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Bridging the Gap: Analyzing Volunteerism Barriers to the International Humanitarian NGOs in Egypt
Get PDFIn Egypt, volunteerism, within international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), functions in distinctive characteristics influenced by, among other things, cultural, educational, and economic factors. NGOs face challenges and obstacles in attracting motivated volunteers, engaging and training volunteers, as well as managing the staff-volunteers relationship, and implementing adequate human resources (HR) policies and strategies. In this context, this thesis seeks to bridge the knowledge gap of volunteerism challenges in Egypt, delving deep into understanding the barriers existing within the international humanitarian NGOs that directly and indirectly influence its volunteer engagement levels. The thesis also aims to understand the successful implementation of policies and procedures that encourage and facilitate effective volunteering engagement. In order to fulfill these objectives, semi-structured interviews were conducted with volunteers and employees of the Egyptian Red Crescent, the Catholic Relief Services, and the Cares Egypt international humanitarian NGOs. The findings of the study indicate that while the Egyptian ecosystem and NGOs\u27 policies and procedures may affect individuals in diverse ways, a professional volunteer management approach that addresses factors such as volunteers\u27 motivational aspects, effective relationships with direct supervisors, and proper recognition for the workload and volunteers’ availability can directly and positively impact volunteering engagement when implemented effectively. Therefore, it is essential to advocate for a professional volunteer management approach that ensures effective volunteer selection and onboarding, effective implementation of supervision techniques and volunteer feedback and communication, implementation of a volunteer recognition program that emphasizes high performance, identification of volunteers\u27 strengths and interests to provide opportunities for skill development and ensuring volunteer flexibility and work-life balance. Ultimately, the implementation of such management policies and strategies can provide volunteers with a pleasant experience while ensuring the effective operation of NGOs, leading to constant and effective volunteer engagement
Integrated Agricultural Interventions and Women’s Empowerment\ A Case Study of “She Feeds the World” – “Aysheen Bekhirha” Program in Egypt
Get PDF“She Feeds the World” program is a program that empowers women in farming communities by integrating them into the agricultural value chain. With increased access to essential resources such as land, seeds, water, and technical training, women are expected to actualize their full potential and generate more income. This paper explores the intersection of societal mobilization and economic development through a case study of the “Aysheen Bekhirha” program. By drawing on primary sources, the researcher aims to provide insights into the program’s multifaceted approach and its impact on economic and social outcomes. The analysis focuses on the significance of women’s financial and productive contributions to their families’ well-being and quality of life. Additionally, the researcher examines the program’s transformative power in empowering women through participants perceptions and voices in improving their livelihoods and fostering a more equitable and resilient rural society in Egypt. Participants reported significant improvements in their financial independence and decision-making power, which led to increased household income and better nutrition outcomes for their families, they even perceived the enhanced relationship with their children and their husbands too. Through agricultural training and capacity building, women engaged in the program have sustainably improved their skills, fostering a culture of shared support and collaboration within their communities
Paradise Lost Thrice: Exile and the Abrahamic Religions in Aciman, Werfel, and Ashour
Get PDFExile is an integral part of the history of all three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This thesis compares between literary narratives of the exile of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It explores the notion that having been exiled from Eden with the fall of Adam and Eve, and having each religion’s prophet’s story intrinsically tied with exile, the believers’ exile is then the third in a layered cycle of exile. Having lost the paradise, believers tend to search for earthly paradises that they attach themselves to, and then tragically lose those as well. The thesis’ three primary literary texts are: 1) Out of Egypt, a memoir by André Aciman which narrates the exile of Jews from Alexandria in the 20th century, 2) The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, a novel by Franz Werfel which captures the exile of Armenian Christians from Turkey during World War I, and 3) Granada: The Complete Trilogy, a trilogy by Radwa Ashour that tells the story of the exile of Arab Muslims from Al-Andalus during the 15th century. The thesis, methodologically using postcolonial theory and discourse analysis, investigates how the earthly paradise is created and lost, looks comparatively at how the different faiths affect the ways by which the characters resist exile, analyzes how linguistic tools, such as diglossia and codeswitching, are used as tools of resistance, and traces Odyssean echoes throughout the exilic narratives. This thesis addresses a research gap in interfaith research when it comes to the theme of exile. Its utilization of literary medium is also rare in this research field. Its significance lies in how this literary juxtaposition allows for a contrapuntal reading that sheds light on similarities and differences, of all the aforementioned elements, between the narratives of exiled Jews, Christians, and Muslims
Removal of Fluoroquinolones from Water Systems Employing Rice Husk Composited Sponges via Nanoadsorption
No full textA novel nanocomposite of polyvinyl alcohol formaldehyde (PVF) sponge loaded with green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) and referred to as (NP-PVF) was fabricated as a potential adsorbent of ciprofloxacin from water. A simple mechanical foaming process was used to synthesize the adsorbent. Rice husk extract was used to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) for its phytochemicals as reducing agents. A facile and low-energy-dependent extraction method was used that did not require the use of high-temperature annealing. The synthesized nanoparticles showed a maximum UV absorption at 347 nm, which corresponds to a 3.58 eV band gap energy. FTIR confirmed the successful synthesis of the nanoparticles and the composite, which showed the distinct band of metal-oxygen at [600-400] cm-1, which also appeared in the nanocomposite. XRD showed that the particles have a wurtzite structure, whereas the composite has an amorphous structure. The hydrodynamic particle size of the green zinc oxide was 758.33±16.8 nm, and the point of zero charge of ZnONP and NP-PVF was at +2.78 and +1.82, respectively. The nanosize of the particles was confirmed by TEM, which showed a mean size of 31.34nm. The elemental composition of ZnONP and NP-PVF was investigated using EDX. The nanocomposite showed super-hydrophilic performance due to its high content of hydroxyl groups. No enhancement in the thermal stability of NP-PVF was observed compared to the pristine PVF. The nanocomposite showed a reduction in the swelling degree compared to the PVF sponge to reach 461.92±19.41% and 94.23±0.4% after 1 hour for PVF and NP-PVF, respectively. The nanocomposite showed similar mechanical properties to the pristine PVF, recording a tensile strength of 37.83±6.52 KPa and a Young’s modulus of 34.03±5.21 KPa. The nanocomposite showed an irregular macroporous structure and a BET surface area of 0.87 m2/g. The total carbohydrate content was measured for the extract, ZnONP, and NP-PVF to be 43.2±0.094%, 14.3±0.093%, and 21.91±0.088%, respectively. In addition, the phenolic content was 39.64±0.121, 1.95±0.076, and 0.495±0.036 mg/g gallic acid equivalent, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the rice husk extract, green nanoparticles, and NP-PVF composite were also studied. NP-PVF was tested for its potential adsorption of ciprofloxacin. The optimal adsorption conditions were 10% nanoparticle load, 243 mg sponge dose, pH 6, initial concentration of 100 mg/L, and equilibrium time between 100 and 120 minutes. The maximum removal of ciprofloxacin obtained by applying these conditions was 81.17±0.17%. Ciprofloxacin adsorption using NP-PVF composite was best described by the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model. In sum, the NP-PVF nanocomposite has the potential to remove ciprofloxacin from water efficiently. As PVF is rich with hydroxyl groups, it could be further modified to target different contaminants
Bitcoin as a Currency: A Theoretical Framework of Bitcoin’s Supply Effect on Consumption and Inflation
Get PDFThis thesis examines the macroeconomic effects of Bitcoin\u27s fixed money supply within a dynamic general equilibrium context. Traditional Keynesian economics proposes that central banks regulate the money supply through interest rate manipulation and monetary interventions to promote economic stability within the market. However, cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, present a challenge due to their algorithmically predetermined supply, which halves every four years, removing discretionary monetary policy. By adapting Calvo\u27s (1983) staggered-price model to a closed economy, supposing Bitcoin is the only medium of exchange, it is deduced that Bitcoin\u27s deflationary nature causes a persistent consumption collapse and hyper deflationary spirals. Furthermore, calibrations reveal that the absence of monetary stabilization mechanisms at any price rigidity level leads to volatile demand shocks and economic instability. The findings align with Friedman\u27s (1969) and Claeys et al.’s (2018) critiques. They underscore Bitcoin’s limitations as a viable currency and highlight the need for a hybrid mechanism to counteract its scarcity with macroeconomic stability. This research builds on the literature by formalizing the trade-offs inherent in decentralized monetary policies and providing quantitative evidence of Bitcoin’s destabilizing effects under New Keynesian economics
Opportunistic Networks on the Move: A Context-Aware Framework for Opportunistic Networking Under Heterogeneous Mobility Settings
Get PDFMost computer networks require continuous end-to-end connectivity between sending and destination nodes for data transfer. However, in certain scenarios—such as disaster zones, geographically remote areas with intermittent or no connectivity, or regions facing peak network loads—such continuous communication paths may be unavailable. A notable example of this challenge occurred during Hurricane Milton in 2024 and the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025, where Starlink provided free satellite internet to support disaster relief efforts and enable communication in affected areas. However, while offering satellite services at no cost can be effective in emergencies, it may not always be feasible on a global scale. In large-scale disasters, the associated costs and logistical challenges could present significant obstacles. These critical situations necessitate a shift toward infrastructure-less communication, making opportunistic networks (OppNets) a viable solution. OppNets have already been deployed across various domains, including smart cities, underwater communication, wildlife monitoring, and interplanetary missions. Notable applications include tourist tracking through LASSO in 2020, oceanic data exchange via the SWIM model in 2016, and NASA\u27s use of the Saratoga routing protocol for interplanetary communication since 2004. Their adaptability demonstrates the potential for infrastructure-free communication in diverse environments. Researchers have developed numerous OppNets forwarding algorithms to help network nodes select the next node for data forwarding based on specific criteria. In this work, we specifically focus on social-aware, interest- aware, and power-aware forwarding algorithms, as they involve nodes interested in the content while conserving their valuable power resources. The aim of such algorithms is to maximize successful message delivery to the intended users while minimizing the number of replicas generated along the way and preserving power resources. This study particularly investigates the performance of key algorithms, namely Interest-Aware PeopleRank (IPeR) and Power-Aware IPeR (PIPeR), using Epidemic and PeopleRank(PeR) as benchmark algorithms. While these algorithms have demonstrated strong performance in confined environments such as conferences, shopping malls, and university campuses, they have predominantly been evaluated under pedestrian mobility models. Their application in subway environments—characterized by hybrid mobility involving both pedestrian movement and subway train rides—remains unexplored. Subway mobility scenarios are particularly relevant for contexts such as emergency response during crises, where fixed network infrastructure is limited or unavailable. To address this gap, we evaluate the IPeR, and PIPeR algorithms in subway stations, where the mobility model integrates subway train rides with pedestrian movement, using the AnyLogic simulator to accurately model passenger flows. Our results reveal that PIPeR demonstrates the best performance, achieving a 64% increase in F-measure and a 63% reduction in delay compared to the pedestrian environment, albeit with increased power consumption and cost. Additionally, key zones of vigorous content dissemination unique to this hybrid environment are identified. Building on these findings, we propose five enhanced variants of the PIPeR algorithm, designed to address the unique challenges of subway environments and any other environments of similar mobility patterns aiming to improve the
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algorithm\u27s overall efficiency. The proposed variants effectively overcome the limitations of the original PIPeR algorithm in the hybrid mobility environment, achieving an impressive 83% reduction in power consumption and a 38% decrease in cost, with a trade-off of a 20% reduction in F-measure. The best-performing variant is then identified and rigorously tested under varying conditions, including various interest distributions, battery distributions, user densities, and message volumes per user. Notably, this variant excels even in challenging scenarios such as those involving a majority of uninterested nodes and a lack of intermediate forwarders. Finally, we quantified the environmental impact of the proposed PIPeR variants by measuring their carbon footprint. The results revealed an extraordinary reduction, with the variants achieving a 98% decrease compared to the original PIPeR algorithm in AnyLogic and an exceptional 99% reduction relative to the PeopleRank algorithm. These findings highlight the pivotal role of power-aware enhancements in fostering green, sustainable, and energy-efficient opportunistic networks
CASAR Student Discussion Series #7: Censored Classrooms - Should parents and community members have a say in restricting certain books in schools, based on factors such as religion, age appropriateness, and more?
Get PDFEvery semester, CASAR AUC holds miscellaneous student debates discussing the hot controversial topics in the US, Egypt and from around the world in hopes of raising awareness about these topics & broadening the perspectives of our students as they learn to engage in fruitful discussions as they share different opinion on the topic being deliberated.
On April 10th 2025, at this CASAR Student Discussion event #7 in light of the current book bans in the US happening from Trump\u27s administration, we debated this question: \u27Censored classrooms: Should parents and community members have a say in restricting certain books in schools ,based on factors such as religion, age appropriateness ,and more?\u27 The winning student with the best argument will get the following: A certificate of appreciation from CASAR A special feature on the CASAR website, FB & IG accounts An honorary special feature on the \u27Speaker of the month\u27 board at the center.
This event was in collaboration with the AUC Literature Club.
The winner of this debate was Hassan Al-Nimr
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Maritime Trade and Imperial Ambitions: Yemeni Politics and Trade in the Indian Ocean World (626/1228-858/1454)
Get PDFThis thesis explores the role of Yemen, particularly under the Rasūlid dynasty (626/1228-858/1454) in the medieval Indian Ocean trade. I argue that the Rasūlids attempted to create an “imperial maritime space” wherein Yemen would be the imperial core, and the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea the subjugated peripheries. While the Rasūlids managed to organize state power towards their imperial project via diplomacy, military and naval expansion, and a robust and efficient bureaucracy, they never fully realized their goal of creating a thalassocratic empire in the western Indian Ocean. Nonetheless, medieval Yemen played a significant role in the political, social, and economic history of the Indian Ocean
The Negotiation of Identities Through Humorous Discourse in Political Resistance: An Analysis of Bassem Youssef\u27s \u27The B+ Show\u27
Get PDFThis study examines the strategic use of humorous discourse in negotiating identities and expressing political resistance during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, focusing on Bassem Youssef\u27s satirical YouTube show, The B+ Show. Employing a mixed-method approach that combines Grice\u27s maxims of cooperative communication and Fairclough\u27s critical discourse analysis framework, the research investigates how humor functioned as a tool for challenging hegemonic narratives and power dynamics through constructing and deconstructing identities in a volatile sociopolitical context. The analysis reveals that Youssef skillfully exploited various discursive resources, particularly intertextuality and the flouting of conversational maxims, to generate implicatures that effectively debunked negative representations of protesters propagated by state-controlled media. Through irony, sarcasm, and mockery, Youssef\u27s humor served to deconstruct the credibility of anti protest figures while simultaneously constructing positive identities for the protesters. The study is important for stakeholders in foreign language teaching because it highlights the importance of examining a humorous discourse\u27s pragmatic, discursive, and contextual dimensions to incorporate it in foreign language classes
Towards sustainability via recycling solar photovoltaic Panels, A review
No full textHuman activities are placing a progressively increasing demand on energy consumption. Renewable energy resources are a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to their sustainability. There has been lately an immense growth in the application of several renewable energy resources, including solar energy, where the abundance of waste solar panels is becoming challenging. Solar panels have a shelf life from 20 to 30 years. Photovoltaic panels modules consist of both valuable and toxic materials that might possess harm to the human wellbeing and to the environment if not disposed appropriately. These days, research to recover solar photovoltaic panels is confronting several difficulties, beside that there is an urge to design an economically non-toxic, easy, and feasible technologies for their recovery. The end-of-life solar panels’ appropriate management is just at the beginning in several places in the world, besides that there is a demand for the producers’ responsibilities towards the issue. The disassembly and recyclability of the end-of-life solar cells is not really deliberated because of the deficiency of solar panels recycling plants worldwide. Recyclability of the expired solar cells can decrease the production cost of new systems. This review article discusses the synthesis of solar panels, with a detailed description for its different parts. Recycling systems for photovoltaic wastes are elaborately discussed along with addressing the adverse environmental issues of the huge quantities of solar panels wastes besides providing a detailed basis for supporting recycling of solar panels. Lastly, the policies and regulations for solar panel recycling is also considered