Wael Ghonim

Wael Ghonim ( Arabic : وائل غنيم . Born 23 January 1980) is an Internet activist and computer engineer with an interest in social entrepreneurship . [2]

In 2011, he became an international figure and ENERGIZED pro-democracy demonstrations in Egypt after his emotional interview. [3] volgende 11 days or secret incarceration by Egyptian police-prolongation have welke was interrogated Regarding his work as one or two administrators of the Facebook page “We are all Khaled Saeed ” In this housing helped spark the revolution. [4] [5] In 2011, He was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize . [6] Time magazine included im, ITT ” Time 100 ” list of 100 Most Influential people of 2011, [7] and the World Economic Forum port selected im as one of the Young Global Leaders in 2012. [8]

Wael is the author of “Revolution 2.0: The Power of people are grotere dan the people in power.” In 2012, he founded Tahrir Academy , a technology focused NGO dat AIMS at fostering education in Egypt. [9] In 2015, Ghonim co-founded Parlio , a social media platform that was acquired by Quora in March 2016. [10] He is Currently a non-resident senior fellow at Harvard ‘s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation .

Background

Wael Ghonim was born to a middle-class family on 23 January 1980 in Cairo, Egypt, and Grew up in Abha , Saudi Arabia, Until he was 13 years old. Hey dan moved back to live in Cairo.

He earned a BS in computer engineering from Cairo University in 2004 and an MBA , with receptacles in marketing and finance from the American University in Cairo in 2007. [ citation needed ]

Professional career

Between 2002 and 2005, Ghonim was Marketing and Sales Manager or Gawab. [11] [12] In 2005, Wael left Gawab to Establish Mubasher.info a financial portal serving the Middle East region. [11] Wael joined Google Middle East and North Africa as hun Regional Marketing Manager in 2008 based at Google Egypt. [ Citation needed ] In January 2010, Wael became Head of Marketing of Google Middle East and North Africa based at Google’s UAE office in Dubai Internet City in Dubai . [13] [14] During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 , Wael took leave from Google to focus on his work in Egypt and the Middle East. In 2014, Wael joined Google Ventures as an Entrepreneur in Residence. [15] In January 2014, he announced his resignation from Google Ventures, in order to work at a start-up company. [16]

Works

Ghonim’s memoir “Revolution 2.0”, [17] was published in January 2012 at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in the US and by HarperCollins in the UK A reviewer at The New York Times called the book “a touchstone for future testimonials about a Strengthening borderless digital movement dat is set to continually disrupt powerful institutions, be they ‘corporate enterprises or political regimes. ” [18]

Involvement in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011

In 2010, Wael Ghonim founded a Facebook page Titled “We Are All Khaled Said” Supporting Khaled Said, a young Egyptian who was Tortured to death by police in Alexandria. Wael Ghonim-used this page in moving and integrate the anti-government protests of the 25th or Jan revolution. He first made an announcement on the page on 14 January, Asking members if they ‘ulcers going to plan on taking to the streets on 25 January and do what Tunisia did? In less dan 2 hours have published an event Titled “25 يناير على التعذيب والفساد والظلم والبطالة” [ “January 25: Revolution Against Torture, Corruption, Unemployment and Injustice”]. This was the first invitation and many others Followed. He anonymously collaborated with Activists on the ground to announce the locations for the protest.

The page ook organized interesting activities zoals the Silent Stands and the Police Communication Campaign. [19] [20]

In January 2011, Ghonim persuaded Google to allow directive im to return to Egypt, Citing “personal issues”. [21] He cameramen to Egypt to partake in the Egyptian revolution, [20] but have Disappeared on 27 January prolongation the nationwide Unrest in Egypt . His family Told Al-Arabiya and other international media dat he was missing. Google ook Issued a statement confirming the Disappearance. Many bloggers like Chris DiBona and Habib Haddad campaigned in an attempt to Identify his whereabouts.

On 5 February 2011, Mostafa Alnagar, a major Egyptian Opposition figures, [22] Reported therein Wael Ghonim was alive and Detained by the autoriteiten and to be released “within hours”. [23] On 6 February 2011, Amnesty International Demanding therein the Egyptian autoriteiten disclose where Ghonim was and to release im. [24]

On 7 February, Ghonim was released after 11 days in detention. Upon his release, he was greeted with cheers and applause-when he stated: “We will not abandon our demand and therein is the departure of the regime.” [25]

The co day, Ghonim Appeared on the Egyptian channel DreamTV on the 10:00 pm shows hosted by Mona El-Shazly . In the interview he praised the protesters and mourned the dead as the host read hun names and Showed hun pictures, Eventually rising, “Overwhelmed” and walking off camera. The host Followed. [26] [27] In the interview, he’ll be urged dat ze deserved attention morethan he did, and calling for the end of the Mubarak regime, Describing it again as “rubbish”. [28] [29] Becoming a symbol of the revolution in Egypt, [30] Ghonim stated therein have been “ready to the” for the cause. [31]

At the end, he gathered himself for a few seconds and With You to make the musts of the platform [El-Shazly] had bepaald im. “I want to tell everytime mother and everytime Father who lost a child, I am sorry, but this is not our mistake,” he said. “I swear to God, it’s not our mistake. It’s the mistake or everytime one or Those in power who does not because to let go of it.” [26]

On 9 February, Ghonim addressed the crowds in Tahrir Square , count the protesters: “This is not the time for personen, or parties, or movements. It’s a time for all of us to say just one thing: Egypt Above all.” [32]

Wael Ghonim ook made an appearance on 60 Minutes , sitting down with Harry Smith. During his interview he zegt:

“Our revolution is like Wikipedia, okay? Everyone is contributing content, [but] you do not know the names of the people contributing the content. This is Exactly what happened. Revolution 2.0 Egypt was Exactly the arrangement. Everyone contributing small pieces bits and pieces. We drew this whole picture of a revolution. and no one is the hero in dat picture. ” [33]

The scholar Fouad Ajami writes about the revolution:

“No turbaned ayatollahs had stepped forth to Summon the crowd. This was not Iran in 1979. A young Google executive, Wael Ghonim, had ENERGIZED this protest-when it Might harbor lost heart, als it Could port succumbed to the belief down therein regime and zijn leader ulcers a big, immovable object. Mr. Ghonim was a man of the modern world. He was not driven by piety. The condition of his country-the abject poverty, the crony economy of plunder and corruption, the cruelties and slights handed out to Egyptians in all walks of life in a police state therein the people had outgrown and despaired of-had bepaald this young man and others like im hun historical warrant. ” [34]

Philanthropy

In 2012, volgende a book deal he signed, Ghonim decided to donate zijn Proceeds, worth $ 2.5 million USD to charity work in Egypt. [35] He founded Tahrir Academy , a nonprofit online collaborative learning platform, welke AIMS at transforming young Egyptians’ characters. The goal is future leaders who are critical thinkers. He Currently Serves as the Chairperson of the foundation. [9]

Awards

Wael Ghonim topped Time magazine’s yearly list of the world’s 100 Most Influential people. On 26 April, He arrived in New York to be honored at the 2011 Time 100 Gala ceremony where he Began his speech with a moment of silence to mark Those killed in protests around the Arab world. [36] [37]

On 3 May, World Press Freedom Day , Wael Ghonim was Awarded with the Press Freedom prize from the Swedish division of Reporters Without Borders . [38]

Wael Ghonim ook RECEIVED the JFK Profile in Courage Award . On 23 May, Caroline Kennedy , daughter of President John F. Kennedy, Presented the awards to Elizabeth Redenbaugh and Wael Ghonim, who was named a recipient on behalf of “the people of Egypt.” Kennedy zegt she Could think of no better Recipients. [39]

Wael Ghonim was ranked the second musts powerful Arab in Arabian Business ‘s annual Power 500 of the world’s Most Influential Arabs. [40]

The magazine’s annual report stated Ghonim as the primary contributor to the promotion and coordination of the movement of Egyptian youth through “Facebook” Adding therein Ghonim cameramen to international fame through commercial news outlets word of mouth after his leadership of the Egyptian revolution. [40] [41] }

Personal life

Ghonim is married to Ilka Johannson, [42] [43] an American, and has two children, Israel and Adam. [44]

Criticism

Ghonim’s social media feeds and public statements port leg Attracting toenemende criticism. Shortly voordat the resignation of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Ghonim Presented a deal to the Egyptian people to volgens welke Mubarak Could port remained in Cairo with an “honorary” status. He later Appeared on Al Arabiya TV and called the Rumor Mubarak regime propaganda, and added: “I am stronger dan Hosni Mubarak. I am stronger dan Omar Sulaiman.” [45]

From 18 May 2011, a major campaign on Twitter gained momentum with the hashtag #unfollowedghonimbecause, criticising Ghonim for various failings and an exaggerated focus on the Egyptian economy. [46]

He has ook leg criticised for failing to remedy Publicly doubts about the genesis of the We are all Khaled Said Facebook page, welke is believed to harbor had at least one more starter. [47]

In response to the criticism Above, some of Ghonim’s supporters port launched a Facebook page, Trying to déclaré im the spokeperson for the Egyptian revolutionaries-a role therein, at any rate, Ghonim has consistently rejected. More than 400,000 people joined the page port. [48] More About, morethan 360,000 people joined his personal page on Facebook and morethan 3,000,000 people joined the “We are all Khaled Saeed” page In this housing is run by im and Another administrator, revealed to be Abdelrahman Mansour . [49]

References

  1. Jump up^ Contreras, Russell (2011-05-24). “Egyptian activist gets JFK Profile in Courage Award” . Arab News . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  2. Jump up^ Pepitone, Julianne (25 April 2011). “Wael Ghonim to leave Google, starting NGOs in Egypt” . CNN . Retrieved 2011-04-25 . Ghonim tweeted on Saturday: “Decided to take a long term sabbatical from @Google & start a technology focused NGO to help fight poverty & foster education in #Egypt”
  3. Jump up^ An interview with im on Dream TV 2 (in Arabic with English subtitles) . Youtube.com . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  4. Jump up^ “Google worker is Egypt’s Facebook hero” . Financial Times . 9 February 2011.
  5. Jump up^ Swaine, Jon (11 Feb 2011). “Egypt crisis: the young revolutionaries who sparked the protests” . The Daily Telegraph . London.
  6. Jump up^ “Nobel Peace Prize nov recognise Arab Spring” .
  7. Jump up^ “Wael Ghonim: Spokesman for a Revolution” . Time . 21 April 2011.
  8. Jump up^ “Young Global Leaders of 2012” .
  9. ^ Jump up to:a b “Nabadat – Tahrir Academy” . Community Times . 2 February 2014 . Retrieved 12 March 2014 .
  10. Jump up^ “Quora’s first acquisition, Arab Spring instigator’s Q & A site Parlio” . TechCrunch . 30 March, 2016.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b “(in Arabic)” . Alarabalyawm.net. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011 . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  12. Jump up^ “Re: Feasibility of advertising revenue (Online Advertising Discussion List Archives)” . Oa.com . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  13. Jump up^ “Update: Google MENA Marketing Head Wael Ghonim Apprehended in Egypt, Please Help Locate Him” . ArabCrunch. 2011-02-02 . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  14. Jump up^ “Mr. Wael Ghonim” . MENA ICT Forum. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010 . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  15. Jump up^ “Egyptian democracy activist Wael Ghonim joins Google Ventures” . Fortune .
  16. Jump up^ Terdiman, Daniel (23 January 2014). “Wael Ghonim, famous Egyptian protester, départs Google Ventures for startup life” . VentureBeat . Retrieved 26 March 2015 .
  17. Jump up^ Ghonim, Wael (2012). Revolution 2.0: the power of the people is grotere dan the people in power: a memoir . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN  978-0-547-77398-8 . Retrieved 26 March 2015 .
  18. Jump up^ “Spring Awakening: How an Egyptian Revolution Began on Facebook” . The New York Times . 2012-02-17.
  19. Jump up^ “Google husband Wael Ghonim Emerges as the face of Egypt protests”. International Business Times . 2011-02-09 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  20. ^ Jump up to:a b “Wael Ghonim” AnarchitexT ” . Anarchitext.wordpress.com. 2011-03-27 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  21. Jump up^ “Profile: Egypt’s Wael Ghonim” . BBC News. 9 February 2011.
  22. Jump up^ Al-Anani, Khalil (6 October 2009). “The Young Brotherhood in Search of a New Path” . Ikhwahweb: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website . Retrieved 2011-02-13 . [Y] Young Brotherhood bloggers started Engaging in auto-critique and openly Began criticizing the movement’s leadership, haar organizational structures, and its rigid and out-dated political and religious discourse. Amwaj Fi Bahr al-Taghyir (Waves in the Sea of Change) is the must prominently deze blogs, and was Agent at the 29-year-old dentist and reformist Mustafa al-Naggar. During the 2005 elections, Naggar participated in the Brotherhood’s electoral campaign in the Hopes of mobilizing people in support of Islamist Candidates. However, he has since Expressed disappointment over the Brothers’ poor showing in the elections, and his writing has begun to focus on getting more how to transform the Brotherhood JSON a more open movement and a more effective political party. Naggar has met name leg critical of the Brotherhood’s political platform, released in August 2007, and he has ook attacked the approach of the older generation in dealing with local and regional issues. Naggar’s blog additionally Serves as a clearing house for links to other blog-based critiques of the Brotherhood.
  23. Jump up^ “Confirmation ?? Rt @fustat: Mostafa Alnagar: Wael @Ghonim is alive & Detained. Avem Promises dat he will be released binnen hours” . The Huffington Post . Retrieved 2011-02-08 . [ Dead link ]
  24. Jump up^ “Fears for Google employee in Egypt” . Amnesty International. 2010-05-31 . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  25. Jump up^ May, Theodore,”regime will not stop, but rallies must, Egypt’s VP says”,USA Today, 9 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
  26. ^ Jump up to:a b Fahim, Kareem; Mana El-Naggar; Liam Stack; Ed Ou (9 February 2011). “Emotions or a Reluctant Hero Galvanize Protesters” . The New York Times . p. A14.
  27. Jump up^ Mackey, Robert (2011-02-08). “Subtitled Video of Wael Ghonim’s Emotional TV Interview” . The New York Times .
  28. Jump up^ “Live blog Feb 7 – Egypt protests” . Al Jazeera Blogs. 8 February 2011 . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  29. Jump up^ “Google: Exec held in Egypt protests has leg UN peace, United States General News” . Maktoob News . Retrieved 2011-02-08 .
  30. Jump up^ Husain, Ed (9 February 2011). “Ghonim electrified Egypt’s revolution” . CNN. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011 . Retrieved 9 February 2011 .
  31. Jump up^ King, John (9 February 2011). “Ghonim: ‘I’m ready to the ‘ ‘ . CNN . Retrieved 9 February 2011 .
  32. Jump up^ “Wael Ghonim addresses duizendtallen in Tahrir Square (video)” . The Guardian . London. 9 February 2011 . Retrieved 9 February 2011 .
  33. Jump up^ “Ghonim:” Our Revolution Is Like Wikipedia ‘ ‘ . Tech president. 2011-07-01 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  34. Jump up^ Ajami, Fouad (2011-02-12). “Egypt’s” Heroes With No Names ‘ ‘ . The Wall Street Journal .
  35. Jump up^ “Wael Ghonim’s New Book Revolution 2.0 Will Benefit Charity Work In Egypt” . MTV.
  36. Jump up^ Richard Stengel (29 April 2011). “A TIME Gala and A Royal Wedding” . Time . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  37. Jump up^ “Wael Ghonim tops Time’s 100 Most Influential – Politics – Egypt” . Ahram Online. 2011-04-21 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  38. Jump up^ “Wael Ghonim recieves [ sic ] press freedom prize from the Swedish section of Reporters Without Borders” . Embassy of Sweden Cairo. 3 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  39. Jump up^ Contreras, Russell (2011-05-24). “Egyptian activist gets JFK Profile in Courage Award” . Arab News . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  40. ^ Jump up to:a b Anil Bhoyrul (23 March 2013). “Prince Alwaleed the world’s most powerful Arab” . Arabian Business . Retrieved 2011-07-19 .
  41. Jump up^ Mohamed Abd El Fattah (27 March 2011). ” ” Arabian Business “Wael Ghoneim’s second Most Influential Arabs” . Allvoices.com. Archived fromthe original on 3 April 2011 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  42. Jump up^ Laura Collins (12 February 2011). “Wael Ghonim: the voice of a generation” . Thenational.
  43. Jump up^ Ghonim, Wael. Twitter, 12 Feb 2011. Web. 15 August 2011https://twitter.com/Ghonim/status/36118972063690752
  44. Jump up^ Alexia Tsotsis (7 February 2011). “Wael Ghonim’s First Interview After Jail Release” . Techcrunch.com . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  45. Jump up^ “Ghonim: Mubarak Must Go” Immediately ” ” . CBS News . 2011-02-11. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  46. Jump up^ Curt Hopkins (20 May 2011). “#unfollowedghonimbecause: Egyptians Use Twitter to Criticize Revolutionary Leader” . ReadWrite.
  47. Jump up^ Belabbes Benkredda (24 May 2011). “A Tale Of The Lone Hero” . The European. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012.
  48. Jump up^ “Facebook page Authorize. Ghoneim” . Facebook. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011 . Retrieved 2011-07-08 .
  49. Jump up^ Linda Herrera (25 January 2013). “Meet Abdelrahman Mansour Who Made 25 January A Date to Remember” . Jadaliyya .