About DEDI
Since 2004, The Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Initiative has been bringing together Danes and Egyptians, enhancing their knowledge of each other’s culture and society and their mutual understanding. DEDI aims to support and facilitate green transition through dialogue and partnerships.
Partnerships and projects are facilitated and carried out in the field of sustainability. DEDI’s projects benefit young Egyptian and Danish students, researchers, and professionals committed to develop and support solutions to the local and global challenges facing their communities.
Through workshops, field visits and events, participants are given the opportunity to network, exchange experiences and knowledge, gain a deeper understanding of the different contexts they operate in and get inspired by cutting-edge technologies, unique approaches and peer-to-peer learning.
DEDI’s history
The Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Initiative (DEDI) was established in Cairo in 2004. The overall aim is to foster knowledge and mutual understanding of society and culture among Egyptians and Danish people. Our approach is dialogue and partnerships. By doing so, DEDI contributes to the strengthening of the Danish-Egyptian relations and increased cooperation between the two countries.
Activities have been carried out in the field of culture, media and civic participation with a special focus on youth and women. Throughout the years, DEDI has been engaging a continuously expanding number of partners from both the public and private sector as well as civil society.
The chairmanship of DEDI rotates every second year between two representatives of the Egyptian and the Danish Ministries of Foreign Affairs. The organization of DEDI is set up within the framework of the Agreement of Cultural, Educational and Scientific Cooperation between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Denmark, signed in 1972.
Since its inauguration, DEDI has been an important actor enhancing dialogue, understanding and relations between Denmark and Egypt. Being located in Cairo and attracting highly qualified staff, DEDI has become a center point for Danes and Egyptians wanting to create new projects and initiate ways of collaboration.
DEDI’s continuous emphasis on its core mandate and values of partnerships and dialogue, has secured its position, trustworthiness and standing among governmental and private partner organizations in Egypt and the Arab World.
Originally, DEDI was established as the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute in 2004, its core task being to promote social and cultural understanding between Denmark and Egypt and Europe and the Arab World, with dialogue as the main tool. The present statutes, mandate and name was agreed upon by the Danish and the Egyptian Governments in 2019.
DEDI is funded by the Danish Arab Partnership Program (DAPP) of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its present work is part of DAPP’s program for the period 2017-2021.
DEDI is bound to follow DANIDA Guidelines with due respect of the Egyptian laws.
DEDI’s Organization
CHAIR
H.E. Ambassador Anne Dorte Riggelsen, representative of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Danish Ambassador to Egypt.
VICE-CHAIR
Awaiting appointment for the representative of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ADVISORS
H.E. Ambassador Nabil Riad Habashy, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Denmark
Mr. Christian Have, Owner of HAVE A/S
Mr. Finn Mortensen, Executive Director, State of Green
Dr. Gamal Abdel Gawad Soltan, researcher at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS).
The Chair and Vice-Chair decide on the Initiative’s annual work plan and activities. The advisors monitor the Initiative’s activities, approve its annual work plan, its strategy and budget and submit to the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman for final adoption.
The chairmanship rotates every second year between the two representatives of the Egyptian and the Danish Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
The Advisors are appointed by the Danish and the Egyptian Foreign Ministries. They have a reputable background and intellectual standing, and are known for their interest in promoting dialogue and cooperation between Denmark and Egypt.
Projects 2024
In 2024, DEDI is carrying out projects focusing on sustainable fashion, sustainable furniture design and raising awareness on sustainability and climate change.
The DEDI Green Incubator project is running a pilot phase where we are inviting 14 of DEDI’s sustainable fashion and sustainable furniture alumni for a four month incubation. DEDI Green Incubator aims to help put early-stage startups on the road to becoming a successful, scalable, and growing venture. Through mentorship, workshops, and field visits in Denmark and Egypt, the program helps entrepreneurs gain valuable skills and knowledge, and identify potential partners and investors as well as connections to get their sustainable products into markets. The program targets sustainable fashion and furniture designers with common tracks and specific tracks for each field.
The Environmental Advocacy and Dialogue Hub builds on DEDI’s significant experience in dialogue promotion, and its ability to bring together environmental enthusiasts, experts and practitioners under one roof to exchange knowledge and expertise, this project will serve as a dialogue hub for environmental advocacy through organizing panel discussions, expert talks, interactive games and other innovative methodologies that aim to engage youth in various sustainability and environmental cross-cutting topics: such as climate science, social science, security and conflict, solid waste and policy.
With our EcoKino project we are aiming to raise awareness about climate change, sustainability and green transition. EcoKino features documentaries and short films that we lend to local organisations, libraries, schools, and universities wishing to host screenings and discussions. Currently, EcoKino is focusing on plastic waste. The films were chosen and translated in to Arabic in collaboration with the Alexandria based social enterprise Banlastic. The documentaries are produced by the WHY Foundation.
The target group of DEDIs projects is youth (18-35 years old). We aim for an adequate representation of gender and religious backgrounds. Our projects are selected and designed as partnership projects with dialogue being at the core.
To learn more about our projects, please explore the website. For further inquiries please write to info@dedi.org.eg or call + 2010 90152 228.
DEDI’s Strategy
DEDI is funded by Danish Arab Partnership Program (DAPP) of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its present work is part of DAPP’s program.
Coordinator
Programs
Communications
Finance & Administration
Office Assistant
Mostafa Abdel Karim
It is possible to report to the whistle-blower mechanism via the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. Reports can be submitted regarding criminal offences, serious or repeated violations of the law or principles of administrative law, serious personal conflicts, sexual harassment and deliberate misinformation of citizens and partners. The whistle-blower mechanism stands alongside the other reporting channels in the MFA, particularly Danida’s anticorruption hotline (https://um.dk/en/danida-en/about-danida/danida-transparency/anti-corruption/report-corruption/ ), which pertains to irregular administration of development assistance or similar external grants. You can read more about the whistle-blower mechanism here. (https://um.dk/en/about-us/organisation/whistleblower/ )
