Diane Singerman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Government, School of Public Affairs at American University and currently co-director of a project called “Tadamun: The Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative” (www.tadamun.info). Professor Singerman will talk about Tadamun with a brief response by Shahira Fahmy, 2015 Loeb Fellow, and a discussion with the audience.
Tadamun is working to reform prevailing urban development practices and local governance in Egypt to be inclusive, transparent, and just and to forge a direct link in the public consciousness between urban and environmental rights with democracy and citizenship. Through our field work and research, we are building knowledge of the informal settlements and community networks in Cairo, the interplay between formal and informal governance systems that often shape these areas, as well as community-driven initiatives to consolidate power in the post-Revolution environment and leverage government resources.
Diane Singerman received her B.A., M.A., and PhD from Princeton University and did graduate work at the American University in Cairo. Her research interests lie within comparative politics, gender and politics in Egypt and the Middle East, informal politics, political participation, urbanism, youth, globalization, and social movements.
2015 Loeb Fellow Shahira Fahmy is an architect from Cairo, Egypt has been hailed one of the “architects building the Arab Future.” Her real goal is assisting the public to retake ownership and decision-making in the city, and she is especially intrigued by the mapping initiatives that have emerged to document a city in flux.
