Egypt: Young Media Summit 2010

Does ”blogging” mean the same thing in Germany as it does in the Arab world? What can bloggers contribute to intercultural exchange? Do men and women have equal access to the Internet in these countries? Six German and twelve Arab bloggers will seek answers to these questions during the Young Media Summit 2010 in Cairo.

They will exchange views on what they know about each others’ worlds – or what they believe to know. They will discuss issues such as the impact of blogs and social networks on communication, and the challenges faced by bloggers.
In the afternoon of 4 October, the bloggers will discuss their answers to these questions with the audience during a public event at Cairo University.

Perceptions of both Arab and European culture are characterized by stereotypes and prejudice. The extent to which the image of an ”Orient” influenced the European view of the Arab world and Arab nations’ own self-perception has been the subject of a long-standing academic controversy. The same goes for perceptions of the so-called ”Western world.” But where does all this fit in with the World Wide Web, which is said to transcend national borders?

The Young Media Summit 2010 aims to encourage and enhance cultural dialogue on the Net by giving bloggers the opportunity to exchange their views during discussions, World Cafés and workshops. Interpreters will help to overcome language barriers – frequently the first and foremost obstacle to mutual understanding.

The Young Media Summit is organized by Deutsche Welle’s DW-AKADEMIE in cooperation with the Deutschland-Zentrum Kairo. The conference is being funded by the German Foreign Office and is the first in a series of annual Young Media Summits that will cover different topics to facilitate exchange and networking among young media professionals from the Arabic-speaking world and Germany.

A detailed schedule for the public event at Cairo University will be posted here soon.

For further information about the program and its participants, requests for interviews and other inquiries please contact

Arab participants:
Mr. Zahi Alawi
email: zahi.alawi [at] dw-world [dot]de

German participants:
Mr. Matthias Spielkamp
email: ms [at] immateriblog [dot] de