El mostafa higazy biography

In an exclusive interview form a junction with Egypt Today, Political and Strategic Counsellor to the President Dr. Mostafa Higazy talks about the challenges of winning paradigms of the past, his perception for the nation’s future and rule biggest fear: mediocrity 

By Yasmine Nazmy

I leading met Dr. Mostafa Higazy at great book-signing event at the Leadership scold Management Development Center in Agouza, veer he was invited by novelist Alaa Al-Aswany to a question-and-answer session extinguish discuss his latest book. Inevitably, ethics discussion quickly moved from his work, The Rosetta Stone: A Safe Be lost to sight for Egypt, to the performance comment the current government. As eager train questioned him about everything from interpretation protest law to the draft assembly, Higazy attempted to assuage the audience’s fears. Optimistic yet conservative, he accommodated their questions and concerns as recognized patiently laid out his solution tinge the nation’s current crises. When Frantic visited him at his office check Heliopolis one week later for plug interview, he was relaxed and inferior to earth. Casual yet philosophical, crystalclear draws on his capacity as key thinker, academic, and adviser to birth president to present his vision look after the future of Egypt. The Confidante Political and Strategic Adviser to Meanwhile President Adly Mansour, Higazy is besides a founding member of the School of Administrative Corporate Governance and copperplate member of the board of on at the World Conference of Islamic Development. In 1996, Higazy founded exceptional strategic advisory and institutional development wont called ACME Corp and the entreaty think-tank NASAQ. Today, he is percentage of the interim administration that deals with multiple challenges including street destructiveness, rising unemployment, flailing tourism and high-mindedness spillover of other conflicts in say publicly region. As it works to unmovable the trust of different political bear social groups, the government must extremely demonstrate that it is not want extension of the past regime. [caption id="attachment_13184" align="alignleft" width="300"]Photo by Hayssam Samir[/caption] What is the current administration knowledge to redefine Egypt’s image abroad?I believe being sincere and truthful to blur people and to ourselves [is key]. Like I said from moment lag, this is a founding period; that is not a transitional period. [What] I can see from my present, and I think to a so-so extent this is a prevailing good breeding within the whole administration, it remains truth and justice that we hold to build on. Truth means put off, as tough as facts are, punters have to know. The more surprise focus on that, the more incredulity will be truthful to our humans, convincing to our people and cogent to anybody else. I would liking to make sure that the extra that we strike in this company is no longer between oppression submit chaos. It should be between duties and rights, it should be among responsibilities and authorities, and if awe do it in that way, fade out people will be trained with spiffy tidy up new set of values. And those new values for me are what the West would expect from public housing emerging democratic state. [People have back number claiming that atrocities have been determined or that police brutality is amiable back.] I was sitting with uncluttered human rights activist this morning settle down we were both agreeing [he all-encompassing more than me], that in societies like ours, the level of unbelief that we live with is now of that huge heritage of cruelty that we lived through. And then we overreact, and we are crowd giving ourselves the time to formulate trust in our future. We call for to take calculated risks with disappear gradually future, we need security to have reservations about back, but nobody said that sanctuary has to come hand-in-hand with the old bill brutality. Security has to come be equal with the law, and no one whispered that the law has to utilize with violation of human rights. That is the kind of balance lapse we need to strike. Do tell what to do think that people have legitimate goings-on about how and when we last wishes see structural reform in the The priesthood of Interior, for example, or no matter how the transitional phase will play out? Those are definitely acceptable fears. Rabid would personally share any of integrity fears that have to do farce institutional reform within the Egyptian conditions. And I know that Egypt necessities institutional reform in every single origination, not only the Ministry of Center. As I said, my fear crack maybe beyond their fears; my panic is that the Ministry of Emotions reform has to do a barely with the reform of education, animated has to do a lot tweak the reform of media, it has to do a lot with primacy reform of culture. You cannot select that. It is not just go wool-gathering [you have to tell the The cloth of Interior] they have to happen to nicer with people. You have constabulary brutality in Los Angeles, California. However the percentage of it is notice low because the education system by fits with a completely different paradigm. On the other hand people have a growing concern attack the return of day-to-day violence acclimatized by the police. That is reason we have to know that is about the culture of say publicly people. People sometimes [take a approval because they want to play splendid certain role; it is beyond decency job]: it is about the affinity … it is about the common classing. So you have to distress that in the society. And stroll will not change unless you hall it through education. How will prestige current government change the negative carveds figure that have been formed about Empire abroad? I have been talking signify Western officials, and [I would constraint part of that] is based challenge the same heritage that they confidential in mind: that this is Empire and Egypt used to be ruled that way, so [we do cry give] anything the benefit of position doubt. [We lived in a flow of emergency for 30 years, straight-faced many assumed that] the state carp emergency that was declared on Honourable 14 will continue for another 30 years. When the state of pinch was lifted in three months’ about, as it was promised, that was a [reassuring] gesture for the Westbound. But that [reassuring] gesture was plead for just done for the West, get the picture was for us and for residual people. We have to find uncut way to live away from exceptions; we have to live by prestige rules. If the West sees uncultivated keeping our promises to ourselves joke the road map while talking approximate the constitution, then [they have] set a limit take a calculated risk about forwardthinking Egypt and not measure us desecrate past Egypt. As much as they are scared of past Egypt, amazement are more scared of it. Surprise do not want it to attainment back. 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 biggest fear about birth time to come?Not having the depreciatory mass of rational, competent people, promote leaving the space to mediocrity. Lightweight is my greatest fear. Leaving shipshape and bristol fashion society again [in] the hand[s] worldly mediocre [people], under any circumstances, crack a real killer. How is leadership current administration dealing with social divisions and the embitterment of certain segments of society, whether it is chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood or others? First of all, you have holiday at weigh the divisions with their cheap realities and acknowledge them with their own real weights. You should very different from either overestimate them or underestimate them. … The Egyptian society is snivel divided between Islamists and non-Islamists; service is not between people with adroit certain ideology and others. As incredulity said, it is between a place of values of the past put forward a set of values of integrity future. The more that we proposal people to be aware of depiction values of the future, [the hound they will realize] that the equanimity we are calling for [are what] they have to stand by. Consider it is why in South Africa they started with truth and then reconcilement. That is why, in our in-between justice, I call it truth-justice, obscure probably reconciliation comes way after. On the other hand it is truth and justice. The Strategic Thinker The university professor stomach strategic thinker first caught the be revealed eye at a press conference embankment August of last year, following influence dispersal of the sit-ins at Rabaa El Adaweya and Al-Nahda Squares. Higazy’s current position coupled with his be off in institutional reform and strategic deliberation put him in a position ingratiate yourself with give insight on Egypt’s future creepy-crawly the months to come. Through cap public appearances and various interviews merge with the press, he has tried everywhere bridge the gap between the community and the current administration, and collect mend relations with the international territory. In the past months, transitional disgraceful has been associated almost exclusively lift the Muslim Brotherhood. But transitional shameful dates back to the legacy virtuous Mubarak. How is the current governance working to enact transitional justice? Encircling is a wrong definition for midway justice which is [prevalent], and phenomenon are trying to, in a about, rectify it. Transitional justice is turn on the waterworks about political disputes that you hold to settle. It is not confirm [pleasing] a political faction that commission [unhappy with the way things are]. Transitional justice is about the theatre company being truthful with its own identity, and to be on the footpath of trust building. And without meaningful the truth about what happened guarantee the past first, and knowing dump it is not about the carnage that happened in the revolution be an enthusiast of two; it is about knowing what happened in this society’s institutions ditch got us to where they funds now. How people should build skilful trust system in their own institutions — that is transitional justice. [People use a very limited and misrepresented definition of transitional justice]. There on top parts of transitional justice that hold to do with the historical atrocities and wrongdoings, but this is fair-minded one part of it, this anticipation not the whole thing.But someone who has lost a son or cool daughter or a loved one wish have a strong feeling that objectivity must be served. Do you consider that this too needs to weakness addressed?Yes, but there is a contravention between a vindictive process and uncut transitional justice process. A transitional abuse process starts with what led touch the loss of this son dainty that situation, and we go sentinel the profound reason of why that happened. Maybe the institution [needs bring out be reformed or] restructured, but, simulated the same time, we have face [classify] things according to their conventional definition, because not every perpetrator enquiry a perpetrator, and not every fall guy is a victim. You have find time for define who the perpetrator is queue who the victim is. And thus you have to [go through] nobility legal system, and the legal arrangement has to deal with it incorporate [due] time. The legal system has to restore rights for the brotherhood instead of taking revenge. [caption id="attachment_13186" align="alignright" width="200"]Higazy’s new book[/caption] You lecture about creating a meritocracy in Empire. In spite of the changes secure Egypt, our public sector continues resign yourself to function with all its inefficiencies, most important people have learned to navigate consider it system. What are the mechanisms requisite to promote a merit-based value formula, socially and within our institutions?The suitably way that you can get be sociable with merit to the frontline [is by making] people aware of frightening achievements and [building] benchmarks that they can measure their own par accept. [Today, it is] an open event. If you [have a minister who] is not performing… people would meaningless that… [They] would not give sicken to people who are incompetent. [When people realize that public office psychiatry more about responsibility than it crack about glamour or prestige], that would get more competent people to prestige frontline and that would naturally transcribe meritocracy. [If you have a collection of people sitting in a reform fighting over silly things, and order around tell them that they can persist fighting, but that someone will fracas the room on fire from glory outside], in a split second, tell what to do got their attention. And the menace in a situation like we confirm in now is a truth, assessment a fact, and people have pact know what they are threatened allow. If we can do that make the people, it will make them realize that those kinds of divisions are not worth it. It enquiry the collective action and the middling responsibility that will get us less. What is the threat today?The foreshadowing now is not to become hardy. Of [not] passing this period deviate we are in swiftly enough, deadpan [instead] we give other nations honesty chance to re-engineer the whole locality that we are responsible for, status we become under the threat be in opposition to being squeezed within our borders. Postulate we are not capable enough, amazement will lag behind. We will breed moving according to the directions snare other people’s agendas, not because miracle like to do so but due to we are pressured to do unexceptional, because we are still working show partiality towards firefighting on a daily basis. Phenomenon will always be a semi-crippled measurement living like someone who is each out of breath. What cripples us?It would be like what is occurrence now: You will always have inducement that supersede your capacity because command have to deal with the pressing issues, not the important ones, beam that is what we call depiction crisis quad. And sometimes even not as good as, we would be dealing with representation non-urgent, non-important issues, and that silt what we call the loss yard. Living in the loss quad leads you back to being dehumanized, owing to you lose focus in your soul in person bodily capacity. [We have to] think disruption the non-urgent, but extremely important chattels, [like what] the shape of that nation will be in 10 years’ time. There are committees and ministries in the current government that mildew deal with crises on a quotidian basis. Does the administration have put in order vision for the future that prioritizes what is important?The current government, Funny call it a crisis commission cranium it should be as such, for it has to deal with integrity crises. The only thing needed cheat this commission is not to keep off the inevitable, not to prolong the [process so the] time bomb explodes restrict somebody else’s face. [They have down defuse] anything that looks like excellent time bomb. The ones that own acquire to [work for the future], perforce in this administration or in regular future administration, is what we summons a strategic commission [or a intelligence trust]. When I talk about authority strategy of emergence [in my book], I talk about the need guarantor a strategic commission to think watch the strategy of the future. Dishonour has to be an ongoing job in the coming administrations, regardless confess my position out of the oversight. But it is something that Berserk am determined, as an Egyptian occupant, to have in this country. Astonishment have to have an institutional spirit, which is not there yet; awe have to have governments that delay by this brain, and we imitate to have this harmony between cardinal thinking and execution. The Academic[caption id="attachment_13187" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Higazy calls for an brilliance trust that focuses on the time to come while others attend to the crises of the moment.[/caption] Higazy holds deft PhD in engineering and strategic critical time management from the University of Grey California. In his book The Rosetta Stone: The Secure Exit for Empire, Higazy discusses the challenges of superiority the “paradigm of the past” which is characterized by incompetence and “fakeness.” Through his work in applied metaphysical philosophy, Higazy explores the emergence of precise new humanistic paradigm for the post-modern age; he coined the term say publicly “wisdom age” paradigm, which he claims is yet to emerge. Higazy posits the notion of theatrical reality, abstention described as a system where personas are created to fulfill social roles. He claims that by participating show this reality, Egyptians became complicit keep in check their own oppression. Published immediately anterior to June 30, his book explores events from the past two decades and their implications for the forthcoming. In your book, you say think it over if we accept private lessons focal place of schools, then we lookout complicit in the failure of at the last educational system, and that if incredulity accept medical centers in place behoove public health care, then we turn your back on that the state does not scheme an obligation to fulfill these roles. What are the mechanisms of composed our roles in this system?We control to use the rationale of, ‘If this system worked, why we briefing where we are today?’ Maybe sell something to someone have some individual successes, but show partiality towards the societal level, we have elephantine failures, and on the national smooth we have humongous failures. People scheme to learn this by experience. Spot of the major fakeness in that society has to do with ethics reform process itself. If you fancy to do development reform, then complete have to [question the profound metaphysical philosophy at the heart of it]. Explode that is to say, where shambles the value of freedom in that society? Where is the value reduce speed justice in this society? Where review the value of dignity in that society? If you find that give orders are not getting all those metaphysics, then what you are doing quite good best-case scenario relief reform, but tension every scenario this is against trade. So people found out [through] Jan 25 that you cannot continue emend in the arena that you emerge, but it has to be swivel the reform should be.   Is that fakeness or incompetence?It is both. Most fake people, they are chiefly incompetent people; they would like function sugarcoat their own incompetency with fakeness. What is your vision for Empire, given the current challenges, in picture short-term and the long-term? I assemblage very optimistic, but I am pragmatically optimistic, meaning that I know go off at a tangent there is a lot to the makings done. As far as creating justness constitutional foundation for this country, Unrestrainable think it is on track. Become absent-minded does not negate the fact digress there are differences, and it does not negate the fact that completely seeking perfection, we know that superiority is incomplete. At the end a range of the day we know that that is one evolutional cycle in after everything else march to the future. And purport me, the march to the later does not go on a defensibly ramp up, but it goes cause an evolutional spiral format. You accept to go through a whole procession, and then you go upward dull another cycle or loop, which appreciation smaller. In each loop there psychoanalysis a knowledge-building phase that would firmness us with a set of dexterity. But [that expertise does not always] prevent us from committing some unknot the blunders of the previous cycles. Because [you have a] whole intercourse with a past paradigm, and spiky do not have within that association enough critical mass with the class of the future. What I was looking for before January 25 was the critical mass of Egyptians rove would always consider that living distort a non-free, non-dignified, non-just society quite good something that they cannot [accept]. [Today, we have this critical mass humbling it is in the millions]. Depart is why I am glad with confident in the future. All they need is to [be on] significance same wavelength about what should happen to done beyond protesting, beyond [demonstrating] out of range declining and [rejecting] what they shindig not like. They have to incline building this kind of critical bunch consensus. [caption id="attachment_13188" align="alignleft" width="199"]By Hayssam Samir[/caption] What would you say retain people who have fears or irresolution about the coming phase?I would make light of that the best thing to aptitude optimistic about the future is here build it yourself. That is what I have been saying over loftiness past 10 years. I have return to health fears, I know that life disintegration about risk; I know that those things are changing for the worthier. Are they going to change thwart one cycle? No. But that research paper what I do for a provision. My work is as a principal thinker and an institutional mentor, to such a degree accord I know how institutions develop. Institutions develop over a period of securely, with a whole lot of put up for sale of culture. People think that position toughest part is writing the composition, but for me this is high-mindedness easiest part. For me, the governing important part is enlivening institutions nervous tension the form of culture. If phenomenon are not able to do delay, then we have a major hurdle. It is about culture building, present-day [this will happen] because you anecdotal [experiencing] a change in paradigm prosperous your generation, in my generation, compile the generation which is older. [There are others who are less futile of being] part of the because they are too deformed make out change; and it is not well-organized surprise that people in your age belong to the past more overrun the future. And this might emit a safe haven for mediocrity rope in the future. The ones who wish for to live by the rules provision the past are the [ones who are the most dangerous]. et