The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Ideas build the world around us. From the smallest of thoughts and up to the largest and most complex concepts, the light bulb that flicks on with a new and innovative idea is the sole driver of our world. Whether it’s an idea for a book, a story, an approach, a technology, or a scientific theory, it all starts with an idea.

This is the exact concept on which AltShift Festival is built, organised by Ouishare Egypt, this annual three-day cross-disciplinary event is inviting change-makers and thinkers to come together, connect, brainstorm, and learn through experimenting, ultimately working together for creative ideas to resolve our most complex of challenges.

Hosted in two locations, the main one will be KMT House, and the other, a private residence nearby in Maadi. From the 19^th of October till the 21^st, the festival will continue with the theme of 2018: “Platformization… Global Trend ⇆ Local Applications.” Each day will have its own theme, with day 1 focusing on human, day 2 on technology, and day 3 on the city.

So who should attend this and what can you expect? Anyone with an interest in new concepts and effecting change should book their place in this festival. Every day there will be opportunities for attendees to interact with keynotes, attend panel discussions, and learn new things at various workshops. Evenings will include sport competitions to enrich the body as well as the mind, and at night, you can enjoy film screenings or artistic performances courtesy of Goethe Institute in Cairo. But that’s not all, there will also be an Open Stage where participants can talk about their ideas and concepts, and their voice can be heard among many influencers and change-makers.

Concepts such as platform strategies, regenerative cities, zero waste, and more will be discussed in this unique event. Which is why this is the first of its kind in the whole of the Middle East to have a zero-waste policy. Pulling together over 30 change-makers from 6 countries around the world, there should be enough resources to actually achieve something from this event.

After learning about trending concepts in the first two days, participants will have the chance to co-create a Regenerative City Model using the concepts they’ve learned and applying them to create a more resilient city. As Ehab Elia, AltShift Initiator puts it, “The solutions to our complex challenges aren’t technology. Technology is a medium to magnify and scale-up our solutions.”

If you enjoy this event, you can continue your enjoyment at AltShift Deep Connections Retreat, a retreat in Dahab from the 22^nd to the 25^th of October, giving enthusiasts an opportunity to delve deeper into Platform Strategies, and learn about the Platform Design Toolkit (PDT) designed by an Italian Ouishare Connector, Simon Cicero.

To learn more about this innovative festival, check out this Facebook Page, or read more details on their website.