6th Annual Dialogue and
Friendship Dinner-
November 15, 2009
6th Annual Friendship and
Dialogue Dinner on
Sunday, November 15th, 2009 hosted more than 150
guests.
The event started with
registration followed
by the actual program. Diane Loucks, the night’s emcee, did
the
opening welcome. Diane introduced Mustafa Naci Yazicioglu, Treasurer of
the Philadelphia Dialogue Forum, who did the PDF welcome
speech.
After the welcome speeches,
a video message,
sent from Senator Bob Casey ( click
here to watch the video) was
shown. Senator Casey talked about the
importance between Turkish-American relations and understanding and
tolerance. Once the video was over, dinner was served. During
dinner, guests were able to interact and get to know one another
better. Some were attending a PDF event for the first time and others
were more familiar with PDF and who we are.
Once dinner was served and
everyone had
eaten, a film on Turkey and the Dialogue Forum was shown. The video
included sites of Turkey, activities and events that the Philadelphia
Dialogue Forum hosts, as well as President Obama’s speech
given
in Turkey.
Key note speaker,
Congressman Joe Sestak,
made very eye-opening and heart-opening remarks on dialogue. He stated
that he praises “the efforts of the Philadelphia Dialogue
Forum
to bring people of different faiths together by recognizing that we
often share the same principles and values, such as justice, charity
and compassion. This organization sets a wonderful example for others
to follow of an effort to foster true acceptance and understanding of
people with different backgrounds and beliefs."
Sister Anne Munley,
President of Marywood
University, spoke on behalf of her view and experience with interfaith
and intercultural dialogue.
Founder of Mothers in
Charge, Dorothy
Johnson-Speight and Imam Muhammad Abdur-Razzaq Miller of Bawa
Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship were asked to give their impressions on
dialogue and how they think dialogue can make a difference.
The night ended with guests
visiting the
tezhib exhibition table, helping themselves to dessert and
socializing.
