Fifth Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner - Interfaith Events - Interfaith Dialogue - Interfaith Dialog - IFCO - Interfaith Cultural Organization

"Applaud the good for their goodness; appreciate those who have believing hearts; be kind to the believers. Approach unbelievers so gently that their envy and hatred melt away; like a Messiah revive people with your breath..."

EVENTS

Fifth Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner
October 29, 6:00 pm, Flinchum's Phoenix, Whitehall Forest, Athens

Interfaith Cultural Organization, IFCO, will host its 5^th Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner on October the 29th. The annual dinner serves IFCO's aim of promoting mutual understanding and dialogue between different religions and cultures. This year the event, at which over 120 distinguished guests are expected, will be held at Flinchum's Phoenix, Whitehall Forest Estate of UGA (directions).

The guests will be from diverse ambiences, such as: acclaimed spiritual leaders, academicians and directors from University of Georgia, politicians, representatives of different cultural and ethnic groups, PhD students, journalists and members of the Athens community. The theme of this year's dinner is "Who is my neighbor? Understanding, respect and dialogue among people".

C. Donald Johnson, Director of Dean Rusk Center, Former Member of US Congress and Ambassador, will be the keynote speaker on this year’s event. There will be an art demonstration, Ebru - Turkish Marbling by Turkish Artist Asiye Yaman.

The program of this year's dinner is as follows.

6:00   Reception
6:45   Welcome Speech
7:00   Dinner
7:45   Presentation by C. Donald Johnson, Director of Dean Rusk Center
          Former Member of US Congress and Ambassador
          "Who is my neighbor? Understanding, respect and dialogue among people"
8:05   Q & A
8:15   Art Demonstration: Ebru (Turkish Marbling)
8:35   Dessert and Conversation

Ebru, The Art of Turkish Marbling

C. Donald Johnson, Jr. (born January 30, 1948) is an American politician, lawyer and academic from the state of Georgia. Johnson was born in Atlanta; but spent most of his life in Royston. He earned his Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics in 1978. Johnson served in the United States Air Force from 1973 until 1977 and worked in the Air Force's Judge Advocate General’s Office and as trade counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. After his military service, he was a Georgia State senator from 1987 until 1993. Johnson won election in 1992 to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat representing Georgia's 10th congressional district, succeeding 16-year incumbent Doug Barnard. Johnson subsequently served as an ambassador for the Office of the United States Trade Representative from 1998 until 2000 as principal adviser on textile and apparel trade matters. Johnson rejoined the UGA School of Law in 2004 as the Director of Dean Rusk Center for International, Comparative and Graduate Legal Studies, where he remains today.

Whitehall Forest Estate where Flinchum's Phoenix is located

IFCO is a Turkish-Muslim-student initiated organization which was established in 2004. Today it has many members from UGA who have different cultures and faiths. IFCO is trying to serve both the university and the community by its activities, which include video lectures, friendship and dialogue dinners, sport tournaments, cooking classes, coffee hours, movie nights, and informative seminars about diverse cultures and religions.

Sponsors of the event:

Istanbul Center of Atlanta
http://www.istanbulcenter.org