Interviews with Namees Arnous

The human rights and democracy activists and the movements of democracy in Egypt beginning the start of the revolution, at the beginning of the revolution and till the end, there are a lot of people around the world that may inspired us. But actually the Egyptian revolution is very unique, so we just inspired by each other.

I can’t say that some people inspired me during this revolution. I just inspired by the people I saw; they were killed beside me. I inspired by the people – they were arrested by the military and – they – and by the police and the police tortured them. A lot of samples, a lot of role models around the world can inspire anything in peaceful movements and peaceful struggle, but during the revolution it’s very unique. Egyptian revolution, it’s very unique.

And for me, I just inspired about – by people around me from Egyptian – very poor people, very educated and very not educated people around me – they seeking for their freedom and the rights, to live. They inspired me.

Namees Arnous is a well-known television reporter and civil society activist in Egypt. During the Egyptian Revolution, Namees was asked to spread inaccurate stories by El Mehwar Television, her employer. When Namees used social media to publicize the channel’s stance against the Revolution, she was characterized as being a foreign agent and receiving money from foreign governments. She resigned from El Mehwar.

Namees then founded a new media production company which includes television, radio and social media outlets. She aims to promote human rights and democratic principles by training individuals in new media. She is currently working on a project to produce a new television program aimed at Egyptian women, focusing on issues of concern to them.

Namees has worked on a number of civil society campaigns. These include the Change Your Life Campaign, which aims to encourage women to be independent and the Be Free Campaign, which addresses young Muslim women extremists.

She worked on a civic journalism campaign to cover youth participation in elections in their respective regions. The campaign was broadcast on her NGO’s radio station and website.

Namees was among the inaugural group of the George W. Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Fellowship Program in 2012, a leadership program designed to empower and equip women to catalyze change.

Namees has her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a focus on Television and Radio.