Solar powered solutions to Egypt's energy crises

Egypt's fuel and energy problems are increasing at an alarming rate, but the solution may lie in one the country's most abundant resources - the sun. 

With electricity blackouts and fuel shortages becoming all to common, a group of young Egyptians believe the answer is to go green.

Ice Cairo have drawn on the 40 years worth of experience of solar power expert Adel Hanna to develop a low cost solar powered water heater that brings hot water into your home with no electricity - and crucially, no electrical bills.

What's more, they want to spread this knowledge. On what they call 'Solar Hackathons', they teach others how to construct the water heaters - created using local materials at an affordable cost. 

At this Hackathon, the Ice Cairo team went to the 'Deep South' camp in Marsa Allam to give a workshop. They hope that having a functioning working model there will encourage other camps and hotels - as well as local bedouins - to make the switch to solar power. 

Port Said - City of Resisitance

Press 'captions' for English subtitles.

Video by Simon Hanna for Ahram Online. Still photography by Mohamed Nada.

Music by Port Said's El Tanbura.

Egyptians fight sexual assault

Egyptian activists are rising up against sexual harassment and sexual assaults that have recently plagued Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Formed in November 2012, Operation Anti Sexual Harassment is one of those groups. They consist of scores of volunteers who give up their free time to fight against one of the ugliest issues to emerge in Tahrir Square recently - sexual assaults targeting women.

The group distributes fliers in the square with their hotline number, which women call if they get attacked. The call reaches a control room, then organisers phone 'intervention teams' on the ground who immediately rush to the victim. The group attempts to remove her from the crowd, take her to a safe place and provide her with medical and psychological assistance. 

Tahrir - for over 2 years a symbol of Egypt's revolution - has suffered from fights, scuffles and clashes often attributed to the infiltration of counter revolutionary forces, and now violence against women seems to be the latest tool to undermine the demonstrations there.

On 25th January 2013, the two year anniversary of the revolution, Operation Anti Sexual Harassment dealt with 19 serious cases of sexual assault. Six women were taken to hospital due to their injuries.

Despite the horrific attacks, women are not staying away from the square. A week after the anniversary, women still made up a significant proportion of the Friday protests. 

Engy Ghozlan, a long time women's rights activist and member of Operation Anti-Sexul Harassment says women will not be deterred. "This won't stop women from going or force them to stay at home, nothing will prevent us from going. The street belongs to us as it belongs to anyone. This is our country and we will not be silent against sexual harassment. Not the type that happens everyday nor that of Tahrir... In Egypt there is no revolution without the participation of women and their security"

For more information, or to see how you can donate to Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment, visit their facebook page -http://www.facebook.com/opantish?ref=... or email opantish@gmail.com

They are also on twitter: @OpAntiSH

Ahly Ultras joy at Port Said ruling

Caution: Video contains strong language.


Jan 26 - There were wild celebrations outside the Ahly Sporting Club on Saturday after a court ruled against those accused of killing over 70 Ahly fans in Port Said last February.

The court handed 21 death penalties to the defendants.

In the moments after the court ruling, Ahly Ultras - hardcore supporters of the club - chanted against fans of Port Said and against former defence minister Mohamed Hussain Tantawi, who they hold partially responsible for the killings.

Protesters clash with police near Tahrir on Jan25 anniversary

Protesters involved in clashes with police on Qasr el Ainy street - moments from Tahrir Square - say that state security forces have fired birdshot at them, in addition to throwing rocks and shooting tear gas.

Witnesses say the clashes began on the evening of the 24th January when demonstrators attempted to take down a huge concrete wall on Qast el Ainy erected by security forces.

The fighting continued through the night and into the 25th - the second anniversary of the Egyptian uprising in 2011.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are filtering through to Tahrir Square demanding the realisaiton of the revolution's goals, justice for those who died and an end to the Muslim Brotherhood's monopoly on state power.

HRW: Egypt - Impunity After Deadly Protests

Families of the 45 protesters killed and the hundreds injured when police responded to protests over military rule with excessive force and brutality from November 19 through 24, 2011, are still waiting for justice a year later

Remembering Egypt's Mohamed Mahmoud Massacre

November 19-24th 2011: Egypt's police and armed forces clash with tens of thousands of demonstrators on Mohamed Mahmoud street, after a peaceful protest is violently dispersed.

The police and the army attacked protesters with batons, rocks, tear gas, birdshot pellets and live ammunition.

45 demonstrators were killed, thousands were injured.

One policeman has been put on trial.

Activists take environmental campaign to Egypt's streets

Environmental activists take to the streets of Egypt in a campaign called 'Bezoor Balady', or 'local seeds'. 

Greenpeace, Nawaya, Nabta, 350.org and Fakhri Aid were among the organisations taking part in the action. The campaign hit the streets in three areas in Cairo - Maadi, Heliopolis and Downtown - as well as in Alexandria, to raise awareness about Egypt's plethora of agricultural issues.

The activists were armed with specially created 'seed balls' - small balls that contain soil, silt and local seeds, everything a seed needs to grow; just add water. The idea is to begin a discussion about the possibility of using public spaces to grow healthy and much needed fruits and vegetables, as well as to start a dialogue about agriculture in Egypt - the world's number one importer of wheat.

For more information visit Bozoor Balady's facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/bozoorbalady

Egypt commemorates Maspero Massacre

On the one year anniversary of the Maspero Massacre, in which at least 26 Coptic Protesters were killed by the army, thousands of demonstrators march for justice.

Following the same path taken one year ago from the Cairo neighbourhood of Shobra to the Nile-side State Television building, protesters aimed to commemorate the dead and raise the pressure to put those responsible on trial.

Pictures of Mina Daniel, who has become an icon of the revolutionary since his death, were raised on flags and banners throughout the march.

Testimonies from survivors of the massacre and video recorded during the clashes tell a terrifying story of unprecedented brutality from the military police towards the peaceful protesters. Most of the dead were killed either by live rounds or by being squashed to death after being run over by army vehicles. Until now no senior military personnel have been punished for the killings.

Egypt's Doctors Begin Open Strike

An open ended partial strike at hospitals across Egypt begins today. At the Shobra General Hospital in Cairo - just one of the 540 hospitals on strike - outpatient services are closed and only emergency cases are being seen to.

Egypt's revolutionary graffiti returns

Revolutionary artists cover the walls of Mohamed Mahmoud St, Tahrir, in graffiti, just days after the famous street art was wiped off by authorities.

Mohamed Mahmoud St, the scene of 5 days of deadly clashes in November 2011, is now seen as one of the focal points of the revolution. Graffiti on it's walls has been wiped off before but each time it returns with new ideas - and the targets of the art are as fluid as Egypt's political situation.

The new artworks still focus on the martyrs of Egypt's uprising, but recently elected president Mohamed Morsi is now targeted on a number of pieces. Previously much of the graffiti was against remnants of the old regime and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, who officially stepped away from power on July 1st.

August 24th - The anti-ikhwan 'revolution'

I want to support and partake in opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi. They don't share my vision for Egypt, and they have colluded with the military (and possibly the US) to derail the revolution.

When I went to the anti ikhwan protest (or 'revolution as some had dubbed it) in Medinet Nasr yesterday, I went with an open mind. Yes, the protest had been called for by the likes of Tawfik Okasha, but this seemed to be different. It wasn't a protest in support SCAF or the old regime, as other protests in Medinet Nasr had been, this was specifically to voice anger towards the ikhwan.

In a democratic country, vocal opposition and constant pressure is vital. To hell with just sitting idly by and waiting and 'lazem nedelhom forsa' and all that nonsense. I disagree with those that say that now is not the time for demonstrating, that we should give them time.

When I got to the protest there were familiar sights - Egyptians from all ages, from both sexes and religions, just normal people, with home made signs. It looked, at first, a lot like many of the protests I've attended over the last year and a half.

But there were differences, and the longer I stayed there the more pronounced they became.

More than half of the assembled protesters spent their time quietly sitting in the shade away from the action rather than coming out and chanting or actively taking part. All the chants were recycled from revolutionary chants with certain words replaced. I heard not a single new chant. I saw none of the humour that defined our revolution. I saw none of the passion (although some individuals were getting hysterical, calling for Okasha to get back on TV, or ranting about 9/11 conspiracy theories).

I began to wonder why.

In my opinion, the primary difference is that this was a protest borne out of fear. These are the people who have been whipped up into a terrified frenzy over the ikhwan, and their entire raison d'etre seemed to be anti-ikhwan. Devoid of vision, this is just anti-something, it's not pro- a better alternative. This is not the basis for a political movement.

When we took to the streets from Jan25 (and before and after) we were dreaming. We had lofty ideals of freedom, social justice, genuine democracy, human dignity. We were willing to die for these ideals, and many did. During the battle of the camel on Feb 2nd that was what got us through, that was what made us survive and win this 24 hour battle.

If our only reason for starting the revolution was cos we hated mubarak, we probably would have lost hope and fled.

People were holding up posters of Tantawi and Omar Sulleiman. Badges on sale there were of Tantawi, Shafiq, Suleiman, Okasha and even Mubarak himself. These are not people that were full of hope for a new Egypt, these were not people that were trying to bring about a better country for everyone, these are people who are scared, and in their fear they want their strong dictator figures to protect them from the ikhwan, irrespective of the crimes of those figures. These are not people who have realised their own power, and instead feel weak and afraid and want someone else to take care of them.

I'm all for opposing the ikhwan, and opposing Morsi. But I want to strive for something better. This protest yesterday had fear as it's primary driving force. It lacked ideals, it lacked vision, and it lacked hope.

And this is why half the group were just sitting in the shade.

Egypt slum crippled by water crisis

The 'informal settlement' (read: slum) of Safat el Laban is home to around 400,000 residents. Normally, they get around 2 hours of water a day. Recently, during the oppressive Egyptian summer, this has been reduced to zero.

This is a report of the sit-in held at the Giza governate HQ in protest at the water cuts.

And this is footage from within Safat el Laban, where families are seriously affected by the lack of water:

Mursi victorious, Tahrir jubilant

Tahrir Square, packed full of supporters of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi, erupts into wild celebrations as the official results of the presidential runoff are announced.

Morsi beat his rival Ahmed Shafiq and will be declared the next president of Egypt.

'Mobtiloon' campaigners call on Egyptians to spoil their ballots

As Egyptians head to the polls in the presidential runoff to choose Ahmed Shafiq or Mohamed Morsi, a group of activists are calling on the electorate to spoil their ballots.

Egypt elects its new President

Egyptians vote for their next president in the first presidential elections since the popular uprising which overthrew Mubarak in 2011.

Tension at MOD sit-in after deadly attacks

The situation remains tense at the Ministry of Defence sit-in, where hundreds have been protesting in recent days against the ruling Military Council (SCAF). 

Presidential hopeful Khaled Ali visited the sit-in to show his solidarity, after dozens of protesters were injured and up to 4 killed when unknown assailants attacked the demonstrators at night on Saturday and Sunday.

AJE Listening Post on Kazeboon Campaign

Listening Post features how Egypt's revolutionaries collected and archived citizen videos filmed on the streets that tell a story different to that by the state media, becoming an alternative news source for Egyptians, by Egyptians.

Hazem Abu-Ismail supporters flood the streets to celebrate presidency bid

Supporters of Salafist presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail join a march and motorcade to celebrate his official candidacy application

Mourners flock to Pope Shenouda's funeral

Tens of thousands of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Christians attend the funeral of Pope Shenouda III.