محضر:Motaz Attalah meeting

This was one of a series of meetings with ADEF board members to discuss Deca and explore ideas of different stakeholders

Moataz is an alternative education expert and a stand up comedian

• Moataz thought that the initial steps to create a community and an atmosphere that would lead to ownership would be to have Adef’s own staff organise activities that they would fancy be hosted by a place like Deca, thereby engaging them directly in designing their own space

• Suggested to advertise the space as a co-working space, where people with projects who need like minded people to get stimulated during their creative process, or need to feel others are concentrated around them so as to feel in a working atmosphere where they can hang out and support, critically engage, exchange etc with each other

• Conversations with youth about open source, what a cyber cafe is

• More generally, make sure it always remains a space to talk about life and dreams. That no options are systematically ruled out

• He mentioned that what he would fancy most are manual workshops - like outdoor education, plumbing, carpentry, camping, cooking. ie. workshops on peeling fruit and collectively going snorkeling … to create a sense of community within the staff/friends hanging out in Deca

• On more digital activities, how to use photoshop, making youtube videos, mobile footage, making radio shows, radio reporting. Offer Adef/Deca’s expertise to provide marketing strategy and designing posters, flyers, welcoming discussions in the cafe for local initiatives

• Hosting in depth conversations on alternative/informal education strategies. Hosting focus groups on thematic issues concerning education and the obstacles faced in Egypt