CAIRO: The April 6 Youth Movement has launched a new anti-regime campaign called “Egypt is Our Homeland, Not Theirs,” founding member Asmaa Mahfouz told Daily News Egypt Friday.
The campaign targets youth and aims at raising awareness of political rights and explaining the seven demands for political reform initiated by the National Association for Change under the slogan “Together for Change,” Mahfouz added.
These demands include and end to emergency law, judicial supervision over elections, enabling international and local organizations to monitor the elections, removing obstacles that restrict citizens from running in presidential candidates, limiting presidential terms to two and giving Egyptians abroad the right to vote.
Several opposition groups including April 6, the Kefaya Movement for Change and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) have joined the National Association for Change since it was formed by former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei in February.
According to Mahfouz, one of the main targets of the campaign is to boost young people’s sense of belonging.
“We have always encountered young people saying [Egypt] is not our homeland, it’s theirs,” Mahfouz explained.
“They mean the regime, the National Democratic Party and the rest of the gang [ruling] the country. Our purpose is to change [their perspective]… and fight corruption.”
The campaign has witnessed a considerable turnout since members first started roaming the streets on Tuesday to collect signatures supporting the seven demands.
“We faced two types of people: one responded to us, while the other wants change but is terrified. In general we did not meet anyone who totally disagrees with the idea,” Mahfouz noted.
