A seminar on the challenges of sustainable development in the Islamic world was held on Wednesday 6 February 2019, in the presence of Dr. Ahmed Galal, an economic expert and former Minister of Finance, and Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Professor of Sociology, as part of the ongoing Festival of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, hosted by Cairo, Egypt.
In the beginning, Dr. Ahmed Galal gave an explanation of sustainable development and economic challenges. He also explained the rate of growth, equitable distribution and economic growth, pointing out that growth revenues are distributed without considering the future generations. He further added that the growth rate is unreal and that there is a significant deficiency.
Galal called on the Arab and Islamic countries to build basic infrastructure with equitable geographical distribution in order to ensure equality of opportunity. He also called on businesspersons and the rich to help the state achieve social justice, while reconsidering economic growth as a normative aspect of development.
On the other hand, Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Professor of Sociology, presented the concept of sustainability in terms of social challenges. He explained the concept of sustainability from the social perspective, encouraging dialogue between generations to exchange different insights and visions, stressing that no development or sustainability can be achieved without economic growth.
The Professor of Sociology dismissed China’s scenario, which grinded down the workforce, calling for curbing population growth, while focusing on developing their skills and potentials through promoting education.
Dr. Zayed further discussed the ethical morals, and the role they play in achieving sustainability. Most importantly is its role in boosting confidence between the citizens and government. He pointed at the marginality of the concept of confidence, calling for considering it as a top priority. He further encouraged Arab and Islamic countries to have a clear position and respond positively to the issue of globalization.