In collaboration with the Administration of Resources Development and Trans-World Islamic Relief, the Assiut University Women's Development Society, inaugurated the proceedings of the Seventh Festival for Artistic Innovation of Mentally handicapped children on Feb 5th. 2013. The Festival continues for three days to include a number of programs and performances aiming to merge handicapped and normal children together and developing their mental and physical faculties. Dr. Aeyia Al-Husseini, Chairperson of the Women's Society and the conference indicated that the university started the proceedings by a forum entitled "the Role of Sports and Arts in the integration of the handicapped," under the auspices of Dr. Yehia Kishk, Governor of Assiut, Dr. Mostafa Kamal, President of Assiut University. Artist Tarek Al-Desouki, Director of the Festival asserted the role of art in innovation and creativity and its capacity to merge handicapped children with normal ones. He also assured that Egypt has been a core place for arts and culture in the whole world since it owns one third of the world's oldest and most genuine archaeology and the oldest theatres known in the world are the Egyptian theatres. Likewise, he added that Egypt ranks second the movie industry following France, and concerning books, Egypt is considered the first to work on writing and translation. In his speech, Dr. Mohammed Thabet Badaary, Professor of Photography, Faculty of Specific Education, Assiut University, clarified the role of artistic drawings in developing the mental faculties of the handicapped through a number of drawings and carvings in which a number of handicapped children have participated in the Special Art Exhibition in Cairo. He also assured that art has been recognized as a language for communication since the ancient times starting with the drawings on the walls of caves until the present. Moreover, he asserted that art aids in communication with the  environment, emotional equilibrium, the employment of mental process, distinction of senses; sight and touch, feeling self-confidence, and projecting the inner thoughts and power to liberate one from excessive emotionalism. Concerning the role of sports, Dr. Ashraf Mahmoud Al-Egeily, Prof., Faculty of Physical Education, Helwan University exposed the problems hindering the utmost ideal level to merge the handicapped in their society, starting with the role of the mother and brothers, then schools with the problems imposed by improper care for this category of children, and the role of sports institutions being responsible for merging these children with normal peers through training and encouragement. Dr Al-Egeily encouraged the idea of a program (the ideal friend) through which he aims at the formation of friendships between the handicapped children and their normal peers. The festival witnessed a wide participation of about 46 civil societies from a number of Egyptian provinces, a number of artists including the famous Actress Hanan Turk and an international delegation representing the Trans-world Islamic Relief Organization.