Opening of “Social Responsibility: A Renewed Vision... Towards a Sustainable Impact” at the BA
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina witnessed the opening of the Alexandria Forum for Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development under the title “Social Responsibility: A Renewed Vision... Towards Sustainable Impact.” The event was attended by Dr. Marwa El-Wakil, Head of the BA Academic Research Sector; Mr. Abdullatif Al-Ali, Vice Chairman of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility - Kingdom of Bahrain; Ambassador Nabila Makram, former Minister of Emigration and Head of the Technical Secretariat and Executive Director of the National Alliance for Civil Development Work - Arab Republic of Egypt; and Dr. Ayed Al-Qahtani, Social Responsibility and Sustainability Expert at the Regional Network for Social Responsibility - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The session was moderated by Dr. Reham Abdel Hamid, Director of the BA Sustainable Development Studies, Youth Capacity Building, and African Relations Support Program.
Dr. Marwa El-Wakil said that the Library was one of the first institutions in the region to address the concept of sustainable development years before its official opening, seeking to introduce it to young people and instill the idea of sustainability in their lives.
She stressed that the concepts of social responsibility and sustainable development are two fundamental pillars of the Library's strategy and future plans, noting that cooperation with the regional network was seamless as a result of shared goals and visions. She also highlighted the importance of hosting the forum at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a platform that brings together diverse Arab expertise in terms of countries, experiences, and scientific backgrounds.
For his part, Mr. Abdullatif Al-Ali said that holding the forum in partnership with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina reflects a firm belief that social responsibility is no longer an institutional option or a marginal activity, but has become a developmental necessity and a national and regional strategy imposed by the fast-paced and changing nature of life.
Ambassador Nabila Makram stated that social responsibility stems essentially from an individual's complete internal awareness of the mutual relationship between themselves and their community. She pointed out that even simple actions taken under the umbrella of social responsibility have a significant impact on the lives of individuals and different segments of society, and contribute to building a more equitable, cohesive, and cooperative society.
Dr. Ayed Al-Qahtani mentioned that the Arab world is currently experiencing a phase in which the social role of institutions is no longer marginal but rather key to social stability and sustainability. He noted that the meeting is a starting point for connecting decision-makers with experienced individuals to ascertain that the value of any initiative lies not only in its title but also in its impact.
At the end of the opening session, a number of participants were honored, including Ambassador Nabila Makram; Dr. Yousry El Gamal, former Minister of Education, Professor of Engineering and Computer Science at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, and advisor to the Global Knowledge Index; Dr. Ali Abdullah Al Ibrahim, Vice President of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility – Qatar; Rawayeh Ramadan, Deputy Executive Director of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility; and Dr. Abdulsalam Abu Qahf, Professor of International Business Administration at the Faculty of Business, Alexandria University.