Programs in the US

American-Egyptian Dialogue

According to recent polls conducted in both the U.S. and Middle East, citizens of these two cultures hold alarmingly negative views of each other. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that nearly half of Americans (46%) have a negative view of Islam, 7% higher than in the period immediately following the September 11 attacks. Among Arabs, there is an increasing perception, especially among the youth, of the West being hostile to all Muslims and Arabs.

Despite these negative perceptions of each other, Americans and Middle Easterners share many values. Recent surveys of Arabs’ attitudes towards Americans show that:

• Although they generally have negative opinions about US policies in the Middle East, Arabs still share values (such as freedom, democracy, as justice) with Americans and have positive opinions of American people and products.
• Most Arabs have only indirect or received knowledge about America. The principle source of that knowledge comes from the media. Arabs who have learned about America by visiting the US or knowing Americans have more favorable views of the US.

These examples underline the importance of cultivating personal relationships with the peoples of the Middle East.

The Egyptian-American Dialogue is HANDS’ answer to the misperceptions afflicting both sides of the Middle Eastern-Western divide. This program brings together Egyptians and Americans who are active in the media, academia, civil society, and religious leadership to discuss areas of mutual concern and to advocate for cross-cultural understanding within their spheres of influence. The topics include politics, religion, civil society strengthening, intercultural relations, diversity and tolerance. Through the dialogue conferences, lasting personal and professional ties are being built and joint projects are being created to encourage intercultural understanding between Americans and Egyptians.

The first round of dialogue was held in Washington DC in February 2006. Among the attendees from Egypt were a former deputy of Al Azhar University, a supreme Islamic institution among Sunni Muslims, and journalists from Al Ahram, the most popular newspaper in Egypt. The American delegation included a similar cadre of university professors, former ambassadors, leaders of civil society organizations, and religious leaders. Participants visited many civil society and governmental institutions, held panel presentations, and debated issues, while still finding time to exchange jokes, laughter, and personal experiences.

Back row, from left: Egyptian Embassy representative;Ambassador Theodore Kattouf,President and CEO of AMIDEAST; Dr. Nabil Abadir,Dir.General of CEOSS; Bob Stoddard, former V.P. of Lebanese American Univ.; Jennifer Cate, Exec. Dir.,HANDS; Anne Marsa, HANDS Dialogue Coordinator; Rev. Scott Hill, Corydon Presbyterian Church (IN); Dr. Linda Johnston, Prof. of Conflict Resolution, Kennesaw State Univ.; Rev. Scott Haggray, Exec. Dir. of DC Baptist Convention; Alma Abdul Hadi Jadallah, facilitator. Middle row from left: Dr.Samer El Kamary, Asst.Prof.Univ. of Maryland, School of Medicine; Dr. Emad Gad, Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies; Amina Shafik, AlAhram columnist; Dr. Fathy Abou Ayana,Prof. of Demographics, Alexandria Univ.; Julie Ryan-Silva, evaluator; Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour, Al Azhar Univ.; Samira Luka, Dir. of Cultural Development Division, CEOSS. Front row from left: Marianne Elias, AMIDEAST; Amira Maaty,IREX; Motazz Soliman, CAIR. Not pictured: Alaa Bayoumi,CAIR; Sherif Amr, anchor, Al Horra News (Washington DC, American University, February 2006)

Most recently, a round of dialogue was held in Alexandria, Egypt, in February 2007. A total of eight US delegates traveled to Egypt to meet for a week-long dialogue with about 20 Egyptian counterparts. American delegates included journalists, representatives of the American Baptist and Presbyterian Church, university professors, etc. Besides people who participated in the previous round of dialogue in the US, the Egyptian delegates included a former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, diplomats, journalists, Christian and Muslim religious leaders, and university professors. Together, they visited the Al Ahram Center for Strategic Studies, Arabs Against Discrimination, community development projects that HANDS supports in Egypt, and talked to the participants from the CEOSS’ Forum for Intercultural Dialogue. The discussion sessions revolved around President Carter’s latest book, resulting in issuance of a joint letter to the President Carter. Participants also explored the sources of conflict and misunderstanding between the US and Egyptian points of views, and each side tried to gain deeper insight into the others perspective. As usual, some time was also dedicated to exploring cultural and historical riches of the host country, which at the same time provides a good opportunity for informal interaction among participants.

Everyone who participate in this program agreed on one thing: that this dialogue should continue and each member should work to involve even more people. Participants returned to their communities enriched by new experiences, knowledge and friendships, which will empower them to understand a bit better the real people that constitute the other culture.

Get Involved

Here is how you can help American - Egyptian Dialogue:

Make a donation

Host the next dialogue in your community

Invite one of American-Egyptian Dialogue participants to give a talk in your community

Apply to become a participant
(we are looking specifically for the representatives of religious communities, civil society groups and organizations, media professionals and members of academia).

If you wish to support American-Egyptian Dialogue in any way, or if you would like to become a participant, please contact HANDS office at 703-875 9370 or by email at aed@handsalongthenile.org.