National Association for Change#Goals
{{Short description|Egyptian pressure group}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Update|date=April 2010}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = National Association for Change
Al-Gamaʿiyya al-Waṭaniyya lit-Taghyīr
الجمعية الوطنية للتغيير
| area_served = {{EGY}}
| logo = 250 px
| vector_logo =
| type = Pressure group
Political group
| native_name = Al-Jamaʿiyya al-Waṭaniyya lit-Taghyīr
الجمعية الوطنية للتغيير
| method =
| revenue =
| num_volunteers =
| owner =
| founder = Mohamed ElBaradei
| key_people =
| founded_date = February 2010
| focus = Democracy,
Social justice,
Free and fair elections
| homepage = [https://www.taghyeer.net The Official website of National Association for Change]
| tax_exempt =
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}
National Association for Change ({{langx|ar|الجمعية الوطنية للتغيير}}) is a loose grouping of the various Egyptian of all political affiliations and religion, men and women, including representatives of civil society and young people aims to change Egypt. There was general agreement on the need to unite all the voices calling for change within a National Assembly. Mohamed ElBaradei is in-charge of the National Association for Change. The movement aims for general reforms in the political scene and achieving some of those procedures and guarantees necessitates the amendment of articles 76, 77, and 88 of the constitution as soon as possible. Worth mentioning is that the banned political group the Muslim Brotherhood were represented by one of their key figures who attended the meeting{{When|date=February 2011}} however their stand in accepting a non-member of their group as a candidate is yet unclear. It is also unknown whether Amr Moussa the head of the Arab League who met with Elbaradei a day earlier will be part of the new movement.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8534365.stm |title=ElBaradei to form 'national association for change' |publisher=BBC News |date=February 24, 2010 |access-date=October 19, 2010}} The goal of the group is to bring about political reform based on democracy and social justice.
Platform
The main objectives of the association is to work towards a political system based on genuine democracy and social justice. The first step on this road is to ensure basic guarantees of free and fair elections involving all the Egyptians so that there is an equal opportunity for all the Egyptians to run and win any elections, whether legislative elections or the presidential election. The National Association for Change platform is:
- Ending the state of emergency.{{cite web|url=http://www.shorouknews.com/ContentData.aspx?id=206650 |title=National Association for Change...A bet on the Egyptians people |publisher=Shorouknews.com |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
- Complete judicial oversight of the whole election process.
- Allowing local and international civil society groups to monitor elections.
- Equal access to media for all candidates, particularly during presidential elections.
- Giving Egyptians living abroad the right to vote at Egyptian embassies and consulates.
- The right to run for president without arbitrary restrictions in accordance with Egypt's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as limiting the president's service to two terms.
- Voting by the National ID.
Goals
- Amending article 76 of the Constitution of Egypt states: "The People's Assembly shall nominate the President of the Republic. The nomination shall be referred to the people for a plebiscite. The nomination for the President of the Republic shall be made in the People’ Assembly upon the proposal of at least one third of its members. The candidate who obtains two-thirds of the votes of the members of the People's Assembly shall be referred to the people for a plebiscite. If he does not obtain the said majority the nomination process shall be repeated two days after the first vote. The candidate obtaining an absolute majority of the votes of the Assembly members shall be referred to the citizens for a plebiscite. The candidate shall be considered President of the Republic when he obtains an absolute majority of votes cast in the plebiscite. If the candidate does not obtain this majority, the Assembly shall propose the nomination of another candidate and the same procedure shall follow concerning his candidature and election.".{{cite web|url=http://www.egypt.gov.eg/english/laws/Constitution/chp_five/part_one.aspx |title=Chapter five: The Government, Part One: The Head of the State |publisher=Egypt.gov.eg |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
- Amending article 77 of the Constitution of Egypt that states: "The term of the presidency shall be six Gregorian years starting from the date of the announcement of result of the plebiscite. The President of the Republic may be re-elected for other successive terms.".
- Amending article 88 of the Constitution of Egypt that states: "The Law shall determine the conditions which members of the Assembly must fulfil as well as the rules of election and referendum, while the ballot shall be conducted under the supervision of the members of a judiciary organ.".{{cite web|url=http://www.egypt.gov.eg/english/laws/Constitution/chp_five/part_two.aspx |title=Chapter five: The Government, Part Two: The People's Assembly |publisher=Egypt.gov.eg |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
Activities of the Association
= In Egypt =
== In Dakahlia ==
Activity started People's Campaign to support ElBaradei in Dakahlia in the first leg of some political activists and members of the April 6 Youth Movement individually to receive ElBaradei at the Cairo airport late February 2010.
Began some individuals (including 3 from April 6 Youth Movement ) activity in an orderly fashion in early March, to start distributing their publication 4 thousand to support the IAEA within the Mansoura University.
With the increasing number of members of the campaign employed a human development coach to receive lectures on how to work together.
= Outside Egypt =
== In the Arab States ==
=== In Kuwait ===
According to George Ishak, The online group had planned to hold its first meeting in public to launch the Kuwaiti branch of the Egyptian National Association for Change.{{cite web|url=http://www.addustour.com/ViewTopic.aspx?ac=%5CArabicAndInter%5C2010%5C04%5CArabicAndInter_issue913_day11_id227618.htm |title=Kuwait: Deportation of 17 Egyptian supporters of the Mohamed ElBaradei |publisher=Addustour.com |date=April 14, 2010 |access-date=October 19, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412083400/http://www.addustour.com/ViewTopic.aspx?ac=%5CArabicAndInter%5C2010%5C04%5CArabicAndInter_issue913_day11_id227618.htm |archive-date=April 12, 2010 }}{{Quotation|
"There are no Egyptian elections at the moment ... and it is unacceptable for nationals to take the internal politics of their countries to the host country".[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/10/AR2010041003411.html Kuwait deports 17 pro-ElBaradei Egyptians]|Rawodan Al Rawodan|Kuwait's Minister of Cabinet Affairs
}}
Kuwaiti authorities deported 17 Egyptian nationals supporting potential Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei in Kuwait City. They were among 33 Egyptians in Kuwait City who belonged to a pro-ElBaradei group on the social networking site Facebook and who were detained by Kuwaiti authorities.
{{Quotation|
"These Egyptians are here to work not to form groups".|Rawodan Al Rawodan|Kuwait's Minister of Cabinet Affairs
}}
Kuwaiti officials said Egypt's internal politics should be kept in Egypt and not exercised abroad.
{{Quotation|
"Kuwait does not interfere into Egypt's internal affairs".|Rawodan Al Rawodan|Kuwait's Minister of Cabinet Affairs
}}
The Egyptian political forces to staged a protest in front of the Embassy of Kuwait in Cairo.{{cite web|url=http://www.shorouknews.com/ContentData.aspx?id=208768 |title=The Egyptian authority manage to abort a demonstration condemning the arrest supporter ElBaradei in front the Embassy of Kuwait |publisher=Shorouknews.com |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
Gameela Ismail, an Egyptian journalist, said the demonstration comes to protest the practices of the Kuwaiti security forces and their arrest of the Egyptians because of their ad campaign to launch the Kuwaiti branch of the Egyptian National Association for Change.
{{Quotation|
"المظاهرة أيضاً هي نوع من الاحتجاج على ممارسات أجهزة الامن العربية ضد المطالبين بالحرية والديمقراطية"
"Demonstration also is a form of protest against the practices of the security forces against the Arab claimants freedom and democracy"{{cite web |url=http://www.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=212927&SecID=65&IssueID=0 |title=Security prevents "The female activists for change" to meet with the Ambassador of Kuwait |publisher=Youm7.com |access-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301012304/http://www.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=212927&SecID=65&IssueID=0 |archive-date=March 1, 2012 |url-status=dead }}|Gameela Ismail
}}
While ElBaradei described the Egyptians deportation from Kuwait "gross injustice".{{cite web |url=http://bikyamasr.com/?p=11702 |title=Press Review: Egyptian media denounces deportation of ElBaradei supporters by Kuwait |publisher=Bikyamasr.com |date=April 19, 2010 |access-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110721165425/http://bikyamasr.com/?p=11702 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://www.shorouknews.com/ContentData.aspx?id=209122 |title=Egyptian back from Kuwait: Egyptian Foreign Ministry did not help us... and ElBaradei describes the migration "gross injustice" |publisher=Shorouknews.com |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
== In Europe ==
=== In England ===
A group of Egyptians who live in England supporting the peaceful change of the Constitution in Egypt towards more democratization. The group stands behind Dr Mohamed ElBaradei who champions this cause.[http://probaradei.net/en National Association for Change: The UK branch]{{Dead link|date=October 2010}}
== In North America ==
=== In The United States ===
Mr ElBaradei decided to visit the US during April 2010. Mr ElBaradei's visit to the United States will include meetings with Egyptians abroad to "discuss his agenda for change and answer their questions on how to move forward", said an official from Mr ElBaradei's National Association for Change.
The trip could represent an opportunity for Mr ElBaradei to focus on one of the stated goals of his National Association for Change: the enfranchisement of Egyptians abroad, many of whom have felt for years that their views on governance are neglected by the regime.
In the wake of the strong support for the National Association for Change in the United States, Egyptians living in the US formed the Egyptian Association For Change (EAC).{{cite web|url=http://www.eacusa.org/|title=eacusa – event & attraction center}}
The EAC priorities include a free and fair elections involving all Egyptians including the Egyptian Diaspora, and guarantees of freedom of expression and peaceful political participation. To meet these objectives, the EAC mobilizes communities and individuals to advocate for constitutional reforms and the implementation of specific measures to ensure fair and transparent elections in Egypt.
While the EAC support the NAC's call for change and adopted the 7 points it has presented for reform, there is no formal relationship between the two organizations. However members of the EAC are in constant communication with the members of NAC to coordinate and synchronize positions and efforts.
On May 1, 2010, Egyptians in America voted in a mock election organized by the EAC. For the first time ever, they participated in a free and fair Egyptian electoral process that included Hamdeen Sabahi, Mohamed ElBaradei, Ayman Nour, Amr Moussa and Gamal Mubarak as candidates.{{cite web|url=http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/expats-us-vote-mock-egypt-election |title=Expats in US vote in mock Egypt election | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt |publisher=Al-Masry Al-Youm |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
The EAC's main headquarters is in Washington, D.C., with chapters in NY/NJ, Massachusetts, North Carolina, California and Michigan.
{{Quotation|
"I think that this is an acknowledgement that Egyptians abroad are a huge number of people".{{cite web |url=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100426/FOREIGN/704259926/1135 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307152944/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100426%2FFOREIGN%2F704259926%2F1135 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |title=ElBaradei takes his case to America |publisher=Thenational.ae |access-date=October 19, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}|Issandr al Amrani|an independent political analyst based in Cairo
}}
Egyptian expatriates may have a natural affinity for Mr ElBaradei, whose global cachet resonates with expatriates who hope to see a comprehensive rethinking of Egypt's political system.
{{Quotation|
"Part of the idea behind ElBaradei is that he's a guy who has lived outside Egypt for 30 years and there's a feeling that, sure, he may not know Egypt that well, but he knows that in other places they’ve done things better than Egypt". "I think that will appeal to Egyptians living abroad who have seen societies where things work better than Egypt."|Issandr al Amrani|an independent political analyst based in Cairo
}}
According to figures from the 2007 US census bureau, there are nearly 200,000 people of Egyptian ancestry living in the United States.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0052.pdf |title=Population by Selected Ancestry Group and Region: The 2007 US census bureau |access-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009225428/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0052.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
Figures
- Mohamed ElBaradei (The President of the Association)
- Hamdy Kandeel (The official spokesman)
- Hassan Nafaa (The General Coordinator of the Association and a professor of political science at Cairo University)
- Abdurrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi (Activist and son of Qatar-based cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi){{cite web |url=http://www.masrawy.com/News/Egypt/Politics/2010/april/17/baradei.aspx?ref=moreclip |title=Abdurrahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi: new branches of National Association for Change Will open soon in Europe and the United States |publisher=Masrawy.com |date=April 17, 2010 |access-date=October 19, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418215907/http://www.masrawy.com/News/Egypt/Politics/2010/april/17/baradei.aspx?ref=moreclip |archive-date=April 18, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}
- Shadi Taha (Member of the High Council Ghad El-Thawra Party)
- Hamdeen Sabahi (One of the founders of Dignity Party and the editor of the party newspaper)
- Ayman Nour (A liberal Egyptian and a former candidate for the presidential elections in Egypt, founder of Hizb El-Ghad) and the President of Ghad El-Thawra Party
- Gameela Ismail (Egyptian journalist)
- George Ishak (A Leader in Kefaya Movement and its coordinator and former spokesman for the movement)
- Yehia El Gamal (A former Egyptian Minister and constitutional expert)
- Osama Al Ghazali Harb (The President of Democratic Front Party)
- Saad El-Katatny (President of the parliamentary bloc of the Muslim Brotherhood)
- Khaled Youssef{{cite web|url=http://www.elaph.com/Web/arts/2010/4/550395.html |title=Artists declare their political positions |publisher=Elaph.com |date=May 21, 2001 |access-date=October 19, 2010}}
- Khaled Abol Naga (Egyptian actor)
- Ali Badrakhan (Egyptian director)
- Basma Ahmed (Egyptian actress)
- Najla Fathi (Egyptian actress)
- Yousry Nasrallah (Egyptian director)
- Alaa Al Aswany (Egyptian writer)
- Naguib Sawiris (Egyptian businessman){{cite web |url=http://www.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=216540&SecID=12 |title=Naguib Sawiris: The NDP has to understand that we are not "sheep" and I am supporting ElBaradei in mission of change |publisher=Youm7.com |access-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006154602/http://www.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=216540&SecID=12 |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}
- Said El Kemny (Academic Writer)[https://archive.today/20130419110519/http://www.alquds.co.uk/index.asp?fname=data%5C2010%5C03%5C03-15%5C14qpt30.htm&storytitle=ff%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%81%D9%83%D8%B1 Said El Kemny calls upon people to support ElBaradei to escape from the police state and the specter of a religious state]
See also
{{Portal|Egypt}}
{{Commons category|National Association for Change}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100518124132/http://www.taghyeer.net/ The Official website of National Association for Change]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111022053701/http://www.taghyeer.net/membership/Signup.aspx The Official website in-charge of gathering signatures of amend the constitution]
{{Arab Spring}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Association For Change}}
Category:Nonviolent resistance movements
Category:Egyptian revolution of 2011
Category:2010 establishments in Egypt
Category:Egyptian democracy movements