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International activist and anthropologist Hassan Ghazaly, founder of the Global Solidarity Network, participated as a keynote speaker representing the Arab Republic of Egypt with a presentation titled “The Egyptian Experience in Preparing and Qualifying Parliamentary Representatives and Involving Youth in Legislative Processes” at the “BRICS Young Legislators Forum,” organized by the Legislative Assembly of the Novgorod Region as part of the BRICS Cities and Municipalities Twin Forum.
The forum was inaugurated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who praised the forum’s organization this year in the Novgorod region, known for its rich history and hospitality. Lavrov emphasized that the region, like the whole of Russia, demonstrates its openness to the world and readiness to develop foreign relations based on principles of respect, equality, and mutual interest.
Lavrov pointed out that Russia, which holds the BRICS presidency this year, is working to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership within the association, with a special focus on humanitarian cooperation and people-to-people contacts. He added that interaction between cities and municipalities plays a significant role in these efforts. Lavrov highlighted that the forum has become an effective platform for developing dialogue between regional and local authorities, leading to the establishment of twinning relations between many of them. He noted that the admission of new members to BRICS at the beginning of the year increased the potential of this mechanism, providing new opportunities for exchanging experiences in various aspects of urban life. In addition, He expressed hope that the forum would be held in a spirit of work and camaraderie, helping to establish useful contacts, discuss promising joint projects, and strengthen friendship and trust among BRICS countries.
The event featured a host of prominent speakers, including Gleb Nikitin, Governor of the Novgorod Region; Yevgeny Primakov, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo; Vyacheslav Volodin, Coordinator of the Association of Legislative Bodies of Government Authorities in the Volga Federal District; Fouad Gina, General Director of the African Youth Development and Excellence Center; Tatiana Orzhomitseva, Director of the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing; Raymond Matlala, Chairman of the BRICS Youth Organization in South Africa (SABYA); Mikhail Solomintsev; and representatives from BRICS countries.
Hassan Ghazaly emphasized the increasing role of youth in the process of making political decisions and laws at both national and local levels in Egypt. He said, “The current Egyptian parliament has the largest number of young representatives actively participating in discussing laws and policies, with the House of Representatives featuring a primary committee focused on youth and sports issues, chaired by MP Mahmoud Hussein, a former member of the Youth Parliament simulation and a current member of the Egyptian parliament, which underscores the effectiveness of state-organized cadre preparation activities.”
Ghazaly highlighted the work of the Global Solidarity Network in encouraging youth participation through national projects and initiatives, including the National School for Cadre Preparation (Seeds), which aims to train and qualify students studying languages (English, Russian, French, Swahili, Spanish) for free to prepare them as international ambassadors and leaders committed to global solidarity values for active participation in the international community through their linguistic abilities, utilizing technology that has facilitated international communication among peoples.
Ghazaly pointed to the efforts of empowering youth in Egypt across various state institutions, most notably the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the key institution targeting the masses, particularly through youth centers. The Ministry plays an important role through a wide range of activities aimed at youth and adolescent development and encouraging community participation. He noted that he was fortunate to belong to these centers, which helped shape his intellectual side. In addition to the simulations of the Egyptian Parliament and the Egyptian Senate, which serve as platforms to train youth in leadership, political, governance, and transparency skills, there are also youth clubs and federations recently organized as a sectoral union of youth entities.
Ghazaly also pointed out the vital role played by civil society organizations and international youth movements originating from Egypt, such as the Nasser Youth Movement and the Mediterranean Youth Foundation, in providing real opportunities for cultural exchange.
He further emphasized the role of the National Academy for Youth Leadership Preparation, which works to empower youth from all backgrounds, especially women, and integrate them into development programs, considering geographical representation across the republic.
During the session, the speakers discussed several key topics, starting with international youth cooperation, the system of interaction between youth parliamentary structures in BRICS countries, the development of youth parliaments and best practices in various BRICS countries, and the strategy for administration training in the People’s Republic of China. They also tackled youth parliament experiences within BRICS countries, youth participation in legislative processes in BRICS countries with a case study of South Africa, and the involvement of the Youth Legislators Chamber in lawmaking in Russia.
The meeting concluded with a discussion on the role of universities in shaping different administrative competencies for young leaders and ways to solidify the concepts of solidarity as a driving force for youth policy in BRICS countries.
It is noteworthy that this forum was part of the preparations for the BRICS Parliaments Forum, which began on Wednesday, July 10, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg and will continue until July 13. The forum includes the participation of heads of parliaments from the BRICS economic group countries and representatives from various member states, led by the Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives, Dr. Hanafi Gebali, aiming to enhance parliamentary cooperation and exchange among the member countries.
President Putin stated during the forum that the current forum’s theme is the role of parliaments in promoting multilateralism for fair global development and security, which is an extremely important issue that underscores the fundamental global transformations taking place on our planet today. The president noted that open discussions and direct talks between representatives of peoples align perfectly with the same philosophy and principles of the BRICS worldview, considering the interests of others, relying on democracy in international relations, respecting sovereignty, and the right to independent development for all. He added that parliamentary dialogue today, especially within the framework of the ‘BRICS’ group, has become more important than ever, as parliamentarians express the demands and needs of millions of people, acting as defenders of their peoples’ will and political and national rights, contributing to the enhancement of global democracy.