Shayfeencom
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الجمعية المصرية للرقابة الشعبية و حقوق الإنسان | |
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| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founder |
|
| Type | |
| Focus | |
Area served |  Egypt |
| Method | |
| Owner | none |
Volunteers | Thousands |
| Website | shayfeencom |
| Re-established in 2011 | |
Shayfeencom(Egyptian Arabic:We see you) is an initiative that started with three Egyptian women (a prominent TV newscaster, a university professor, and a marketing consultant) to help bringpolitical reformanddemocracyto Egypt.[1]
Shayfeencom is a popular movement, working on monitoring the legality and integrity of the presidential and parliamentary elections inEgyptthrough the participation of the public. The movement aims to end corruption in the governmental and non-governmental institutions through public monitoring, and aims to educate the public to increase awareness of the principles of democracy.
Shayfeencom was officially established in 2005 by a group of non-politically oriented individuals, and started its firstmonitoringand observation experience inEgypt's first multi-candidate presidential elections.Within the first month of launching the initiative, 5,000 people volunteered and joined online, and over 1,000 volunteers actively participated in monitoring elections. Today, the movement includes over 10 founding members, and thousands of regular members.
Shayfeencom is a nonprofit organization, without political or economic ideologies; all financing to the movement is done through Egyptian individuals.
Goals[edit]
Shayfeencom has three primary goals: to end corruption in all public and private institutions through public monitoring, to enable the citizens as key fighters against corruption, and to attainelectoralandjudicial reform.
The main focuses are on:
- Corporate corruption[2]
- Electoral fraud[3]
- Government corruption[2][4]
- Judicial corruption[4][5]
- Kleptocracy[2]
- Police corruption[2]
Methods[edit]
Shayfeencom uses its large membership database, all types ofsocial media,and ahotlineto receive reports of corruption in the country; it then files a case against the specified party. If the party does not respond, Shayfeencom uses the media to expose what has occurred; they might also carry out sit-ins and other demonstrations.
In 2007, documentary film directorJehane Noujaim(with Sherief El Katsha) broadcast the filmShayfeen.com,which was a part of theWhy Democracy?project.
Members[edit]
Originally, the movement was founded by three women. It was ended by theMubarak regime,but after theousting of Mubarak in 2011,Shayfeencom was re-established by new members.
Shayfeencom's membership is in the tens of thousands, but due to fear ofpolitical persecution,they have been discreet when pursuing official figures and have created a privacy policy which does not allow them to share other members' names.
History[edit]
Pre-Arab Spring[edit]
Shayfeencom began in 2005, after PresidentHosni Mubarakannounced that for the first time in 24 years, elections would allow for multiparty participation; this sparked demonstrations by Egyptians who denounced this move as a sham. When the government responded with a violent crackdown,Bothaina Kamel,Ghada Shahbandar,andEngi El-Haddadformed Shayfeencom.[6]
For the 2005 elections, Shayfeencom armed supporters with video cameras and sent them topolling stationsaround the country to monitor the elections and document the political process. Supporters witnessedelectoral fraudandvoter intimidation.WhenMuslim Brotherhoodcandidates made a good showing in the first round of voting, security forces barred voters from entering the polls for the second round. By the third round, voters' frustrations incited violent clashes between protesters and police.[7]
Although discouraged by avoter turnoutof only 30%, the Shayfeencom leaders were heartened by the willingness of two judges to investigate election fraud carried out by eighteen of their colleagues. The judges found evidence of fraud, and Shayfeencom began rallying support for anindependent judiciary.In spite of the prohibition against assemblies of more than five people, crowds gathered outside theEgyptian Judges' Clubto show their support. Many in the crowd were arrested and beaten, including Judge Mahmoud Hamza. The three founders of Shayfeencom produced a short film, aired onBBC,about the plight of the judiciary. They encouraged the public to use all the technology at their disposal—radio, plasma screens, and the Internet—to support the May 25, 2006 "Judges' March for an Independent Judiciary".[8]
The march and demonstration resulted in the arrests of thousands of civilians, who remained in prison for months. Though faced by a lack of money and failure to achieve earlier objectives, Shayfeencom continued its work. Co-founder Engi El-Haddad spoke to a group of world leaders (including former presidentGeorge W. Bush) at theUN,describing the lack of political freedom in Egypt. In spring of 2007, Shayfeencom mounted a campaign against the government's proposed 34 constitutional amendments that would write parts of theEmergency Lawinto the Constitution.[9]
Post-Arab Spring[edit]
Following the2011 Egyptian revolution,Shayfeencom was re-established, with dramatically changed methods. They began preparing for the first Egyptian presidential elections months before it was announced, collecting thousands of volunteers from across Egypt and training them throughYouTubevideos[10]and onlineseminars.
Members of the public watched for electoral irregularities and called a hotline to report them. Reports also came in throughTwitterandFacebook.Alleged violations would immediately appear on Shayfeencom's website; a few minutes later, official monitors would either confirm or deny the reports. Two days into the first phase of Egypt's presidential elections, Shayfeencom received reports of over 1,000 violations throughout the country.
Shayfeencom remains as awatchdog,anti-corruption movement.
Port Said[edit]
Shayfeencom opened its firstboard of trusteesinPort Saidfollowing thePort Said Stadium riotin April 2013.
Notes[edit]
- ^"Shayfeen.com: We're Watching You"(PDF).Independent Lens.PBS.
- ^abcdGiovanna Loccatelli (May 28, 2012)."In Egitto votano anche i morti e al primo turno hanno scelto il candidato islamico"(in Italian). Linkiesta.Retrieved28 May2012.
- ^Hafez, Ahmed (22 Aug 2012)."An Interview with Ahmed Hafez, Co-Founder of Egyptian Movement, Shayfeencom'".Muftah.Washington DC.
- ^abHassan, Abdalla F. (15 June 2011)."Muslim Woman Seeks Egyptian Presidency".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.
- ^Nebila (Sep 26, 2011)."FILM SCREENING Egypt: We are Watching You".femnet.Retrieved26 September2011.
- ^Thornton & Ramzy 2007,Introduction
- ^Thornton & Ramzy 2007,Part 1: Parliamentary Elections
- ^Thornton & Ramzy 2007,Part 2: Fraud During Elections
- ^Thornton & Ramzy 2007,Part 3: We Need a Change
- ^Shayfeencom.إزاي تزور الإنتخابات(video) (in Arabic).
References[edit]
Thornton, Phil; Ramzy, Hossam (2007). "Egypt: We Are Watching You".Why Democracy?.BBC.
External links[edit]
- ShayfeencomonX(in Arabic)
- ShayfeencomonFacebook(in Arabic)
- Shayfeencom's history(scroll down for English)
