Reaching Across the Nile: The Egyptian American Dialogue

In a time when media headlines are filled with stories on conflict, we are proud to share news of recent work bridging the divide between nations. Global Ministries, together with three partner organizations, recently organized another round of Egyptian American Dialogue in Cairo.

A group of American participants from Congress, religious institutions, and civil society met with counterparts from Egypt and visited with senior advisors at various government ministries and religious institutions.

Recognizing the importance of bringing people together with the goal of creating cross-cultural understanding and improving relations between the U.S. and Egypt, the dialogue opened with presentations that highlighted Egyptian and American perspectives on a number of topics. The speakers and topics are listed on the left.

At the conclusion of the event, one participant stated that this day of dialogue was “one of the most significant meetings [he has] attended all year!”

Following this day of intensive dialogue, the group continued exploring how these concepts are applied in different institutions in Egypt. The American delegation traversed Cairo to meet with Egyptian religious and political officials beginning with The Grand Mufti of Al Azhar. The Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed al-Tayyeb also welcomed the American delegation in al-Azhar al-Shareef, stressing the need to stimulate the global discussion on facing the plague of terrorism, which is no longer confined to the East.

The American delegation also visited a few projects sponsored by CEOSS. In Basateen, participants visited one branch of our Employment Through Technology and Innovation Program (ETI), which has trained over 24,000 unemployed youth in marketable skills and connected them with employers in the community. In Mukattam, members of the delegation brunched with participants in the Forum for Intercultural Dialogue (FID). Every month this interfaith community group meets, alternating venues between a mosque, a church, and a local nonprofit. During brunch, any topic, except for politics or religion, is open for discussion.

The partner organizations that participated in making the Initiative possible were CEOSS, Hands Along the Nile Development Services (HANDS), the Presbyterian Church (USA), and Global Ministries of the Christian Church and United Church of Christ.

[This article is adapted from an article originally posted by HANDS.]