A new thought from the land of the Pyramids

PhD Ahmed Elsersawy: A Political Writer passionate about Culture like a Bridge among Nations  

PhD Ahmed Elsersawy, born in Egypt in the mid-1960s, has spent much of his life traveling across continents as a war correspondent. Though he studied economics at university, his professional career has been deeply immersed in arts and culture, which he has always seen as a bridge—one of the shortest and fastest ways to connect people, regardless of their differences.  

This “secret blend” of journalism, war coverage, economics, and culture reflects his belief in diversity, acceptance, and humanity’s ability to simply act in their authenticity as human beings and individual uniqueness. 

He emphasizes, as he often says, that what matters is where a person ends up, not where they began. 

When I asked him to elaborate, he explained that we, as humans, are not responsible for where we are born, our names, or the cultural heritage we carry. However, we are entirely responsible for our beliefs, ideas, and intellect once we mature. This is where the importance of culture and arts lies; they guide a person toward their authentic path and goals, drawing them toward becoming a good human being in the sense defined by the “philosophy of beauty.”  

So tells us the Egyptian journalist Ahmed Elsersawy , who works for one of Egypt’s most prestigious and widely circulated media institutions, “Akhbar Al-Youm.” This comes in light of his launch of a new initiative that has resonated widely in Egypt and abroad: “Bridges of the Sea and the Ocean.” The initiative aims to create cultural and artistic bridges connecting the peoples of the Mediterranean (the Sea) with the peoples of the Americas (the Ocean), spanning the Atlantic and Pacific.

To this purpose he has identified the new SF Mayor Daniel Lurie and Hon. Angela Alioto, a Californian of Italian origin as agents for the  plan “Bridges of the Sea and the Ocean” creating a strong cultural, artistic and social cooperation and twinning between SF and its ethnic groups as Asians, Latinos , Italians etc., Rome as  center of the Mediterranean and Cairo, the door to the East. 

Elsersawy intends to officially invite the SF Mayor Daniel Lurie and Hon. Angela Alioto to Egypt to create solid synergies with Californian universities and strengthen the cinematographic bridge between the Arab world and California, highlighting the documentary aspect to promote cultural exchanges.

And we come to religious dialogue, which is fundamental to achieving goals of peace. 

To this end, not only is special attention given to the Franciscans in Egypt and to the city of SF founded by the Franciscan missions, but a recent Arabic-to-Italian and English translation of one of his most significant works, a book about Pope Shenouda III (1923–2012), the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Egypt, is in preparation. Pope Shenouda III is considered one of the greatest patriarchs in the nearly 2,000-year history of the Coptic Orthodox Church. 

The book is planned to be presented at the Egyptian Academy of Rome, directed by Dr. Rania Yahya and in SF and LA . 

Among Elsersawy’s six published works, this particular book stands out for reflecting his unique vision and strong enthusiasm for diversity, embracing differences, and accepting the “other.” A Muslim writer documenting the “genius of the 117th Patriarch in the history of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church,” Elsersawy approached Pope Shenouda not as a clergyman but as a leader who witnessed Egypt’s societal, political, security, and economic changes over eight decades. He tells the story of the Pope’s life through the lens of these transformations and their impact.  

In addition to this fascinating book, Al-Sarsawi is currently working on a Ph.D. in International Media. He has also authored a book about Egypt’s war in October 1973, a short story collection published in Beirut, and a memoir about his work as a military correspondent, covering wars in Kosovo (1999), Ethiopia and Eritrea (2000), and several Middle Eastern conflicts from 2005 to the present.  

Moreover, Elsersawy is a former press advisor to the Egyptian government, a screenwriter, and a documentary filmmaker. Influenced by prominent Egyptian writers like the Nobel Prize Naguib Mahfouz, Ihsan Abdel Quddous, and Abbas Al-Akkad, Elsersawy is currently training aspiring documentary filmmakers in the Gulf and North Africa to prepare a new generation capable of competing at international festivals.