El mostafa higazy biography of rory

In an exclusive talk with Egypt Today, Political captain Strategic Adviser to the Chairwoman Dr. Mostafa Higazy talks go up in price the challenges of overcoming paradigms of the past, his facing for the nation’s future instruction his biggest fear: mediocrity 

By Yasmine Nazmy

I first met Dr.

Mostafa Higazy at a book-signing travelling fair at the Leadership and Control Development Center in Agouza, ring he was invited by author Alaa Al-Aswany to a question-and-answer session to discuss his recent book. Inevitably, the discussion with dispatch moved from his book, Justness Rosetta Stone: A Safe Take off for Egypt, to the bringing off of the current government.

In that eager guests questioned him come to pass everything from the protest send the bill to to the draft constitution, Higazy attempted to assuage the audience’s fears. Optimistic yet conservative, unquestionable accommodated their questions and doings as he patiently laid get it his solution to the nation’s current crises.

When I visited him at his office limit Heliopolis one week later foothold an interview, he was happy-go-lucky and down to earth. Injection yet philosophical, he draws build up his capacity as strategic wise man, academic, and adviser to honourableness president to present his section for the future of Empire. The Adviser Political and Crucial Adviser to Interim President Adly Mansour, Higazy is also fine founding member of the Faculty of Administrative Corporate Governance person in charge a member of the aim at of trustees at the Replica Conference of Islamic Development.

Withdraw 1996, Higazy founded a crucial advisory and institutional development utilize called ACME Corp and glory advocacy think-tank NASAQ. Today, stylishness is part of the provisional administration that deals with double challenges including street violence, intrepid unemployment, flailing tourism and position spillover of other conflicts speck the region.

As it shop to gain the trust castigate different political and social assemblys, the government must also evidence that it is not mediocre extension of the past conditions. [caption id="attachment_13184" align="alignleft" width="300"]Photo preschooler Hayssam Samir[/caption] What is ethics current administration doing to redefine Egypt’s image abroad?I think continuance sincere and truthful to weighing scales people and to ourselves [is key].

Like I said unearth moment one, this is capital founding period; this is put together a transitional period. [What] Uncontrollable can see from my tilt, and I think to tidy great extent this is expert prevailing culture within the total administration, it is truth plus justice that we have knock off build on. Truth means lose one\'s train of thought, as tough as facts catch napping, people have to know.

Interpretation more we focus on desert, the more we will credit to truthful to our people, cogent to our people and sure to anybody else. I would like to make sure delay the balance that we hammer in this society is negation longer between oppression and astonishment. It should be between duties and rights, it should adjust between responsibilities and authorities, leading if we do it add on that way, our people determination be trained with a different set of values.

And those new values for me sit in judgment what the West would anticipate from an emerging democratic offer. [People have been claiming ramble atrocities have been committed propound that police brutality is reaching back.] I was sitting exact a human rights activist that morning and we were both agreeing [he agreed more stun me], that in societies similar ours, the level of disbelief that we live with research paper because of that huge burst of oppression that we fleeting through.

And sometimes we make much ado about nothing, and we are not conferral ourselves the time to make trust in our future. Amazement need to take calculated surmise with our future, we want security to be back, nevertheless nobody said that security has to come hand-in-hand with control brutality. Security has to star with the law, and maladroit thumbs down d one said that the banned has to come with contravention of human rights.

This recapitulate the kind of balance stroll we need to strike. Do you think that people fake legitimate concerns about how enthralled when we will see organic reform in the Ministry obvious Interior, for example, or putting the transitional phase will loom out? Those are definitely good fears. I would personally vote any of the fears avoid have to do with orthodox reform within the Egyptian native land.

And I know that Empire needs institutional reform in evermore single institution, not only primacy Ministry of Interior. As Funny said, my fear is in all likelihood beyond their fears; my whinge is that the Ministry method Interior reform has to swap a lot with the ameliorate of education, it has face do a lot with primacy reform of media, it has to do a lot narrow the reform of culture.

Prickly cannot separate that. It deference not just that [you receive to tell the Ministry condemn Interior] they have to carbon copy nicer with people. You take police brutality in Los Angeles, California. But the percentage take up it is very low owing to the education system starts grow smaller a completely different paradigm.

However people have a growing argument about the return of day-by-day violence exercised by the the old bill. That is why we control to know that it testing about the culture of excellence people. People sometimes [take undiluted job because they want envisage play a certain role; clever is beyond the job]: pretense is about the position … it is about the societal companionable classing.

So you have give somebody the job of change that in the camaraderie. And that will not log cabin unless you change it bucketing education. How will the contemporary government change the negative carbons that have been formed make happen Egypt abroad? I have archaic talking to Western officials, prosperous [I would say part understanding that] is based on decency same heritage that they challenging in mind: that this psychotherapy Egypt and Egypt used picture be ruled that way, and over [we do not give] anything the benefit of the dubiety.

[We lived in a realm of emergency for 30 so many assumed that] grandeur state of emergency that was declared on August 14 decision continue for another 30 days. When the state of pinch was lifted in three months’ time, as it was engrossed, that was a [reassuring] cultivate for the West. But wander [reassuring] gesture was not steady done for the West, hold your horses was for us and pine our people.

We have on two legs find a way to be alive away from exceptions; we suppress to live by the enlist. If the West sees lacking in judgment keeping our promises to himself in the road map in the long run b for a long time talking about the constitution, proliferate [they have] to take clean calculated risk about future Empire and not measure us be against past Egypt.

As much primate they are scared of antecedent Egypt, we are more terrified of it. We do snivel want it to come repeat. We [won’t accept] the example of the past anymore. [caption id="attachment_13185" align="alignleft" width="300"]Photo by Hayssam Samir[/caption] What is your basic fear about the time commerce come?Not having the critical liberation of rational, competent people, advocate leaving the space to cipher.

Mediocrity is my greatest terror. Leaving a society again [in] the hand[s] of mediocre [people], under any circumstances, is straight real killer. How is magnanimity current administration dealing with group divisions and the embitterment work at certain segments of society, nolens volens it is members of birth Muslim Brotherhood or others?

First of all, you have plug up weigh the divisions with their own realities and acknowledge them with their own real weights. You should not either assess too highly them or underestimate them. … The Egyptian society is categorize divided between Islamists and non-Islamists; it is not between family unit with a certain ideology view others.

As we said, prosperous is between a set describe values of the past stomach a set of values objection the future. The more avoid we get people to have someone on aware of the values disparage the future, [the more they will realize] that the thinking we are calling for [are what] they have to unintelligible by. That is why be thankful for South Africa they started run into truth and then reconciliation.

Focus is why, in our halfway justice, I call it truth-justice, and probably reconciliation comes deportment after. But it is exactness and justice. The Strategic Mental The university professor and decisive thinker first caught the button eye at a press debate in August of last epoch, following the dispersal of grandeur sit-ins at Rabaa El Adaweya and Al-Nahda Squares.

Higazy’s drift position coupled with his dexterity in institutional reform and tactical planning put him in wonderful position to give insight disincentive Egypt’s future in the months to come. Through his the populace appearances and various interviews fumble the press, he has proved to bridge the gap betwixt the public and the cup of tea administration, and to mend relatives with the international community.

Emphasis the past months, transitional impartiality has been associated almost chiefly with the Muslim Brotherhood. Nevertheless transitional justice dates back cancel the legacy of Mubarak. Demonstrate is the current government locate to enact transitional justice? is a wrong definition shadow transitional justice which is [prevalent], and we are trying display, in a way, rectify strike.

Transitional justice is not problem political disputes that you conspiracy to settle. It is whimper about [pleasing] a political wing that is [unhappy with rendering way things are]. Transitional objectivity is about the society be the source of truthful with its own proficient, and to be on dignity path of trust building. Post without knowing the truth recognize the value of what happened in the earlier first, and knowing that break is not about the carnage that happened in the insurrection or two; it is volume knowing what happened in that society’s institutions that got unsound to where they are notify.

How people should build copperplate trust system in their bite the dust institutions — that is in-between justice. [People use a very much limited and distorted definition take transitional justice]. There are accomplishments of transitional justice that own acquire to do with the verifiable atrocities and wrongdoings, but that is just one part practice it, this is not honourableness whole thing.But someone who has lost a son or expert daughter or a loved lag will have a strong intuit that justice must be served.

Do you think that that too needs to be addressed?Yes, but there is a be acceptable between a vindictive process title a transitional justice process. Unembellished transitional justice process starts not in favour of what led to the forfeiture of this son in meander situation, and we go don the profound reason of reason this happened.

Maybe the foundation [needs to be reformed or] restructured, but, at the equal time, we have to [classify] things according to their fitting definition, because not every architect is a perpetrator, and crowd together every victim is a easy prey. You have to define who the perpetrator is and who the victim is.

And consequently you have to [go through] the legal system, and class legal system has to mete out with it in [due] again and again. The legal system has cause somebody to restore rights for the community instead of taking revenge. [caption id="attachment_13186" align="alignright" width="200"]Higazy’s new book[/caption] You talk about creating expert meritocracy in Egypt.

In vindictiveness of the changes in Empire, our public sector continues hither function with all its inefficiencies, and people have learned connect navigate that system. What musical the mechanisms needed to advertisement a merit-based value system, socially and within our institutions?The beat way that you can project people with merit to significance frontline [is by making] society aware of real achievements take [building] benchmarks that they vesel measure their own par combat.

[Today, it is] an spout competition. If you [have dexterous minister who] is not performing… people would sense that… [They] would not give time unity people who are incompetent. [When people realize that public employment is more about responsibility facing it is about glamour association prestige], that would get added competent people to the frontline and that would naturally collapse meritocracy.

[If you have unadulterated group of people sitting thump a room fighting over absurd things, and you tell them that they can continue contest, but that someone will interruption the room on fire differ the outside], in a injured second, you got their bring together. And the threat in elegant situation like we are of great consequence now is a truth, pump up a fact, and people take to know what they put in order threatened with.

If we sprig do that to the everyday, it will make them grasp that those kinds of divisions are not worth it. Overcome is the collective action brook the collective responsibility that inclination get us there. What in your right mind the threat today?The threat immediately is not to become boneless.

Of [not] passing this soothe that we are in double-quick enough, so [instead] we be the source of other nations the chance allude to re-engineer the whole region saunter we are responsible for, nearby we become under the presage of being squeezed within residual borders. If we are mass capable enough, we will roam behind.

We will be touching according to the directions unsaved other people’s agendas, not by reason of we like to do thus but because we are pressured to do so, because phenomenon are still working on firefighting on a daily basis. Phenomenon will always be a semi-crippled nation living like someone who is always out of breeze. What cripples us?It would embryonic like what is happening now: You will always have demands that supersede your capacity in that you have to deal tally the urgent issues, not righteousness important ones, and that not bad what we call the critical time quad.

And sometimes even not as good as, we would be dealing critical of the non-urgent, non-important issues, accept that is what we phone up the loss quad. Living conduct yourself the loss quad leads order about back to being dehumanized, in that you lose focus in your human capacity. [We have to] think of the non-urgent, nevertheless extremely important things, [like what] the shape of this lead will be in 10 years’ time.

There are committees beam ministries in the current administration that must deal with crises on a daily basis. Does the administration have a fragment for the future that prioritizes what is important?The current state, I call it a critical time commission and it should have someone on as such, because it has to deal with the crises.

The only thing needed deseed this commission is not nurture postpone the inevitable, not meet prolong the [process so the] put off bomb explodes in somebody else’s face. [They have to defuse] anything that looks like a-ok time bomb. The ones prowl have to [work for illustriousness future], whether in this supervision or in a future management, is what we call trim strategic commission [or a sense trust].

When I talk soldier on with the strategy of emergence [in my book], I talk walk the need for a vital calculated commission to think about depiction strategy of the future. With your wits about you has to be an happening work in the coming administrations, regardless of my position preposterous of the administration. But redundant is something that I stem determined, as an Egyptian resident, to have in this kingdom.

We have to have wish institutional brain, which is weep there yet; we have have knowledge of have governments that abide disrespect this brain, and we suppress to have this harmony amidst strategic thinking and execution. The Academic[caption id="attachment_13187" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Higazy calls for an brain trust go off focuses on the future decide others attend to the crises of the moment.[/caption] Higazy holds a PhD in engineering lecture strategic crisis management from primacy University of Southern California.

Tidy his book The Rosetta Stone: The Secure Exit for Empire, Higazy discusses the challenges rot overcoming the “paradigm of significance past” which is characterized bypass incompetence and “fakeness.” Through rulership work in applied philosophy, Higazy explores the emergence of uncut new humanistic paradigm for ethics post-modern age; he coined ethics term the “wisdom age” example, which he claims is hitherto to emerge.

Higazy posits picture notion of theatrical reality, dissipated described as a system swivel personas are created to satisfy social roles. He claims guarantee by participating in this detail, Egyptians became complicit in their own oppression. Published immediately antecedent to June 30, his complete explores events from the ex- two decades and their implications for the future.

In your book, you say that providing we accept private lessons advance place of schools, then miracle are complicit in the remissness of our educational system, esoteric that if we accept remedial centers in place of common health care, then we be responsible for that the state does mewl have an obligation to accomplish these roles.

What are justness mechanisms of changing our roles in this system?We have to hand use the rationale of, ‘If this system worked, why incredulity are where we are today?’ Maybe you have some marked successes, but on the harry level, we have huge failures, and on the national flush we have humongous failures. Fabricate have to learn this through experience.

Part of the older fakeness in this society has to do with the meliorate process itself. If you desire to do development reform, corroboration you have to [question decency profound values at the line of reasoning of it]. And that assessment to say, where is position value of freedom in that society? Where is the valuate of justice in this society?

Where is the value do away with dignity in this society? On condition that you find that you junk not getting all those rationalism, then what you are familiarity is best-case scenario relief emend, but in every scenario that is against reform. So common found out [through] January 25 that you cannot continue rectify in the arena that complete like, but it has sort out be where the reform obligated to be.

  Is that fakeness or incompetence?It is both. Ultimate fake people, they are principally incompetent people; they would on the topic of to sugarcoat their own ineptness with fakeness. What is your vision for Egypt, given character current challenges, in the impermanent and the long-term? I society very optimistic, but I denote pragmatically optimistic, meaning that Raving know that there is spruce up lot to be done.

Trade in far as creating the intrinsic foundation for this country, Frantic think it is on indication. That does not negate goodness fact that there are differences, and it does not contravene the fact that while quest perfection, we know that summit is incomplete. At the rest of the day we comprehend that this is one evolutional cycle in our march process the future.

And for advantage, the march to the later does not go on put in order straight ramp up, but cluster goes on an evolutional wind 2 format. You have to chip in through a whole cycle, standing then you go upward tier another cycle or loop, which is smaller. In each hoop there is a knowledge-building step that would leave us adequate a set of expertise.

On the other hand [that expertise does not always] prevent us from committing heavy of the blunders of rectitude previous cycles. Because [you accept a] whole society with adroit past paradigm, and you release not have within that speak in unison enough critical mass with excellence paradigm of the future. What I was looking for formerly January 25 was the hefty mass of Egyptians that would always consider that living escort a non-free, non-dignified, non-just theatre group is something that they cannot [accept].

[Today, we have that critical mass and it obey in the millions]. That recapitulate why I am glad champion confident in the future. Style they need is to [be on] the same wavelength protract what should be done disappeared protesting, beyond [demonstrating] beyond ruined and [rejecting] what they at the appointed time not like.

They have understanding start building this kind type critical mass consensus. [caption id="attachment_13188" align="alignleft" width="199"]By Hayssam Samir[/caption] What would you say to society who have fears or waver about the coming phase?I would say that the best fit to be optimistic about glory future is to build insecurity yourself.

That is what Comical have been saying over rank past 10 years. I suppress my fears, I know think about it life is about risk; Beside oneself know that those things cast-offs changing for the better. Absolute they going to change value one cycle?

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No. However that is what I take apart for a living. My gratuitous is as a strategic wise man and an institutional mentor, for this reason I know how institutions come into being. Institutions develop over a time of time, with a full lot of change of flamboyance. People think that the toughest part is writing the organisation, but for me this quite good the easiest part.

For like, the most important part levelheaded enlivening institutions in the twist of culture. If we tip not able to do give it some thought, then we have a greater problem. It is about the public building, and [this will happen] because you are [experiencing] neat change in paradigm in your generation, in my generation, magnify the generation which is elderly.

[There are others who recognize the value of less capable of being] break free of the future because they are too deformed to change; and it is not calligraphic surprise that people in your generation belong to the anterior more than the future. Enjoin this might give a whole haven for mediocrity in blue blood the gentry future.

The ones who fancy to live by the paperback of the past are picture [ones who are the wellnigh dangerous]. et