Are people in Egypt happy? This question seemed to have been answered by the 2018 World Happiness Report which placed Egypt on spot 122 out of 156 countries. Egypt was also shown to be the third most unhappy Arab country – after war-torn Yemen and Syria. However, positive signs seem to loom on the horizon as a new youthful initiative recently was launched aiming to spread happiness across Egyptian society.
A cooperation protocol was recently signed in Cairo between the Emirati initiative “Alef Yaa saada” (from A to Z happiness), the Arab Institute of Achievers, and the Sky Lines company for Training and Consultations, whose purpose is to ‘export’ happiness from the United Arab of Emirates to Egypt.
It comes within the framework of a visit to Cairo by Tahani Al-Tari, ‘expert’ on happiness and counselor of a positivity program in the UAE. The visit aimed to start the implementation of the International Youth Societal Initiative Alef Yaa saada in Egyptian society.
Al-Tari said that the initiative was launched with the help of program counselors of happiness and positivity along with international trainers for quality of life. The program was developed in cooperation with the Arab Program for Training Experts in Jordan.
“It’s a social, voluntary, and youthful initiative that aims to implant the culture of positivity, happiness and tolerance in the Arab societies in order to make happiness as a behavior and habit, not an acting status and it could happen by exploring the tools and possibilities of happiness,” she said.
Al-Tari added that the initiative is the first of its kind in the Arab world and is specialized in the field of happiness creation and organizational and individual positivity. It seeks to transfer the successful experience of the UAE with similar initiatives to the Middle East societies through executing programs, courses, workshops, specialized lectures, conferences and events.
In 2016 the UAE launched a new Ministry for Happiness responsible to create and spread happiness and satisfaction in society.
Al-Tari stressed that she along with Mohammad Shatayat co-coordinator of the initiative, have made the UAE the center of launching the initiative because of the UAE’s “great successes” in spreading happiness among its citizens, residents and even the guests.
The 2018 World Happiness Report said that UAE is the happiest country in the Arab world and ranks 20th out of 156 countries moving up one spot compared to 2017.
“Happiness now became a culture which has its frameworks and values; me along with the initiative’s working team are seeking to spread this culture and dominate it among the Arab societies after the success of its activities in the UAE,” she said.
She continued to explain that the initiative will launch several workshops and seminars across Egypt, which will be prepared in cooperation with partners to achieve self-development.
The workshops also aim to educate people to make tolerance, happiness and positivity a behavior and lifestyle, to deepen the concept of accepting the other and peaceful coexistence. The workshops also aim to achieve women’s happiness through their empowerment in the field of development, leadership, economy, knowledge, culture, arts and others.
