nation with the richest history and culture. Six of them are cultural (e.g. Historic Cairo, the Pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur,  Ancient Thebes and St. Catherine)  and only one natural ( Wadi Al Hitan or the Valley of Whales in Fayoum).

Take care of the Nile and everything will take care of itself

To me when a temple, a city, a lake,  a valley,  plains or delta gets world protection, this would be a bit patchy. Safeguarding rivers against the negative effects of land use changes, dam construction and other human activities should come first. Our most cherished Nile, if considered for nomination and inscription would be the first river to get such a fully-deserved  spot on World Heritage list. So let us go the extra mile to start nomination procedures. The River Nile has a special reverence in the hearts of Egypt's lovers everywhere. The first step is to take serious policies and  measures  to safeguard it and launch a successful PR campaign prior and during  the nomination bid. Dams definitely affect locals' lives and in many parts of the world, giant dam construction companies were forced to halt construction work due to the mounting ecological awareness of the local communities and universal pressures. 

Finally, the inscription on World Heritage list sometimes comes after decades of advocacy by locals, civil societies and governments. Let us summon our  utmost efforts on conservation, environmental education and management of the River Nile so that this treasured heritage remains forever.

 

Living in a too smart world

Living in a too smart world

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

A traumatizing experience

It was about fifteen years ago when I watched Steven Spielberg's masterpiece Artificial Intelligence (AI). It was a traumatizing experience. The humanoid robot boy who was manufactured to be the adopted son of a couple whose real son was in cryo-statsis is no longer welcome in the family after the recovery of their human son.  I cannot forget the scene when the boy was abandoned by "his mom" in the forest.  I cannot forget his bitter tears and heartbreaking begging not to leave him there. The dividing lines between real humans and realistic robots are sometimes blurred. I remember the tense, bewildering feelings and thoughts the movie sparked in me about our future and the terrifying storm of questions that has hit me ever since. "Could we really develop machines that can feel, think, do incredible tasks and even kill us?" I thought. "What is left for humanity? And is it any more acceptable for humans to be replaced by machines at this alarming rate ?"

Freaky headlines

The iconic  movie and the questions it triggers pop in my mind every time I come across a news story on AI: "The world's first robot designed to carry out unbiased job interviews",  " Robot news presenter causes a stir on  Russian TV", "Meet Ai-Da, the world’s first robot artist to stage an exhibition", " A never-ending stream of AI art goes up for auction",  " Is artificial intelligence set to become art's next medium?" , "World's first robot artist can sketch people from sight."These have been a sample of the freakiest  headlines I spotted in the last few months.

A few questions

In citing the above headlines, I would like to ask you a few questions. How would  you feel if you were interviewed by a robot or saw a self-driving car passing next to you? Would you become relaxed? How would you feel if you were a climber or a hiker and you lost connection to the world because of an avalanche or wild fire, then you started losing hope, yet all of a sudden, a drone spotted you and luckily  you were rescued?  Do you know that a sketch painted by an AI humanoid robot artist is auctioned in the famous and prestigious  Christi Hall in London and sold at an incredible price, close to the price of a masterpiece by Van Gogh or Goya? And do you know that AI-based policing work is increasingly involved in prosecution, sentencing and upgrading legal system procedures and services?

 Artificial Intelligence is almost in everything around us. What does AI mean, then? It simply means developing machines or computer programmes  that are capable of doing tasks requiring intelligence, through simulating human cognitive abilities . Your smart phone  is the handiest example: the phone camera, processors, security code,  facial and voice recognition,  social media apps, navigation, etc.  Self-driving cars, delivery robots, medical robots, surveillance and monitoring,  smart factories, smart universities, smart home devices such as robots tidying up rooms, etc. are currently gathering mounting momentum. Algorithms -computer mathematical formulae - are increasingly used to make everyday decisions about our lives. Robots do repetitive tasks so efficiently. But are they equally good at sophisticated and more creative ones?

Hyper-creative tasks

Ai-Da is the world’s first robot artist to stage an exhibition. The mind blowing (AI) machine can sketch a portrait by sight, walk, talk, self-learn and hold a pencil or brush.  Her sophisticated, highly abstract creativity is not predictable and is instituting a new genre of shattered light abstraction art. Automated copywriting programmes are also now writing cheap, inventive adverts  as well as basic news reports. Programmers feed the algorithms with a plenty of adverts to come up with creative, human-like copies. AI is also used to analyze customer service and customer satisfaction survey results.  Surprisingly, Russian state news channel Rossiya 24 has introduced Alex, the robot presenter for some of its bulletins. Alex has humanoid facial expressions and neck movements, and has generated conflicting reactions from the audience. 

Humans and technology

In their quest to control the world , maximize the use of resources, fight the surrounding dangers, humans have uniquely made use of tools. The industrial revolution enhanced our limited capabilities beyond comprehension at the time. However, it is the digital revolution that has and would continue to have the paramount, unprecedented impact on humanity.  The gap between virtual and real realities is getting narrower than ever. Virtual reality is used in learning, visiting museums, camping and touring the human body organs. Augmented reality technology allows us to see real reality more clearly and comprehensively in 3D views through apps and tools like glasses. They work magnificently  in many industries , professions, games, shopping, GPS and other human activities. More interestingly, AI devices are gingerly being implanted into the human body or on the skin, using simple, DIY "surgeries" or techniques to help open doors without the need to carry keys, go shopping without money or credit cards, show identity without the need for passports, store personal medical information,  and help people with disabilities to walk, hear, see and touch.  Digital technology grant humans unparalleled powers  and redesign human bodies to adept to the post human or transhuman age, where humans and technology intertwined. This brings in serious bioethical considerations societies must address to stop humanity  from heading to the point of no return.   

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Legitimate fears

The latest AI machines do self-learning and self-training. Sometimes they outperform programmers. This is called  Machine learning. The excessive reliance on AI algorithms can lead to fatal risk of bias and error. We would turn into slaves to the machines, letting them to decide almost everything for us. In the criminal system and policing work, for instance, especially in interrogation techniques, prosecutions and sentencing  might come up with some legitimate fears that the data used to feed algorithms might be biased towards or against some people. Loss of jobs is a nightmare to so many people in the future. However,  AI is a tool and in order to aspire for a more humane future, humans should come first: empowering vulnerable groups and individuals,  respecting human heritage and addressing ethical concerns. Finally, let us trust our innate instinct for survival in combating future threats.

Learned helplessness...learned optimism

Learned helplessness...learned optimism

Have you ever been faced with a hard situation and felt there is nothing you can do to get out of it?

Have you ever felt powerless to the point that you pretty much give up even trying to gain control because you seem to fail no matter what?  Have you felt helpless then? If your answer is a “Yes”, then keep reading.

Helpless by nature or learning?

 Feeling helpless is not an innate emotion in humans; it is a learned one that we- just like the baby elephant we will talk about later- learn. Here is the whole story in a nutshell: you are not helpless as you might sometimes deem yourself to be; you have been socially conditioned to believe you are helpless.  God has created you powerful and strong; you are the wonder of the universe. We, humans, have managed to conquer and control all forces of nature... How come we can still feel helpless in the face of a challenge?

Learned Helplessness

The concept of “learned helplessness” is a cornerstone of many important theories and ideas in psychology. It is a mental state in which an organism forced to bear painful or unpleasant stimuli, becomes unable or unwilling to avoid subsequent encounters with those stimuli, even if they are “escapable,” presumably because it has learned that they cannot be escaped.

Experimenting with Animals

Scientists have documented the causes and effects of learned helplessness by experimenting with dogs and elephants. The study may seem shockingly cruel to man’s best friend, but the results are just as shocking, especially that they apply to humans.

In a famous experiment in 1965, Dr. Martin Seligman conditioned dogs so that every time they heard the ringing of a bell they would receive (and in time expect) a mild electric shock. After they were conditioned, Seligman put the dogs in a large crate with a low fence dividing it into two sides. One side was wired with the slight shocks while the other was not. He guessed that with the sound of the bell the dogs would jump over the fence to escape the shock and go to the safe side. But the dogs stayed put. They just waited and took the shock.

You see, the dogs were conditioned to learn from the previous experience that there was nothing they could do to avoid the shocks. Seligman attributed this helpless behavior as something that was learned after repeated failure, because when he had done the same test to other dogs which had NOT been shocked before, the dogs easily jumped over the barrier.

This phenomenon can also be seen in elephants as well. When an elephant trainer starts working with a baby elephant, he or she will use a shackle to tie one of the elephant’s legs to a post. The elephant will struggle for hours, even days, trying to escape the chain. The more it tries, the more painful it is until it eventually quiets down and accepts its range of motion to avoid the pain.  When the elephant grows up, it is strong enough to break the chain, but it will not even try; it has been taught that any kind of struggle is useless. It has learned to be helpless.

Negative Conditioned Learning

And as it turns out, we are not so different from dogs or elephants. What happens to us humans is exactly what happens to the baby elephant in a zoo or a circus.  We repeatedly experience pain or failure or frustration in a particular area of our life- be it education, relationships, domestic violence, business, etc. - and we label ourselves “helpless” in this area for the rest of our lives. In other words, we train our brains to believe that we have no control over the situation, and so we do not even try to overcome it.

Filling our minds with limiting beliefs of what we are not able to achieve is dangerous; it generates a vicious cycle of self-defeatist thoughts that undermines our motivation and overall productivity and it can eventually lead to depression.

Unlearning learned helplessness

The question that pops up to the mind here is: if helplessness is learned, can it be unlearned?  The good news is:  it can.  Seligman— who helped discover the phenomenon—later found his attention drawn to what is perhaps the complete opposite of learned helplessness: optimism.

Although his name was synonymous with learned helplessness for many years, Seligman knew he had a lot more to offer the world. His work on the subject led him to wonder what other mindsets and perspectives can be learned and whether people could develop positive traits instead of developing feelings of helplessness.

Seligman’s research led him to create the model of learned optimism. He found that, through resilience training, people can learn to develop a more optimistic perspective. This ability has been observed in children, teachers, members of the military, and more.

As it is always said, undoing is more difficult than doing. Learning optimism  might not be as easy as learning helplessness, but it can be done. If you are interested in learning more about optimism and how it can be learned, check out Seligman’s book  Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. In addition to getting a brief overview of the research on this subject, you will also read about several simple techniques you can apply to develop a more positive and self-compassionate lifestyle.  Wish you an “optimistic” reading. 

Viva Egypt.. Viva Africa

Viva Egypt.. Viva Africa

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics and Chaiperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

A treat for me

It was a busy Friday night. I was sitting at the dinner table surrounded by books and research papers I had to review. " Please tone down," I asked my kids. " The TV is on all day long." Like all Egyptians , Africans and football vans the world over, we were anticipating  the  opening ceremony of the African Cup of Nations to kick off. The catchy and funny commercials featuring all players of the Egyptian squad were aired repeatedly. Shooting every single detail of the tournament, the participating countries, the lovely and inspirational tournament mascot Tut, the renovated stadiums, the crowd flooding , the colors, the customs, the flags and the ambience glued people to their seats. The air was filled with joy, national pride, and hope for a successful historic tournament crowned by winning the cup. The opening ceremony was stunning: the parade, the fireworks, the music, etc. Everything was simply charming. Once the opening ceremony kicked off with real vibrancy, and the crowd, outfitted in red shirts, went crazy about the stunning festivities, I stepped into a state of brimming, bubbling excitement of discovering our power and the joy of accomplishment. Egypt looked like a tree stretching its shady and  full- of -fruits boughs. The fascinating models of pyramids prove one of the most enduring images in African Cup of Nations history.

 I am a huge fan of African squads in all tournaments. I like their wild talents, breathtaking,  pleasantly brisk performance, undaunted courage, the fire and joy in their feet, the spark of their faces and the sweetness of their smiles. The opening ceremony came as a treat for me. It is an uplifting time out of the annual blood boiling exam work: the pain of marking piles of exam sheets, amid a storm of questions fiercely hitting my head, almost paralyzing me to do anything else. How important is that phenomenal sporting event?  And what can be done to connect more and more to our Africa? 

Historical background

Egypt are hosting AFCON for a fifth time. Having a record of winning the tournament seven times, the Pharaohs have been the most successful team in the tournament's history since its inception in 1957.  Egypt along with Sudan and Ethiopia are the founder of the tournament. Back then,  Egypt enjoyed a passionate and unparalleled leadership in Africa and the Arab region, thanks to its cultural, economic and military influence. Cairo was the main supporter of most African nations aspiring to end the colonial era and many African leaders, at the time, sought refuge in Egypt. Hosting AFCON 2019, the Egyptians aim to get more connected to their continent, open eyes to the current accomplishments in Egypt, reintroduce the phenomenal Egyptian culture to our the world, boast the potentialities for organizing future continental and world sporting events. The tournament is real opportunity to polish our organizational skills. Egypt has incredible credentials to be a hub for world sport all over the year.  

  

Welcome to Egypt! 

After a tense, reeling period , CAF put their confidence in the Egyptians who summoned enough determination to embark on a thrilling  marathon to organize the tournament within a very short time span and fulfill the African dream. The African festival has struck a chord in the heart of every single Egyptian and grant us lovely, exceptional and happy days.  Welcome to Egypt! 

Africa is a mine of talents and rich culture

Africa is the cradle of humanity. It is the land of vibrant, rich culture. The abundant and versatile African heritage has intrigued people everywhere. However, that stunning legacy has not been fully discovered yet. As the world is starving for authenticity  and uniqueness , I think that culture would be Africa's most demanded commodity and real gift to the world. Think about the African hairstyle which symbolizes women's age, class, education background and marital status. The Afro hairstyle is taking the world by storm nowadays. The indigenous African fashion designs are equally mind blowing, revealing the secrets of the black beauty. The same is true of the rich African music and choreography genres; the Afro beats is going  viral globally. Nigeria's Nollywood movie industry is the third after Hollywood and Bullywood. Part and parcel of cultural heritage is the typographical structure and components of Africa: forests, rivers, lacks, exotic plants, animals, birds, coral reeves, minerals, etc. Think about the local African culinary systems and the incredible tribal dining experience. They become a tourist destination. The eco-friendly African architecture is another cultural magnet. All in all, Africa has very promising cultural industry to stun the world and have a vocal say in the future. AFCON is a real occasion to reveal some of the magic, charm and vigor of African culture,  introduce the Egyptian public and the whole world to this thriving side of the African nations and encourage people to tour Africa and get more connected to the world's ancestry land.

Towards a powerful, sustainable Africa

AFCON is also a good opportunity to explore the booming business prospects in Africa. The development opportunities and entrepreneurships in the continent have not been yet discovered. Unfortunately,  corruption and mismanagement fan the flames of the problem. In the fight for a better, more prosperous  future of this continent, there is a need to understand the reality of the situation .It is no longer tenable to sustain the state of poverty, illiteracy and turmoil sweeping the continent. It is time for grasping the bull by the horn and take responsibility more seriously in moving forward towards a powerful, sustainable Africa.

Finally, Africans are looking for their message that they belong to something to be vibrantly delivered and heard, their experience to be valued and the previous negativity to be mitigated. AFCON 2019 in Egypt would be the right time and place to let the world listen to the African voice.

Doing justice to arts and humanities

By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

When I decided to go into the humanities track at high school, it came as a big surprise to family and friends. I remember the first day of study;  our geography teacher, who did not seem to be in love with her career, blamed us for choosing that dead end path. "You silly," she said, seemingly joking. "You would end up working as teachers!"

What our teacher did, and perhaps the majority of people still do, was establishing a correlation between academic majors and job market; pursuing a career and pursuing a degree have long been identically perceived. The market value of degrees steers us blindfolded and masks the true value of humanities as vehicles for understanding ourselves and the world around us. How can we redress a balance in our life between humanistic and scientific aspects so as to have highly cultured citizens who simultaneously and responsibly have successful career, enjoyably pursue their academic interests and confidently have a humanistic perspective on the unprecedented challenges of modern life?      

Soft skills

I am always amazed by the brilliant oratorical and argumentative skills of  many politicians,  public servants, CEOs  and common people, most of whom have degrees in humanities and arts. Imagine the world without such a spectacular array of arts and humanities: history, philosophy, music, literature, criticism, ethics, comparative religions, anthropology, archaeology, teaching, etc. Arts and humanities make us more empathetic, resilient and understanding of everything around us. They help us become more aware of who we are as humans. Classic education mainly taught humanities and arts for cultivating  one's character and moral values.  Further, studying classical and modern languages and literature marvelously expand and diversify our worldview. Humanities also teach us how to think critically, weigh the pros and cons, understand other people' s views, and figure out faulty reasoning. Arts and humanities have long been two essential branches of liberal arts along with mathematics, natural science, etc. Their ultimate purpose is to cater for the individuals'  intellectual and affective needs that are necessary for leading a mentally healthier life and augment their tolerance and wisdom.

A fake dichotomy

The gap between humanities and arts and STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has basically contributed to underestimating the humanities and arts. It is true that STEM  has made miraculous advances that turns the world into a completely different one . However, it makes the world vulnerable to unprecedented threats : intensive farming, climate change, loss of identity, wars, weapons of mass destruction, immigration, famines, pollution, water scarcity, uncertainties, obesity, unfair  global trade system, human trafficking, drugs, poverty, unemployment, and the list goes on and on. Accordingly, the world has become more than ever a ruthless place, crushing our souls and turning deaf ears to the thunderous cries coming from school children, teenagers, and young generations to stop stealing their future and rights of living in a sustainable world. Amid the chaos, uncertainties, and madness we live in, arts and humanities, which are usually looked upon as fields of theories , should be called on and have their say. They could send us a lifeline to create a safer, more virtuous and sustainable environment by setting strategic futuristic plans promoting intellectual reforms, unleashing imagination, fighting against all forms of injustice  and setting the tone for a healthy relationship between humans and nature        

Giant tech companies and humanities

Latest reports on employment opportunities in top tech companies show that people with background in humanities and liberal arts are steadily increasing.  Creative engineers  and artists are among the top hired people .  Talent is being correlated to employment. More surprisingly or even dramatically, Google and Apple, for instance, have hired people with no university degree at all.

The game is changing

 Arts and humanities are integrating in almost every science, including natural sciences. There is always a room for cultural variations in understanding the pillars of science. Psychology, for instance, is mandatory for the progress made in economics, agriculture, information technology, politics, etc. The current digital revolution would not have been that effective or game changer without humanities. Think about the human behavior online and how does that promote marketing, consumer spending, designing emoji characters, faces, translation, and apps. Think about our ability to copy people' s behavior and feel empathetic to them. This is simply because we have mirror neurons in our brains. Technology industry has exploited that in herding people to be fully consumed in digital and consumerist life. Translating one's humanities and arts background in STEM-related fields would yield better leadership and creative skills, critical thinking,  emotional intelligence, among many other  badly needed strengths.

Digital humanities

A very promising and fulfilling line of research forging links between computer sciences and humanities is gathering increasing momentum day after day. Digital tools have augmented research in humanities and arts, leading to asking new research questions, employing more representative, comprehensive and multi- modal data, compiling corpora and archives, processing and interpreting data more efficiently and reliably. More importantly, the user-friendly digital tools have made it extremely easier than ever for scores of individuals in the broad community to ambitiously and passionately contribute to research in humanities, arts and natural sciences. Citizen science and research contributions  have  become a key part of scientific projects. The outcome proves to be so rewarding. 

Finally, I do not argue against STEM. I also understand fully the deep concerns and even the fears parents experience when it comes to the career path of their kids. Life is much greater and more complicated for any science to address. In order to be qualified for the jobs of the future, soft skills which arts and humanities nurture are desperately needed.  Automation is putting our traditional cognitive and manual skills at risk, sweeping many careers into oblivion year after year. Let's make arts and humanities be integrated into STEM fields and make all our primary and effective armory for a tough, unprecedentedly challenging future.