Social Movements for Change … Civic Values and Human Rights in Empowering Youth, Women and Marginalized Groups
SAWA
In Arabic, “SAWA” means together. SAWA’s powerful message is to encourage and promote, thr
ough creative art, the civic values of compassion, tolerance and respect and the core principles of human rights: equality, participation and inclusion.
The idea started when the Townhouse Gallery was approached by one of the German churches in Egypt working, at the time, with a group of Sudanese and Somali refugee artists. The artists visited the Townhouse several times to attend art workshops. These art events sounded in neighboring communities and, consequently, the Townhouse organized an open art workshop every Sunday at its outreach premises. More and more artists were attracted to participate in this initiative encouraging the Townhouse to create SAWA as weekly workshop hosting around 50 to 70 participants from diverse ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds as well as young art students with physical and mental disabilities. Later on, SAWA organizers launched a SAWA Generation workshop that focuses on children.
“What I have seen and heard from you about your work shows that it is all real and from the heart. I raise my hat to you and thank you. We design projects and apply for funding; but, what I see here today is the beginning of a social movement: it started from the garage then to the street around then to bigger community. This is real work, it is organic work.” Lynn Freiji, WESC
SAWA’s work centers on art as a medium to create change in people’s lives and help trigger their participation in and adaptation to their immediate surroundings; and aims at empowering marginalized groups such as youth, women and poor citizens. The following stories portray individual journeys of empowerment, civic values and active participation. They are also evidence that youth are the main catalyst that can bring about change in one’s surroundings and eventually society at large.
Mina, one of the main founders of SAWA:
Mina, similar to the rest of the SAWA organizers, is a young committed and passionate individual. He has been with the Townhouse Gallery for ten years and is one of the main founders of SAWA. Mina did not consider himself an artist but; through his work in the workshops, he was encouraged to explore some talents he did not know he had. Mina stressed the fact that SAWA not only works with artists, but also with a number of institutions in different locations, the first of which was El Aqalim Village project in Old Cairo.
“There started to be cohesion between people and this is what I dreamt of: integration and forgetting that they are foreign Sudanese refugees. Integration between different people is what I was thinking about all along.”
Amado, a Sudanese artist and an organizer of SAWA:
Amado used to work with the German church. He returned from traveling one day to find that the department he worked in at the church had closed down. That was when he heard about the Townhouse and started going there. Amado pointed out that the space in which the SAWA group worked was really good, as it was part of the surrounding community and was open onto the street. This encouraged anyone from the community to participate and the place became a melting pot for people from a multitude of backgrounds. Part of Amado’s work was to assist artists by introducing them to potential buyers.
““At the beginning, I was a participant. I am now an organizer and part of the team. This is very important to me. All my heart is into this work.””
Abd El Rehim, an Eritrean artist and one of the organizers of SAWA:
Abd El Rehim has been in Egypt for three years and heard about the Townhouse and SAWA the second day he arrived. He felt comfortable when he visited the place and decided that this would be where he would like to exhibit his art and teach others. Working with the children in these workshops does not only enhance their artistic skills but also positively affect their behavior. Abd El Rehim aid that some people started with a hostile behavior towards others; but, with time, this dramatically changed.
““SAWA means together and I think one of our main goals is that we establish peace and surmount conflicts between different people. This can only be achieved by having freedom, dignity, tolerance, self confidence and self esteem.””
Rawya, one of the organizers of SAWA who works with working children and those with special needs:
Rawya said that the most important thing in working with either group of children is for the SAWA team to always appear united in front of them. They should not punish or criticize them. They should integrate them with the others, teach them about tolerance and help them build relationships and friendships. This enhances their mental and physical skills and improves their personalities.
““I took theater courses when I was in university and learnt the importance of expressing feelings.””
Arwa is half Palestinian half Lebanese organizer of SAWA:
Arwa came to Egypt a year ago and she had a problem with adapting to life in Cairo as she always felt estranged. This continued until she found the Townhouse and her life changed! She found home! Arwa’s work focuses on child rights and she helps children learn about their rights through theater and art. She said that performing plays together also teaches them teamwork and allows them to think about others and the community.