Befrienders Cairo, which opened in December 1992, is the second befriending center in the Arab world. But because Egypt is an Arab and African world leader, the influence of the Cairo center is potentially enormous. With "listening therapy" firmly established in Egypt, befriending will be more readily appreciated across the Arab and Islamic worlds. Moreover, befriending, which cuts across
... [Show full abstract] religious, cultural, racial, and economic barriers to reveal us all as equally human in our pain and need, is a force to help reinforce stability and civil society in Egypt. The fact is that befriending works in Egypt, and ever more people are contacting us. Meanwhile, the Executive Committee and Leader Teams are functioning well, and a Friends of the Befrienders support group has just been set up. We are aware of the need for many more volunteers, Arabic speakers in particular, so that we can expand our present six part-days a week to a 24-hours-a-day service. And we must also raise funds for a new center in order to maintain official registration and accommodate expansion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)