Turkish Cultural Center Syracuse (TCCS) hosted its 6^th Annual Friendship Dinner on October 6, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel Syracuse University. The Syracuse Municipality and Turkish Student Association of Syracuse University were among the supporters of the event.

TCCS has been organizing Friendship Dinners annually since its inception, which gained a wide recognition within the Syracuse community. These programs aim to bring together people from all walks of diverse Syracuse population and promote unity, tolerance and mutual understanding.

 

This year more than 150 guests attended the Dinner, including the names such as New York State Senator John DeFrancisco, Syracuse University Senior Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Thomas Wolfe, Interfaith Works former executive director James Wiggins and others. Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle addressed the audience with a video message expressing her regret for not being able to attend and best wishes for the Dinner as well as other TCCS activities.

The theme of the 6^th Annual Friendship Dinner was ‘How Diversity Promotes Peace’ with keynote address by Syracuse University Professor Robert Rubinstein, expert in conflict resolution and peacekeeping. Drawing from his personal and academic research experience he delivered a message that diversity can be a crucial asset in establishing and promoting peace.  Other speakers, including Thomas Wolfe and James Wiggins, congratulated TCCS on its efforts to promote friendship and unity of diverse communities. They pointed out the difficulty of the task from their personal and work experiences.

At the end of every Friendship Dinner TCCS traditionally presents awards to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Syracuse community. This year, award recipients were Senator John DeFrancisco, Former Executive Director of Interfaith Works James Wiggins, Professor Robert Rubinstein, and Onondaga Community College Provost Cathleen McColgin.

Guests expressed their satisfaction with the program, specifically praising the details such as distribution of roses, writing every guest’s name in calligraphy and gift bags given out to all guests at the end of the program. They expressed the necessity for more of similar programs that bring diverse communities together and their impatience to attend the next TCC Friendship Dinner in upcoming year.

 

Click here for more  pictures about  this  event