Peace Islands Institute hosted 7th Annual Friendship Dinner Syracuse, NY - October 24, 2012

Turkish Cultural Center of Syracuse (TCCS) in partnership with the City of Syracuse, the Peace Islands Institute and the Turkish Student Association of Syracuse University held the 7th Annual Friendship Dinner on October 24, 2012. The event took place at Goldstein Auditorium of Syracuse University located in Schine Student Center. The Dinner served as a venue for gathering of more than 200 distinguished individuals from Syracuse and Central New York, including government officials, community leaders, businessmen, distinguished faculty and media representatives. Some of the distinguished guests that attended this year are Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, Congressional Candidate Dan Maffei, Syracuse University Senior Vice President Thomas Wolfe, SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum and others. The event was emceed by Katie Corrado, a multimedia journalist from CNYCentral.com.

The Annual Friendship Dinner brings together people from all walks of life across the Syracuse University campus and the greater Syracuse and CNY area every year. The mission of the dinner is to strengthen the mutual ties between the local communities in the area. With these events TCCS aims to promote understanding, tolerance and hence social harmony between the people of various cultures and traditions by bringing together different points of view and voices with the spirit of mutual respect and acceptance. This mission was more than accomplished at the 7^th Annual Friendship Dinner that brought together rival Congressional Candidates Ann Marie Buerkle and Dan Maffei to the same table, a symbolic gesture that even in the biggest heat of the election campaign all differences can be put aside for the celebration of a common goal of friendship, tolerance and mutual understanding.

This event did not only serve as a venue to promote values of mutual understanding, respect and tolerance, but also as a platform to address one of the most pressing issues in our local and global societies nowadays, the issue of poverty and the potential solution in the proper role of education to eradicate it.  Syracuse University Professor John Western, a keynote speaker at the 7^th Annual Friendship Dinner, used stories from his personal experiences in his attention grabbing speech to show how effective and embracing can be the role of education in eradicating poverty. He left the audience reflecting upon how every individual has great potential to learn from other and also teach others in a global effort to end both materials, intellectual and spiritual poverty.

After enjoying in delicious food, informative presentations and fulfilling speeches guests left the Dinner feeling richer by a new experience, and a rejuvenated sense of tolerance, understanding and acceptance of all people. Not to stay short of famous Turkish hospitality, TCCS made sure that every guest at the Dinner received a gift bag with Turkish delights and informational brochures about TCCS and Peace Island Institute. The 7^th Annual Friendship Dinner proved once again that Central New York is a home to a very diverse population, that promote their diversity not for the sake of being apart, but for the cause of coming closer  and learning from each other.