Amira El-Sallab, a cultural entrepreneur and social advocate, has launched Seba, a new social foundation dedicated to promoting the concept and culture of social peace, coinciding with the annual observance of the International Day of Peace on September 21.
El-Sallab said peace is the foundation of a stable life and that “there can be no life without peace.”
“Peace gives people a sense of security and reassurance, while creating the conditions necessary for development and progress within society,” she said.
El-Sallab said the launch of the foundation builds on an initiative first envisioned by her late father, industrialist Mustafa El-Sallab, who advocated establishing a community-based institution devoted to promoting peace and spreading a culture of peaceful coexistence.
Despite the demands of his business career and his service as a member of Egypt’s parliament, El-Sallab said, her father remained committed to community work, both within Nasr City, which he represented for several parliamentary terms, and beyond it. He also consistently advocated for social peace in Egypt and across the Arab world.
“Peace and peaceful coexistence are fundamental conditions, an absolute necessity and a cornerstone of any form of human development, prosperity and progress — materially, morally and in every other dimension,” she said.
El-Sallab described Seba as the first Arab institution of its kind focused specifically on supporting social peace. Its objective, she said, is to contribute to greater stability in the lives of Arab people by helping individuals think more calmly and by reducing the levels of anxiety and tension surrounding them.
She stressed that a culture of social peace cannot be established through slogans alone, but requires education and training to become deeply rooted in individuals and ultimately produce a tangible social impact.
El-Sallab also emphasized the role of civil-society institutions and other social actors in fostering a culture of peace, beginning with inner peace and extending to social and broader forms of peace. This vision, she said, also encompasses environmental peace and a commitment to sustainable development.
The foundation’s role, she added, will be to support projects and initiatives that serve communities while promoting psychological well-being and social peace for individuals.
“Our aim is to support initiatives that contribute to a more stable, balanced and peaceful society,” El-Sallab said.
