Egypt: Young Media Summit 2011 - "New Media and Reform in the Arab World"

After the success of the first Young Media Summit in October 2010, the 2011 event will see 12 bloggers from the Arab world and six from Germany gathering in Cairo to hold discussions and blog around the theme of "New Media and Reform in the Arab World." Those from the Arab world include bloggers from Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Bahrain, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon and Yemen.

During the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the opposition used social networks to organize protests and mobilize large numbers of people. Bloggers reported during the demonstrations on events that were ignored by state-run media. But now, what kind of role can bloggers play after the fall of the old regimes? What can they do to help shape societal reforms and ensure that the interests of the young generation are taken into account?

The participants will report on the various discussions on the online platform of the Young Media Summit as well as on their own blogs. At the same time, they will investigate various topics on their own, such as the changing relationship between Egyptians and the state, and the role of women during and after the revolution.

"The situation in Egypt has changed completely since the last conference, which will allow participants to talk even more openly," says Jens-Uwe Rahe, project manager with DW Akademie. "Many bloggers and Internet users are asking how they might contribute in the long-term to the transformation of their country and their society."

During a final podium discussion, summit participants will present their results and impressions and will discuss them with the audience. The event, scheduled for May 26, 2011 at Cairo University's Faculty of Mass Communications, is called "Between Tahrir Square, Facebook and Al Jazeera: People and Media in the Arab Revolution."

In addition, the Arabic television service of Deutsche Welle, DW-TV ARABIA, will produce a one-hour talk show during the event in which Arab and German conference participants will discuss issues with a young audience. The show will be broadcast on May 27, 2011 on DW-TV ARABIA.


The goal of the Young Media Summit is to strengthen cultural dialog and promote networking and the exchange of ideas between young media makers from the Arabic-speaking world and Germany. The Young Media Summit is organized by Deutsche Welle''s DW Akademie in cooperation with the German Information Center Cairo of the German Embassy in Cairo. The annual conference, which is funded by the German Foreign Ministry, focuses on a different topic every year.