Fifth Annual Dialog and Friendship Dinner, San Diego
The 5th Annual Dialog and Friendship Dinner on the 17th of October at Sheraton San Diego & Marina Harbor Island started at 6:30pm with a reception. The Dialog and Friendship dinner program received with a spectacular welcome by 200 guests who participated to the dinner, they expressed their respect and great admiration to Pacifica Institutes activities.
The Dinner started with video of 2009 activities summarized the Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, Annual Dialog and Friendship Dinners in six major cities in California plus Las Vegas, Intercultural Trips to Turkey, Luncheon Forums, Interfaith Conversations, Lecture Series, Women’s League Events, Humanitarian Aids, Turkish Studies and Community Outreach followed by the promotional video of the Annual Dialog and Friendship Dinners which emphasized the ideals that lie behind the dinners.
Afterwards Deputy Director Homeland Security, Center for Faith Based and Community Activities, Jannah Scott made the keynote speech and stressed the importance of interfaith relations and social justice initiatives. Deputy Director Jannah Scott talked about ideal society and its dynamics by making quotations from Turkish intellectual and author Fethullah Gulen’s books and articles and Jannah Scott explained Fethullah Gulen’s role and contributions to peace and interfaith activities. Jannah Scott also explained President Obama Administration’s in terms of encouraging interfaith activities and strengthening multi-cultural and multi-religious activities.
After the keynote speech, Live Demonstration of Turkish Coffee preparation was made by Mevlude who is from Turkiye. Mevlude explained the history of coffee, how it plays important role in social interactions and she demonstrated a live Turkish Coffee making. At the remarks, National City Mayor Ron Morrison, Encinitas City Mayor Maggie Houlihan, thanked Pacifica Institute for the making very valuable contribution to American Public life and they both expressed their support for this type of efforts. The closing remarks were made by President Clark Hendrickson from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Dr. Linda Peterson from University of San Diego.
The event concluded with great joy and admiration at 9:30pm and everyone expressed appreciation of Pacifica Institute’s efforts in San Diego and California.
Click here to see all the pictures of this event…